About 30 minutes from Bozeman, the Yellowstone River is the last major undammed river in the Lower 48 and flows 671 miles. Starting in Yellowstone National Park, it flows through Paradise Valley and Livingston, eventually catching up to the Missouri River before making its way to the Atlantic Ocean. The Yellowstone River is know for its excellent fly fishing and river access.
(Currently under hoot owl restrictions from highway 89 bridge to laurel) https://fwp.mt.gov/news/current-closures-restrictions/waterbody-closures. The Yellowstone flows are currently at 3600 at livingston. The fishing has been better in the mornings with all this hot weather we have experienced recently. The river is getting up to about 72 degrees in the afternoon. Nymphing has been killer with rubberlegs/girdle bugs, zirdles, FKA princes, cdc pheasant tails, hare's ears, duracell's, blowtorch's, and jig streamers like GDP jigs, tungsten striptease, and backflop jigs. Lots of whitefish on nymphs. If you are targeting trout try dries or a really short tag dry dropper. Dry flies are turning back on with caddis, purple hazes, parachute adams, chubbies, hippie stompers, and ant's all crushing fish. Up higher on the river has been better overall since it is slightly colder up there. Streamers like the dungeon, dragons, peanut envy's, rusty trombones, goldies, chromatic peanut, kill whitey's, and sluggo's have all been ones to try if you want to try and get on some fish chasing big flies.
Parachute Adams (16-20), Purple Haze (16-18), Buzz Ball (14-18), Corn fed Caddis (14-16), X-Caddis (14-16), Parachute bwo (16-20), Extended Body bwo (14-18), Chubby Chernobyl (12-16))
Woolly Bugger (4-12), Ditch Witch Black/red/purple/ Yellow/white(2), Mini Peanut Envy Black/Yellow/Tan (6) Mini Dungeon Black/purple /Olive/Yellow (6), Montana Intruder (4), Sparkle Minnow JJ's/Silver/Sculpin (4-8), Double Gonga Black (4), Sculpzilla Black/White/Olive (4-8), Seasoned Geezer Gold/Natural/Olive (6)
Pat’s Rubber Legs (6-12), Zirdle Bug (6-12), Perdigon Blue/Purple/Pearl (14-18), Jig thread Frenchie Brown/yellow (14-18), Hot head CDC Pheasant Tail (10-18), Jigster BWO (14-18), Formerly Known Prince Nymph (10-18), BH Hare's Ear (12-18), Sizzlin' Hot Squirrel (14-16), Matt’s Shagadelic Mop Tan/Brown/Chartreuse/Cheeto (10)
