Yellowstone Fly Fishing Episode 1: The Firehole River
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- Опубліковано 11 сер 2021
- Fly Fishing for wild and native trout in Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding areas. An 18 day adventure and journey to fish legendary trout streams in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Episode 1 kicks off the series fishing one of the unique trout streams in North America, The Firehole river.
#yellowstone #flyfishing #firehole #madisonriver #remoteflyfishing #nationalpark
In 1964, twenty years before taking up fly fishing, I had the joy of viewing the Firehole....from the seat of my 10-speed Schwinn, enroute from Dayton, Ohio, to LaPush, Washington. Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier and Olympic NP's. Wonderful experience.....still flyfishing at 78.
Wow, that's a bike ride. You rode through some beautiful country, not to mention over a few mountain ranges.....
Thanks for sharing! A beautiful area to enjoy!
You bet!
Great video, well done. And I appreciate that your going it alone.
It isn't recommended to fish these rivers alone, but with COVID it was hard to plan and coordinate fishing with a friend or family. The original plan coincided with the wedding of our niece in Denver, and when the wedding celebration was rescheduled (for the second time) I made up my mind to head out alone ...... We have plenty of black bears where we live, but grizzly bears are a different story. I saw a grizzly bear up close years ago from my car. I would not want to encounter one on foot. That said, there are times when you get so focused on fishing a trout stream you don't notice the things around you. A woman took a picture of me and my brother fly fishing in northern New Hampshire with a moose in-between us. Neither of us ever saw the moose ....
I will, always, remember the time Tim Sterling, and I were fly fishing the Yellowstone River, while wading. Never saw one fish on the surface, but we used nymphs, and caught 200 cutthroats in 4 hours... all 14" to 16". Most of the time we had doubles in the same hole. Too much fun.
What time of year? Rules now don't allow fishing the Yellowstone River, above the falls, until after July 15th.
@@RemoteFlyFishing August or September.
Great job producing this video, really enjoyed the adventure and narration. I'm in Salt Lake City and have been wanting to carve out some time to head up and explore fishing the park for a while. You just helped me with some inspiration, I think I'll even go this year :) Looking forward to viewing your follow up episodes. Again, great job, thanks for taking the time to put this together.
Thanks for the kind words. Plan to spend some time fishing the Madison down river from the Slide Inn and Tackle Shop (stop in and get their advice and purchase a few recommended flies). I caught trout there that ripped line off my reel -- .
I fished the fire hole when I was 10, caught a 3 lb Brown on a hopper. That was 33 years ago! Now I guide in an area that reminds me of the firehole river on the tidal flats
What a thrill, to be 10 and catch a 3 lb trout! I'm a huge fan of hoppers and tie my own. I prefer fishing ones tied with deer or elk hair as after they land on the water I can give them a little tug and it creates a natural swiming motion hoppers have when they try to swim to safety. Check out my second video of the Three Ponds area in the White Mountains --- where I show the technique.
One of my favorite stretches, especially further downstream. there's some really nice undercut banks & deep holes in that area. Headwaters bamboo? Looks like one except for the upper reel seat.
Hi Alex, quick question - further downstream on the Firehole or Madison? I like fishing with different bamboo rods in my vids. I like rods built by the old masters, as well as rods built by today's bamboo rod makers. Today's makers are as good if not better because they can leverage the experience of the makers in the past and take advantage of improved materials (especially glue) and tools used in their workshops. I am aware of Headwaters bamboo, but have not had the opportunity to cast one of their rods. On this trip to Yellowstone I fished a couple of bamboo rods. On the Firehole I fished a Payne 401L (8 1/2' 4 wt). On the Madison I fished a Jenkins GA80-35 (8' 5 wt), which I might have fished in this video, but certainly in a seperate video I posted below Hebgen Dam.
@@RemoteFlyFishing Yes, downstream about a mile & a half from Biscuit Basin. On the Madison, I'll take my boat & put in at Palisades, for a day going down to Varney. that river's never without serious wind though! I have 2 Headwaters rods, a 5wt and a 7' 4wt. The 5wt seems a little sluggish, but that little 4wt is very nice, and has a surprisingly long reach when you want to throw more line!
