Slide Inn and West Yellowstone

"salmobytes" wrote in message
. ..
Larry L wrote:

..... and the fish are right next to shore anyway

I (as usual) agree with most of what Larry said.
But not necessarily this part. Lower down the river
the fish get driven off the banks by a daily parade of driftboats.
Up in the Slide Inn area, when you can find it, I like fan-shaped
riffley runs that drain fast water into deeper, bluer water.

And the big fish are never on the bank anymore. Maybe they would be
if there weren't so many fishermen trudging along and flailing
away. But there they (the fishermen) are, and there they (the fish)
are not.

The last time I went to the 3 dollar bridge at salmon fly time
there must have been 100 fishermen there. I waded out into kamakaze-style
fast water (almost went down getting there) and
then caught my breath in the eddy behind a huge, deep mid-river rock,
maybe a quarter mile up from the bridge. I caught two 17-18"
fish there, plus 2-3 smaller ones and missed a few honkers too.
I had one really big fish on that caught some cat calls from the
peanut gallery.

And all that during a period when I didn't see anybody else touch
anything. Not because I'm such a great fisherman, but more because
I was fishing deep fast water, in the middle of the river,
that nobody else had touched all day.

I do that too from the boat, further down the river. I ignore the
banks and work the deep blue rolling runs smack in the middle
of the river. That's were the big ones are.

Hmm, I have to disagree a little, but maybe it's more because I am use to
the pressure of the PA streams. I find there are still many fish that are
willing and able along the banks, if your timing is good. Albeit, first
run in the morning seems to be best, but there tends to be some more action
in the evening after the hot summer sun has chased most off in the
afternoon. I also find that many people walk right by productive water
because "great" water lies just beyond, especially in an area under
pressure by many, they all end up fighting for the best water, running up
and down with really doing much fishing at all. Once the sun drops below
the mountains, the fish get more active again, and if you are lucky, you'll
catch one of those Madison caddis hatches. Again not sure about June, but
it can be quite a frenzy, if you do catch one.

As for the heavy water fishing, that's what I usually like best, but find
the water in the Madison around the Slide, Three Dollar, and below, a bit
fast for enjoyment. It can be productive, but it's too much like work, for
me anyway. I would rather wander up the upper Madison, Gibbon, Slough,
Firehole, Pebble Creek , or Soda Butte, at least in early July (not sure how
many of those are fishable in early June).

Lot's of great advice from many here that are more knowledable than I, and
one note Jeff made, to wander upstream from the Slide, is a great one.
That is very fast water for the most part, but it seems to force the fish
into every slower hole possible. If you can drift a fly through it, and
it's more than 9 inches deep, you can catch fish in it. I had just started
to mess around with that approach, with a little success, at the end of my
last trip up there. I'll pick up where I left off next year.

The other problem I have is concentrating on the quarry. It's hard with
such a beautiful, mystical, breathtaking, piece of the planet surrounding
you at every turn. From the Big Sky, to the boiling hot springs, you'll
find yourself wandering amongst the wildlife, stumbling upon nature's best
seemingly at will, can make it hard to do anything but gawk in amazement of
it all.

Either way, you'll enjoy it all.

Mike

who now wonders why the heck I'm not going this year....

"Mike Makela" ten.tsacmoc@alekamm wrote






and down with really doing much fishing at all. Once the sun drops below
the mountains, the fish get more active again, and if you are lucky,
you'll catch one of those Madison caddis hatches. Again not sure about
June, but it can be quite a frenzy, if you do catch one.



"June" in Montahoming covers a huge amount of change ... early June and late
June being very, VERY different ... indeed one of the joys of June is the
need to be very flexible and observant to stay on top of things ... what
worked great yesterday may well be over for the year today



afternoon. I also find that many people walk right by productive water
because "great" water lies just beyond, especially in an area under
pressure by many, they all end up fighting for the best water, running up
and down with really doing much fishing at all.


Two or three times, in the same area, on the Firehole I've had people
walking by looking for "a spot" Below me a hundred yards was some of
the river's best water and biggest ( not as small ) fish in an area I
usually slowly work into. But these folks seemed too lost, clearly weren't
going to be around to compete more than a one day vacation and I'd decide to
"play guide" I'd say something like, "Once you get past that next
curve, slow down and very carefully watch both banks, the fish will be
within a couple inches of the bank, but they will be there." In every
case I got a nod or 'thanks' and watched them stomp quickly down the
mentioned bank, eyes glued on the middle, boots scaring the fish back
under the under cuts. By the time I worked to them, the fish were back on
station G


I think the fights are often for the "best looking" water, not the best.

Another thing I've noticed is that you can guess the water type being
occupied by the license plate of the parked car ... Colorado plates, the
riffle is taken, bobicator flailing, ( over the heads of risers on the back
casts, maybe), but the eddies and edges haven't been touched.
There's more "good water" than most of us think, we actually look for "my
type of water" ... don't we? G








The other problem I have is concentrating on the quarry. It's hard with
such a beautiful, mystical, breathtaking, piece of the planet surrounding
you at every turn. From the Big Sky, to the boiling hot springs,
you'll find yourself wandering amongst the wildlife, stumbling upon
nature's best seemingly at will, can make it hard to do anything but gawk
in amazement of it all.


The fishing is, mostly, just an excuse ...