The following report is by Fins and Feathers in Bozeman:
Current Conditions 4/5
The Yellowstone River is in solid condition. From Gardiner through Paradise Valley and all the way down toward Big Timber, visibility is good. Cooler overnight temps are dropping the river temperatures into a comfortable range, keeping trout active and willing to rise. With midday thunderstorms rolling through and windy days, early starts are a good choice.
Dry fly fishing has been productive all day, with larger dry fly attractors and hoppers. Trout are holding along grassy banks, mid-river structure, and soft seams, especially near deeper edges and tailouts. Fishing big natural hopper patterns on lighter tippet with small flashy droppers has been the ticket. Patterns like the sweetgrass hopper and morrish hopper are great choices for the Yellowstone as they float great in faster water and have a larger profile that fish can key in on in the deeper runs.
Nymphing has been steady. Large stonefly patterns like a size 6 pats rubberleg in black or brown, or a mega prince fished with a small perdigon below. Fished in the deeper green colored buckets with some weight.
Overall, the Yellowstone River is in great condition, and anglers can expect to run into multiple great days on the river. With the hopper bite just getting good, it should continue to fish well over this week.