I was in the same area at the end of May and early June (We stayed in Ennis). The Firehole had amazing views, but some of the most picky fish I have ever seen, and the crowds were insane. We got in before first light (Waited for Sunrise to fish), and left at 11. We fished a few other places outside the park and did really well. Can't wait to get back there next year. Great video.
Thanks . You ran into the opening day (week?) crowd as angling in YNP typically starts on the Saturday before Memorial day. It's a tradition. A lot of people make the pilgrimage every year. Then many of them head over to Harriman Ranch on Henry's Fork River in Idaho for opening day on June 15th. The strategy is to catch the trout before they get educated and picky. So my strategy, to avoid crowds, was to fish the Firehole while everyone else was at the Harriman Ranch, and then after a week exploring Yellowstone (and the Madison River outside the park) I headed down to Harriman State Park hoping the crowd would die down......
This was a very enjoyable video. Thanks for sharing - it felt like I was there with you!
Thanks! You figured it out. I need to provide an introduction to my channel as I started posting these videos for a friend of mine who, due to illness, could no longer join me on fishing trips. So one day I got this idea from watching these hiking videos on UA-cam and created my first 5 videos for him to join me as I hiked to fish these remote ponds in the White Mountains. He loved them. Sadly he passed away a few years ago. I kept up the theme as other people felt like they too were on the trip. On the downside, sometimes after hiking up to these ponds to catch fish results in getting skunked, which some folks don't like - they want to see big fish, and lots of them, being caught. Unfortunately that's not the way it always works out. Or they say, you need to hire a giude, which I have done, and you do catch fish - but it takes the fun out of the challenge.
@@RemoteFlyFishing Very thoughtful of you to do this for your late fishing buddy. I’m sure he appreciated the effort and the videos were of comfort to him as he went to fish rivers where the hatches are never-ending and the trout are abundant. Good on you. It’s hard to let a friend go. Even harder to replace them. Peace to you as you continue on your adventures. May the sunshine always be at your back!
Very well done
Thank you very much!
Very thankful UA-cam recommended me this video. Great video, always dreamed of going to Yellowstone
Glad you enjoyed it! I am editing 5 more episodes to post. You should go to Yellowstone. There is so much to see and do. And while it can get crowded at times, it is a huge park - the size of Rhode Island. A friend told me that fishing the Firehole River can get crowded in the early spring (starting a week before Memorial day) The river is 23 miles long so it is hard to imagine - and then there are plenty of other great rivers throughout the park.
Great Vid thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
Fly Fished the firehole and gibbon last summer it’s truly beautiful, nice video
Thanks, editing video on fly fishing the Madison, and the views of mountains are spectacular. I think next time I need to include more video shots of the surrounding area.
Just came from there. Left the flly rod at home though...much to my dismay, I didnt think it right to make the family wait on me while I had a good time. So we did family stuff. I'm currently in Rexburg, Tomorrow we head back to Utah and back to my own stomping ground; The Provo River. Love that river.
Yes, it is a tough choice. Although you could rent a boat and fish the lake - and any lake trout you catch you have to keep and eat! The Provo is on my list - but then a lot of rivers are on my list ....
Nice!
Thank you. There is a part 2 to this video that I've posted. I hope to post my adventure fishing the Gibbon river below Gibbon Falls shortly. And then on to the Madison at Ghost Village and Three Forks .....
Cool video man, makes me want to get up there and film and fish myself, love the looks of all the geysers around! I subscribed, looking forward to part 2!
Thanks for the good words. I don't think there is anywhere in th e world where one can fish a river with geyers and hot pools. And Yellowstone has two of them - the Firehole and the Gibbon River. I should be posting part 2 shortly -- followed then by 3 (Gibbon), 4 (Madison), 5 (Henry's Fork) and maybe 6 (Snake and Soda Butte) episodes.
Pretty cool adventure and you put a lot of work into this video. I can definitely see why it's gone viral!
Thank you. I am currently editing my video of the Gibbon River and hope to have it posted in the next day or so, and then the adventure continues outside Yellowstone as I target larger fish on the Madison and Henry's Fork.
Just got into fly fishing and everyday I dream of moving water like this.
Of all the places that I could be living I'm in the polar opposite of elevation; great video and greetings from South Florida.
