Spring in Yellowstone

Rachael, Charlotte and I returned on Monday from our annual long weekend trip to Yellowstone National Park in search of spring wildlife. This is probably the best time of year to view wildlife in the park, as the snow cover is receding and the forage is rapidly growing. The lack of crowds also makes it a great time to be in the park. We found everything we were desiring to see, including elk, bison, bighorn sheep, wolves, black and grizzly bear. The fishing season in Yellowstone does not open until Memorial Day Weekend, which is still over a week away. We did stop at the Firehole, the Yellowstone and Madison Rivers to take a look from the bank, and found fish feeding on the surface at all three. It was kind of nice to know that these fish could feed without being bothered, at least for a little bit longer. The weather is finally drying out, and the temps are rising here in Jackson. Hopefully, the runoff will start to kick into a higher gear soon. The sooner it starts, the sooner we will be fishing! The Snake is at about 5400 cfs at Moose and not fishable. The South Fork has actually come down in volume to about 14,000 cfs (which is still big) and is running quite cold. The Green is holding at about 550 cfs and clear, but still very cold. I'd say the best bet on fishing right now is the Green. Expect to be nymphing during the warmest part of the day. Also, keep an eye open for the Salmonflies on the Henry's Fork...could be soon. Here's a shot of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River and a group of bison wading the Madison.