BigFish2006

Big Fish Photos for 2006

This season has been produced some of the best fishing we've seen in years! The Yellowstone was on fire and it seems to be getting even hotter this Fall. The Mother's Day Caddis hatch on the Yellowstone could have been better, but we've never seen more caddis on the Lower Madison! The Yellowstone Salmon Fly Hatch was as good as it gets, and the terrestrial fishing was equally incredible. Some truly colossal Browns were caught on small, size #12 hoppers and tiny black beetles, (even elephants eat peanuts). Now that cooler weather has rolled in, anglers are already catching some phenomenal Fall Browns on streamers. If you can get off work for a long weekend, the Fall is our without a doubt our favorite time to catch career-size fish.

Aside from some Yellowstone River hogs, you'll see a few photos that aren't from this area. Most of these shots came from our 2006 hosted trips. To read more about joining one of our trips, please see our Fly Fishing Travel page.

"It is hard to express how comfortable these guys make you feel while fishing with them. Their ease, their off the cuff wit, their attention to clients... In other words, their natural gift of dealing with people. They make you feel like a good friend from the first handshake. Well done, guys. Again, THANK YOU for everything!" -Mike Warnick, MD.

"When I walk into the Yellowstone Angler, I feel like I've come home to an old friend, the entire staff makes me feel relaxed and at ease. If I have a problem or need advise, they go the extra mile to help me out. The staff knows their fishing tackle and their knowlege of whats going on puts you on the right stream armed with the right tackle for a great day of fishing. On my last trip they put me onto some of best fishing I've ever experienced in the lower 48. I can't wait until next year to do it all over again. Thanks Yellowstone Angler for a great trip." - Jeff Carder, WV.

"If you want to catch a big fish, play every fish like it's a big fish."

-Dick LeMay

Big fish don't often waste a lot of effort when they eat your fly, which means you have to treat every strike like it's the big one. If you're nymph fishing and you see your indicator go down (or even slow down) set the hook! It could a dink, it could be a rock, or it could the be big daddy lunker you've been chasing after all these years! If it's not a fish, turn your strike into a strong back cast and plop your flies back in the water for another dead drift.

Big fish don't always jump, which means if you haven't seen the fish yet, try to play it on the reel. Try not to get in the habit of stripping your fish into the boat. Sometimes fish come in easy until they see the boat. When they take off again, you don't want a bunch of extra line under your foot or tangling in a ball at your stripping guide. Instead, pin the line under your index finger and the cork of the rod's grip. Next, stick out your pinky finger (on the same hand) and pull the line over it directly from the reel. Now you can reel up your slack while still keeping the fish tight. If the fish comes at you quickly, you can strip it in again. If it takes off, you can let the line slip under your index with maximum control. Once you have the fish on the reel, you can let the reel's drag do the dirty work. All you have to do is reel in and let go of the handle when the fish makes a big move away from you.

One last tip: don't reel the leader into the tip of your rod. Once the fish is within 15 feet or so, put the line between your index finger and the cork again. As you watch the fish to see how "hot" it is, you can pull the rod behind you towards the side (with a high tip) and skate the fish on the top of the water into the net. Sound easy enough? Well, practice makes perfect, and that's why you want to play each fish like it's a big fish.

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