Thank you. South Florida is a world class fly fishing destination. Fishing on the flats for bonefish and in the channels and inlets for tarpon, not to mention a dozen other species of game fish!
also surf fishing !
That tent rocks. I sure miss Yellowstone.
Having the screen room really kept the the bugs out!
@@RemoteFlyFishing 🙂👍
It's beautiful, nice Video very good fishing
Thank you very much
The valley through which you drive from Livingston to YSNP is called Paradise Valley, not Pleasant Valley.
Yep, I have no idea why I said that and why I didn't catch it in editing. I have a valley near where I live that I call Pleasent Valley (not its name) and maybe that's why.......
@@RemoteFlyFishing Sounds like someplace in PA.
I fished that exact spot during a PMD hatch in july.....one of the craziest hatches ive ever seen
That was what I was hoping for. I caught a couple on PMDs, but only saw a few flying around. A video I am editing right now and hope to post soon is of the Henry's Fork at the Railroad Ranch. Tallk about hatches, which I captured on Video, but then how do you coach the trout to your fly with some many naturals popping up...
I fished the very spots you fished on June 7th of 2022. I mostly nymphed and did pretty well at the riffly spot by the parking lot [ video 17:39 ]. My most productive fly was a small black Perdigon. Then I moved downstream a little ways. Didn't notice that a couple huge buffaloes "snuck" upon me and were grazing right behind me. I was probably back casting over their heads. Once they moved on, I headed further downstream where the river approaches the road and found some more brownies. None of the fish was sizable, but they were still fun to catch. I only had one fish take a small dry on the surface ( Parachute Adams ).
The bison do sneak up on you. They are dark and can easily hide in the shadows. I've had moose do this to me. They disapear when moving even fifteen feet into the woods. It has to do with their coat the way the sun reflects the branches and trees. I returned to fish the Firehole with a Euro-Nymphing rod and rig this past June - having tied up a bunch of different color Perdigons. And then ended up getting evacuated due to the flooding. I did video this section of the river - and posted this to my channel - check it our, you won't believe the flooding!
I will always remember the time Ray Mirande and I were fly fishing Yellowstone Lake in our float tubes. The size limit for cutthroat was under 18". In two days, we caught and released 127 fish. Not one was a keeper - they were all over 18"
Nice!
Hi your one hell of a lucky fella that’s all that needs to be said hoo roo from Paul in Australia 🍻👍🎣🪰
Lucky ... hmmmm. Wait to you see my video fishing the Madison river. I hook up with a big rainbow trout, screaming line off my reel and I hear a plop in the water down by knees. It's my camera. So I don't get a video of fighting and landing a monster trout .... but I was able to recover my camera and luckily I did have my cell phone and was able to take some pictures of the rainbow trout!
Enjoyed the video. I have dreamed of fishing in Yellowstone and learned a few things from the video about fishing but for me I realized that I don’t want to just roll into Yellowstone and start fishing. Seems there are a lot of other things to consider than just fishing. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it. Oh yes, you need to check out the sights! In fact my daughter and I were doing this (video forthcoming) when suddenly the park began to shut down around us and we were told to evacuate......we just posted a short vid as no one told the bison we needed to leave. And they were blocking the evacuation route. Eventually the older bison noticed the cars backed up and led the herd off the road.
As a local, may I give some advice for those who want to fish the Firehole. 1. Fish from opening day in May thru June. 2. Please don’t fish July and August. Traditionally, water is too warm during those months and it hard on the fish. 3. Fishing starts up again in Sept thru the end of season in Nov. 4. Please practice proper release after catching. Have a great time.
I would add that taking the temperature of the water is very important, especially in years like this past June. I use a hand held infrared temperature thermometer. A small device the size of a pen. To my regret (episode 2) fishing the Firehole was effectively over in mid June this past year.
Just a question. Did you obtain a approval and a permit to film within Yellowstone prior to doing so?
You do need the park fishing permit. You also need a permit for commercial filming, etc. Not so sure if this video would require said permit.
Swinging the Soft Hackle!
It was the trick, as nothing else seemed to work. The one rise I did see was very sporadic and no way could I figure out what it was rizing to. Also, I saw a partial comment you sent but couldn't open it - looked like you were sharing good advice - just wanted to let you know I didn't delete it.
