Fly Fishing the Greater Yellowstone Backcountry

by Bruce Staples

Overview

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most crowded parks in the country, and for good reason: breathtaking scenery, amazing wildlife, and for anglers, great fishing. Yet, even a short hike from the road or trailhead into the backcountry of the park and the surrounding area can put anglers into even better fishing, often in solitude. This guidebook focuses on backcountry fishing opportunities in Yellowstone Park and surrounding areas in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho (Greater Yellowstone Area). In addition to full color photographs of the destinations, the author includes essential information for each stream or lake, including maps and written directions, flies, gear, and timing.

Waters Covered

Yellowstone Park
Fall River Basin
Beula Lake
Boundary Creek
Cascade Creek
Hering Lake
Mountain Ash Creek
Robinson Creek
Lewis River Drainage
Moose Creek
Polecat Creek
Gallatin River Drainage

Madison River Drainage
“Beaver Meadows” of the Madison River
Duck Creek
Gneiss Creek

Yellowstone River Drainage
Blacktail Ponds
Blacktail Deer Creek
Cascade Lake
Grizzly Lake
McBride Lake
Riddle Lake
Tower Creek

West of Yellowstone Park (Montana) “Waters to the West”
Centennial Valley
Red Rock Creek
Odell Creek
Elk Lake
Elk Spring Creek
Hidden Lake
Graben Lakes
Cliff Lake
Wade Lake
Madison River Drainage
Between Highway 191 and Hebgen Lake
Quake Lake
Smith Lake
South Fork Madison River
West Fork Madison River
Ruby River
Upper River

F. North of Yellowstone Park
Gallatin River
Taylor Fork
Yellowstone River Drainage

G. East of Yellowstone Park
North Fork Shoshone River Drainage
Clark’s Fork Drainage
Sunlight Creek

H. South of Yellowstone (Idaho and Wyoming) “Waters to the South”
Snake River Drainage
Grand Teton Park Waters
Fish Creek
Flat Creek
Pacific Creek
Upper Gros Ventre River
Hoback River Drainage
Willow Creek (Wyoming)
Granite Creek
Grey’s River Drainage
Salt River Drainage
Beaver Ponds
Idaho Tributaries
Swift Creek
Willow Creek (Idaho) Drainage
Beaver Ponds

Henry’s Fork Drainage
Teton River and Bitch Creek
Fall River
Blackfoot River
Fish Lake
Harriman Fish Pond
Henry’s Lake Outlet
Horseshoe Lake
Warm River and Robinson Creek

Wind River Drainage
Brooks Lake
Upper Wind River
Warm Springs Creek

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811766821
Publisher:	Stackpole Books
Publication date:	12/01/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	39 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Bruce Staples, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, has fly-fished the Greater Yellowstone area for thirty-five years. His articles have appeared in Fly Tyer, American Angler, Fly Fishing the West, Yellowstone-Teton Country, and Fly Fisher magazines. He is the author of Flies for GreaterYellowstone Area (Stackpole), Snake River Country Flies and Waters, The Yellowstone Park River Journal, and Trout Country Flies. Bruce is a member of the Upper Snake River Fly Fishers of Rexburg, Idaho, and the Snake River Cutthroats of Idaho Falls. He is active in the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) and received the Western Rocky Mountain Council, FFF, Fly Tier of the Year award in 1990, and the Charlie Brooks Memorial Life Membership in 1998. In 2001 he received the FFF's Buz Buszek Memorial Award for fly-tying excellence. He is a member of the Whiting Farms and Daiichi Pro staffs.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi

