Yellowston 2008

Okay, so it took 3 years but I am so glad I got the opportunity to return. As you can see by the duplicate posts of the buffalo, I am relearning how to post on the blog. I made this year's trip with Bob (singer in our band, client & friend) who went with me in 2005 and his lifelong friend, Tom. On the top right is a shot of them on the banks of the Firehole. The shot on the right is Bob on Middle Creek, East of Yellowstone Lake - I had never made the drive in my past 11 visits - a very pretty steam, but the fish were too small for Tom's taste. We encountered the Buffalo while making the hike down from Fishing Bridge (1 mile before you can fish). In years past, I would find pods of fish in the holes I have fished since 1987, but I haven't seen any since 1999. Looking back on my journal entries it seems that the river in park above the falls has become a "walk and search for 1 fish" type of water. Very sad, used to encounter good rises to BWO in the fall, this river is just not what it once was whether it is the fishing pressure of populations have dropped due to the Lake Trout.

Soda Butte and the Lamar have been my go-t0 rivers since 1996 - the first shot is a 'Cut from the Bridge Pool and the next 2 are on the Lamar just downstream from the Confluence Pool. These rivers are very crowded during the time of year I favor and I am very worried about them being loved to death. They still fished very well in spite of the beautiful weather which precluded any cosmic hatches. Well, I should say sustained - we were driving back to the hotel one evening and saw clouds of insects forming vortexes in the sky - had several flying ants come into the car so we fished ant patterns the next day and sure-enough, they worked.

We had to take Tom to Jackson in the middle of the week so we did some quick fishing on the Gibbon and Firehole before spending our last day on the Lamar (Soda Butte was just too crowded and if you do a little walking you can find some good pools. My best fish of the trip came from the Lamar on #14 Royal Wulff in faster water than I would have imagined. In the slower water a #18 Wulff, along with #17 Ants and BWO Sparkle Duns brought the fish up regularly. We only saw a few Drakes come off but a #12 Drake pattern worked in faster water. Reading the posts after my trip showed that some weather finally moved in and kicked the hatches up a notch.

I usually spend half my nights in Mammoth since we fish the NE and to catch the Elk in rut. We always run in for a few beers at the Blue Goose and found a great place for steaks (Raven Grill). I have resolved to fish more in the future and will cut back gigs for the band (http://mlcaz.com/) to twice a month even though the band money more or less funds the trip. It was very good for the soul even with the realization that I have been making this trip since 1987 and quite a few things have changed. The terraces at Mammoth used to run and leave them bright white - most have stop flowing now - you know you're getting old when you witness geologic change. I better get in my fishing while I can.