Two of my main passions in life are volcanology and fly fishing for trout. Not necessarily in that order.
The Firehole and Gibbon are your rivers! Not many places in the world were you'll find this combination!
I fished Yellowstone for the first time last year. I didn't do real well being I'm not as skilled at fly fishing as I should be. I had a blast though. I'm coming back again in June 2023.
Hi Daniel, what month and what river{s} did you fish? My daughter joined me to fish Yellowstone in June of 2022. Unfortunately we arrived and set up camp the night before the evacuation. We published a video of our journey on UA-cam "Yellowstone Evacuation Worst Flooding in 500 years" June is a fickle month! Good Luck!
It was the beginning of June last year. I fished the Gibbon River. It was right after the late blizzard. I'm going this year June 25-30.
Compressed water column makes the ripples good for a fast fish to feed in more bugs per square inch! Nice scenery been way to close to big buff bulls here in Colorado unsettlingly!
The rivers out there are insect factories. I filmed the bison pushing me off the river with my GoPro camera, which has a wide angle lens that makes the bison look further away then they actually were - so I am playing with a digital zoom to see if I can recreate what I was seeing. I sat down on the bridge to tie on a different fly. When I looked up, three members of the herd were heading straight for me. As I retreated back to the parking lot the bison went over and, one at a time, sniffed the place where I had been sitting.
@@RemoteFlyFishing I was arrowhead hunting here in Colorado and on the way back to my car I took a shortcut through a herd of llamas the fence was just normal barbwire as I got closer to my car I realized the fence on the other side of the pasture was 6ft chain link with posts every four feet about that time I heard somthing behind me I turned to see a massive bull buffalo walking about 20ft behind me not aggressive just following I'll bet I set a speed record for 25yds and scaled that chain link like a monkey he never threatened me we have what they call state trust land out here and buffalo run on it sometimes and I jumped another big bull in the rain and both times he ran away never have placed myself in a herd probably a whole different ball game great video good luck !
@@danielcline7413 Thanks, although I didn't end up in the herd. I've learned that the herd is made up of females led by older females. Three of these older ones left the herd and came straight for me while I was sitting on the bridge with my head down tying on a new fly. I look up and there they were. I have it all on film. What was weird was how they all took turns sniffing where I had been sitting.
@@RemoteFlyFishing well sir I dont usually make gender related comments but!
You should have a nice silk line to go with that rod. Helps with the wind too!
I do have a silk line to go with the rod, but I keep forgetting to load it on a reel. I didn't know silk would help with the wind, makes sense, thanks, good advice!
Great vid! Note to catch-n-release anglers: if you use a underwater GoPro type camera and a hands-free release tool, you can catch fish and never take them out of the water and never have to touch them. Increases survival rate.
Thanks - I do practice catch release. I always pinch my barbs, wet my hands and did purchase one of the new fly fishing nets. But I will look into a hands free release tool, as I don't want to cause the trout any more stress than necessary.
@@RemoteFlyFishing The one I use is called "Ketchum Release" and I never have to touch the fish. Rule the tool down the line to the fly and !POP! the fish is off. And with the inexpensive underwater cameras you can get some great vid or pics before the release.
Thank you for the positive and thoughtful response!
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We just gotback , All the rivers were running full, And very fast, terrible fishing but beautiful scenery, ,
Thanks for the update. It’s been raining heavily in northern New England as well - check out the flooding in Vermont, crazy!
Hey man- firehole in mid June gets way way too hot to fish for trout. Please please rethink fishing here this time of year.
T. Hunter, I measure water temperatures when fishing rivers as warmer weather nears. I use a hand held infrared device. I don't fish when the temperature rises above 65. Note that in this video I show the temperature as 63 degrees. And when you check out episode 2 of my Firehole river vid, note that I mention how the temperature had increased to 68 or 69 degrees that I immediately left the river. Historically the Firehole has fished up to the last week of June, but going forward - it will be interesting to see how it fares.
