[ARCHIVE] Yellowstone River Report 5/25/2020

Yellowstone 5/25: The river has still been running off color through Columbus. Warmer weather has flows back on the climb after dropping for a few days. If there’s enough clarity, streamer fishing is probably the way to go. Try darker color patterns to give come contrast in off color water. Trail a beadhead nymph of some sort off the back as well. For nymphing, try a Pat’s rubber leg, girdle bug, pepperoni yuk bug or dark stonefly pattern with a smaller beadhead nymph like a poxyback march brown, hare’s ear, prince, batman, optic nerve, or pheasant tail, midge or Lil’ Spanker as a dropper. Don’t hesitate to throw a dry fly in likely water or on the clearer edges even if there’s no apparent activity. A purple haze, march brown, small stimulator or jack cabe with a caddis pupa nymph dropped off the back is a good setup. Look for calming, clearer side channel water. The river is unlikely to completely clear up from here on out, but if fish can see them to key in on them, anglers should still be able to get fish to eat the Caddis.