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5 Favorite Flies for Upper Yellowstone River in Late August
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Date: 01/01/2025
As we power our way in to late summer or early fall -if you prefer-now is the time to sort through your fly assortments and check in on some of the “must-have” patterns for August and September on the Yellowstone River. Fins & Feathers of Bozeman’s guides and fly shop staff don’t head to river, upstream of Livingston, without this “Fab-5” group of Yellowstone River essential flies.
Tan and Brown Pat’s Rubberleg – This color combination of stonefly nymph is the ideal representation of the “nocturnal stones” that are currently active throughout the regions. You will see their shucks on rocks along every major river in Southwest Montana right now. This fly works well fished under a strike indicator or under a hopper pattern as well.
Purple Haze – Don’t head out to “Cutthroat Country” without a small pile of these generic dry flies in a variety of sizes. Fish these in deep seams, along riffle edges, and in the big back-eddies that cutties prefer most of all. The dark body gives a nice contrast for the fish to see from below this time of year and the light post on top makes them angler-friendly as well.
Silver Lightning Bug – Fished in either a size 14 or 16 a few feet below a Chubby Chernobyl or as a dropper off our #1 choice, this regional standard pattern is a must have right now. Lingering PMD’s, early Grey Drakes and fall Green Drakes are starting to get active with cooler summer days and this is a terrific nymph pattern that trout just cant’s say no to (Whitefish love ‘em too).
Sculpzilla – This “strung-out” mini sculpin pattern in either the standard or white can be surprisingly effective during the low water time of year on the upper Yellowstone River. Fish this on a floating line, stripped quick and tight to the faster banks, rip-rap, and riffle seams. You can even fish it under a strike indicator as a lead fly in a tandem-nymph rig.
CFO Ant – These twists on the standard Chernobyl ant have lively legs, sit low in the water, and have Hi-Viz foam on the topside for the angler. These come in a variety of colors, our favorites are flesh, purple, and pink. Add some Fly-Agra or your favorite floatant to these low-riding foam flies to make them work just right.
Our Bozeman fly shop has the selection to help you round out your fly selection as we head into the time of the year when fish can be just a bit pickier than the early summer or fall seasons. Variable weather patterns, less angling pressure, and a return of hatching insects along the upper Yellowstone River help get the trout up there out of their summer doldrums in late August so put this area back on your list of waters to fish sooner, rather than later. Stop in and see us soon, book a guided fly fishing trip in Bozeman with one of our professional guides to learn and experience the upper Yellowstone River.