You almost sounded like Christopher Walken there in the beginning
That's funny. I did a Google search and came up with a UA-cam video of actors doing Christopher Walken's voice imitations - ua-cam.com/video/TgLExioHvdA/v-deo.html
Firehole River above the falls was devoid of fish till the stocked in the late 1800's, now all native, it remains the "Queen of Waters" as Ernie Schweibert called ir
It really is... I just wish now I had headed out to fish the river a couple of weeks earlier. It was really hot - near 90 every day, and by the next morning the river temp was nearing 70. The one good thing is there are so many rivers within an hours drive!
Rainbows and browns aren't native.
@@tinoyb9294 That is correct, The national Park Service refers to these species as Wild trout as they have not been stocked in years .... and each river in Yellowstone will have different fishing regulations on harvesting trout to maintain wild trout populations in some areas while protecting native species in others.
Caught a mix of brookies and bows above the falls when i was 15
Hi John, Love your videos, do you catch and cook??
Hi David, thanks for the kind words. I've been overhauling our kitchen, spending too much time away from editing and posting more videos. To answer your question, I typically don't don't kill the trout I catch, unless I have to, like rainbow or cutbow trout caught on the Lamar River as required by the Yellowstone fishing regulations, or lake trout anywhere in the world because these monsters eat the trout I like to catch. I like the idea of catch and release, giving another fisherman the experience I love - my gift to the next guy. But honestly, native and wild trout are so rare, and preyed upon by otters, merganzers, and other birds, I'd feel like I was taking too valuable a resource. I'm told that stocked trout do taste better now that the food their raised on has improved, and personally I like seeing them removed from rivers where these fish might also prey on the native trout .....
That river is all about hoppers
I checked out the confluence of the Gibbon and Firehole on June 14th and saw thousands of these little hoppers clearing out in front of me as I walked to the river. But they were so small I had to bend down to see what they were as they were the size of flies. I didn't see any at Biscuit Basin or at Fountain Flats - but I'll bet hoppers and ants are great in September when the river cools down.
Hey, nice video. How much for a daily fishing license in Yellowstone NP?
Thank you. I purchased a 7 day license for $55. You can purchase licenses on Recreation.gov. I didn't see a daily license, but did see a just a 3 day license fee for $40. There is contact information on the website and you can purchase licenses at the fly shops outside the park - so it might be worth a call to see if they do offer a daily license. good luck
Put a bell on your self so you don't Surprise bears. they will hear you coming and you get to fish another day. Just a thought.
That's what my daughter tells me to do.
63 degree water even in the morning seems way too warm to be fishing. The trout are stressed enough. My angle is best to leave them alone until maybe some rain cools the water off.
Sean, my cut-off for fishing trout safely is 65 degrees, which is why I check water temperature. Check out my second video fishing the Firehole river where I actually left the river and explained my reasons when water temperature exceeded 65 degrees. That said, if you you do an online search on "Trout water temperature safety" you will find the the average "stop fishing" recommendation is 67 to 68 degrees.
No Skunks Today!
Thanks --- and you might notice in the marks of the frost in the grass, I was not the first person to fish the area - two guys were leaving as I arrived, and since I was camping near by, I was pretty early. That said, I do get skunked on rivers and especially on ponds when I 'm exploring and checking out new spots. I think I mentioned I returned the following year to fish the river with my Euro rod and rig. I was planning on nailing the place, but then that flooding event occured and kicked us out of the park before we could even cast a line ..... so it goes. Honestly, I do like it when the fish are bitting all around me and I'm getting skunked, and then I have to think why my fllies are being ignored. I was fishing the Miller River in Massachusetts 20 years ago in one of the largest BWO hatches I have ever seen. Big browns were nailing them, but not my flies, until I got close enough to see that they were not taking the duns. I took out my fly box and ripped up one of BWO flies turning into a spent and caught two of these 18 inch browns. Ever since that day I've been tying spents in every shape and pattern - duns look pretty - but spents are the killer fly (for dry fly fishing) - Fishing emergers are also a favorite, as are grass hoopers. You should check out the Miller River if you are ever in Massachusetts. It was one of Ted Williams favorite rivers to fish. It is stocked but there are plenty of holdovers as the chemicals left over from years past makes the entire river catch and release for years to come.
What type of rod and reel are you using?