Foreword vii

Introduction 1

Famed Waters Overview 3

Backcountry Waters Overview 6

Water Types and Fishing Strategies 10

Precautions 14

How to Use This Book 20

Part 1 Yellowstone National Park 21

Henry's Fork Drainage 24

Bechler River 24

Beula Lake 28

Boundary Creek 30

Fall River 32

Hering Lake 35

Mountain Ash Creek 36

Gallatin River Drainage 39

Upper Gallatin River and Fan Creek 39

Madison River Drainage 41

Cougar Creek 41

Duck Creek 42

Grayling Creek 44

The Grayling Lakes 45

Snake River Drainage 48

Crawfish Creek 48

Lewis River 49

Heart Lake 51

Heart River 55

Polecat Creek 56

Shoshone Lake 57

Snake River 60

Yellowstone River Drainage 61

Black Canyon of the Yellowstone River 61

Blacktail Pond 64

Gardner's Hole Waters 65

Lamar River 66

Pelican Creek 68

Slough Creek and McBride Lake 69

Trout Lake 71

Upper Yellowstone River 73

Part 2 Eastern Idaho 75

Island Park Area and the Henry's Fork Drainage 77

Aldous Lake 77

Buffalo River 79

Harriman Fish Pond 80

Henry's Lake Outlet in the Flat Ranch Preserve 82

Horseshoe Lake 85

Lower Fall River 87

Robinson Creek 89

Sand Creek Ponds 91

Sheridan Reservoir 92

Teton River in Teton Basin 94

Teton River Canyon 96

Teton River in the Snake River Plain 99

North Fork of the Teton River 100

Warm River 102

Snake River Drainage 104

Upper Blackfoot River 104

Lower Blackfoot River 107

Main Stem Snake River 109

Salt River Tributaries 111

Crow Creek 111

Jack knife Creek 112

Stump Creek 113

Tincup Creek 114

South Fork Reach Tributaries 116

Bear Creek 116

Big Elk Creek 117

McCoy Creek 119

Palisades Creek 120

Part 3 Southwestern Montana 123

Gallatin River Drainage 125

Golden Trout Lakes 125

Hidden Lakes 126

Hyalite Creek and Hyalite Reservoir 128

Taylor Fork 130

Jefferson River Drainage 132

Lower Ruby River 132

The Woodson Ranch and the Ruby Habitat Foundation 134

Upper Ruby River 136

Boulder River 137

Willow Creek Reservoir 139

Madison River Drainage 140

Lower Cougar Creek 140

South Fork of the Madison River 142

West Fork of the Madison River and Smith Lake 144

Graben Lakes 146

Cliff Lake 146

Wade Lake 147

Red Rock River Drainage 150

Blair Lake 150

Culver Pond (aka The Widow's Pool) 151

Elk Lake 153

Hidden Lake 155

Odell Creek 157

Red Rock Creekr 159

Yellowstone River Drainage 162

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Lakes 162

Boulder River 164

West Boulder River 167

Mill Creek 168

Rock Creek 170

Stillwater River 171

Part 4 Northwestern Wyoming 175

Snake River Drainage 178

Ashton-Flagg Ranch Road Waters 178

Buffalo Fork of the Snake River 181

Grand Teton National Park Waters 184

Bradley and Taggart Lakes 185

Jenny Lake 187

Leigh Lake 189

Gros Ventre Wilderness Waters 190

Crystal Creek 190

Grizzly Lake 191

Lower Gros Ventre River 193

Gros Ventre Headwaters 195

Slide Lake 197

Soda Lake 198

Greys River Drainage 199

Hoback River Drainage 202

Cliff Creek 202

Granite Creek 203

Shoal Creek 204

Willow Creek 205

Pacific Creek Drainage 206

Salt River Drainage 207

Yellowstone River Drainage 209

Chief Joseph Scenic Highway Waters 209

Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River 212

Greybull River 215

Hogan and Luce Reservoirs 216

Monster Lake 217

Newton Lakes 219

Lower Shoshone River 222

Wind River Headwaters 224

Upper Wind River 224

East Fork Wind River 226

Horse Creek 227

Jakey's Fork 228

Torrey, Ring, and Trail Lakes 230

Part 5 Fly Patterns 233

ARF Articulated Sculpin (Brown) 234

ARF Simple Stone 235

Baetis Nymph 236

Baetis Upright Dun 236

Bead Bunny 237

Black Foam Ant 237

Boom's Crawfishy 238

Bow Tie Midge 238

Callibaetis Parachute 239

CDC Parachute Emerger 239

CDC Yellow Sally 240

Cuttnip Scud 240

CW's Coq de Leon Caddis 241

CW's Half & Half CDC Green Drake Emerger 242

Diamond Hair Shad 242

Do-Rite 243

Dorothy's CDC Dun 244

Drake's Drake 244

Foam Black Stone 245

Foam Humpy 246

Fonda Fly 246

Fred's Fox Squirrel Nymph 247

Gib's Stonefly Nymph 247

GK's Spruce Moth 248

Grayson's PMD Emerger 249

Grumpy Frumpy 249

Hackle Stacker Variant 250

Hairball Emerger 251

Hi-Vis'Horror 251

HNL Caddis Emerger 252

Ida-Know 253

Jacklin's October Caddis Soft Hackle Emerger 253

KG's Spring Creek CDC Emerger 254

Kiss Streamer 254

Linda's Gray May 255

Little Green Caddis 255

Macrame Hopper 256

Mosquito Hawk 257

Mother's Day Caddis 257

Natural Vixen 258

One Feather Wet Fly 258

Orange Butt Platinum 259

Pheasant Tail Mayfly Cripple 259

PQ Green Drake Emerger 260

Pullover Hackle Dun 261

Queen Hecuba 261

Randy's TC Damsel 262

Ribbed Stonefly Nymph 262

Shameless Hussy 263

Simi Seal Leech 263

Soft Hackle March Brown Emerger 264

Stub Tail Caddis 265

TD's Adult Crane Fly 265

Todd's C&S Emerger 266

Triple Down Streamer 266

Trolling Fly 267

Twist Nymph Variant 268

UPS No Hackle 268

Bibliography 269

Index 271