Hi Richard, I fished the Firehole River in this video with a 4 wt bamboo rod made by Payne, model 204L. It is one of my favorite rods, which I fish on special occasions. The reel is a CFO II, made by Hardy (in England),under contract for Orvis. I understand that reel maker, Sam Bogdan, is credited with the design of the reel. I do not believe Orvis sells them anymore, however the CFO reel series were very popular and can be found on eBay, in auctions and yard sales.
Wow!! I use a Payne 197 with a Pflueger 1494DA--also in special times only!!
What tent did you have?
Hi - it is a Coleman "Screen Poarch Cabin Tent". I really like this tent for car camping. All the benifits of a seperate screen tent, which I would have set up over the picknic table. And, the screen poarch helps keep mosquitos out of the sleeping area with its internal screen and tent door. And it is 6' tall.
What is your equipment? Camera, drone, etc
I have a drone, but you can not fly them in Yellowstone, or other national parks to my knowledge. These first two videos were mostly filmed on a GoPro Black 4, which I wear on a chest harness. It is better for closer shots such as fishing as these cameras use a wide angle lens - causing that fish eye experience when filming things like a bison herd 70 yards away. I have two other cameras, a Sony FDR-X300 and a Cannon EOS Rebel SLI (that I like as I can change lens to zoom in when needed)
It’s Paradise Valley and not Pleasant Valley, just for clarification.
You are correct. I knew this and have no idea why I called it Pleasant Valley.
What rod are you using?
Thanks for asking. I am fishing with a bamboo rod, a Payne 204L, made in the late 1930s. And still fishing great!
@@RemoteFlyFishing Wow! I thought it looked like a Payne but figured it was another makers version of one. Lucky You!
@@michaelwoehrl1746 Thanks, do you fish with bamboo rods?
@@RemoteFlyFishing I do, I have several. Puts an extra little finesse in the fishing for me. Tight lines!
Gophers or prairie dogs... not marmots. Marmots are twice the size, and dark brown.
Yes, I stand corrected. Sojmeone pointed out that they might be Uinta Ground Squirrels? I did ask the rangers at the park and they called them whistling pigs. I did enjoy having them around.
Tell us about that rod ?
Oh, you have good eyes! It's my "go to" 4 weight, a Payne 204L (8 1/2 feet, 4.2 oz). I also brought two other bamboo rods with me, 5 wt, to fish Henry's Fork and the Madison below the dam.
no food inside the tent? right..mate,, you really dont want a bear to visit you
No food, or anything smelling sweet. I was even concerned about my fly fishing materials and kept them in the car. A black bear did visit the campground during the day, which the park rangers were quick to deal with.
Are you sure it's not paradise valley?
The whole park is paradise! I drove in from Livingston, Montana thru Paradise Valley following the Yellowstone River to the north gate of YNP. If I called it something else, my mistake. The two valleys I know I mixed up in filming are the Lamar and Hayden Valley, which I will edit before posting these videos.
Everyone should see Yellowstone at least once in your life, but, It sucks in many ways. Too many people, too many rules and nasty park rangers that run around giving guests a hard time and tickets for anything they can. Also the hours long traffic jams that you will sit in instead of fishing. I will never go back to Yellowstone and there are many world class trout rivers all over this region that offer a much better experience.
I agree regarding the crowds, way too many people, and they're building several new lodges in Canyon Village. The trick is to get up early and head to the streams - families can't get organized early in the morning, so the there is plenty of parking. later in the day I head back to my campsite and just walk to catch the evening hatch. I'm not a fan of crowds. I recall one year I had to wait for a car to leave the parking lot at Canyon Village as they have a supermarket there, the only one in Yellowstone I'm aware of, and then the lines were so long inside the supermarket I just gave up and drove back to Madison campground. I ended up heading out of the park to fish the Madison and bought food stuff to cook in West Yellowstone. Isn't that strange, I stayed in Yellowstone and drove out of the park for the day only to return late at night, oppositie of the traffic coming in durning the morning.
“Too many rules” have ensured Yellowstone stays a world class fishery. It’s probably the best trout fishery on the planet due to the regulations and how they are enforced. You sound ignorant
pleasant valley? Ummmmm.....
You are the second person to catch this and notify me. I call a valley near where I live "Pleasant Valley", and it just slipped out of my mouth....
Those are prairie dogs not marmants.
Thanks. Ranger called them whisling pigs when I asked.
@@RemoteFlyFishing you bet