Terrestrial patterns for Yellowstone

M

Modest_Man

Steelhead
Nabbed a week of camping along Slough Creek the first full week of August. Last time I fished in the Lamar Valley was 2008 and we crushed it on spinners, but I didn't fly fish at the time.

Looks like a lot of hoppers, ants, and beetles are being recommended. Anyone have any terrestrial patterns that they do well on? I have a crap ton of chubbies in all sizes and colors for the Deschutes salmonfly hatch, but I don't think I own an ant or beetle fly.
 
Ants work well in the upper sections of Slough, that time of year the water is low, clear and in many sections slow moving.
 
Last time I was fishing that area, Parks' Fly Shop sold me these little foam hoppers, about a size 10, maybe even a 12, that were this funny peachy-pinky-beige-ish color. They worked well for me.
 
I was there in 2019, first week after Labor Day, so maybe not quite the same, saw gazillions of hoppers about but couldn't scare up a fish with one - changed to a good hairy scruffy caddis pattern and tied into some pretty nice cuts.

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Edit that spelling thang
 
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Does a mouse pattern fished at dusk count as a terrestrial?
 
Always worth having some beetles in your box.
SF
 
Matt B said:
Last time I was fishing that area, Parks' Fly Shop sold me these little foam hoppers, about a size 10, maybe even a 12, that were this funny peachy-pinky-beige-ish color. They worked well for me.
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Looks like we'll be driving by Parks' Fly Shop - I'll make sure to stop in.

Mice are definitely terrestrial - I've got those covered.
 
I was out there around that time last year. It was an unpredictable time to be out there as when we arrived they had just implemented Hoot Owl restrictions on just about everything and then over the 10 days we were there they got lifted on Slough and Lamar. As mentioned above, the water will likely be clear and low. The key discovery for me was treating it more like spring creek fishing where you need to watch the fish and figure out their feeding pattern. Then put the fly in their path way ahead. They seemed less picky on patterns if the presentation was good and you landed the fly without spooking them. Definitely seems like smaller foam terrestrial patterns worked better beetles, ants, smaller hoppers. Good luck!
 
Modest_Man said:
Looks like we'll be driving by Parks' Fly Shop - I'll make sure to stop in.

Mice are definitely terrestrial - I've got those covered.
Click to expand...
If you can find some triple doubles in your way, grab a half dozen. Most versitile pattern in the Rockies when the small terrestrial and Caddis stuff is happening. I keep an arsenal of them in the boat when nothing else works. Last week it was a purple body on the Wyoming green. Go figure. They’re just buggy and work through any hatch. I carry them in size 12-18 in about 3-4 colors.

charliesflybox.com

GT's Triple Double

Tharret's Triple Double is a buggy little atttractor that can double for ants, midge clusters and general fish food. Size 16 only Guide Gorden Tharrett spends many of his days fishing the A section of the Green River below Flaming Gorge Reservoir which is one of the toughest tailwaters in the...
charliesflybox.com charliesflybox.com
 
MFC Micro Chubby in the smaller sizes seems to imitate pretty much everything, has become a staple for both moving and stillwater
www.finandfire.com

Montana Fly Company Hi-Vis Micro Chubby - Black/Purple (3-Pack)

Foam is your friend. The Micro Chubby is versatile, modern and deadly. Run it solo as an attractor, small stonefly or terrestrial. Hang your favorite small tungsten beadhead jig fly from it and hang on. With the growing popularity of Chubby Chernobyl's this was bound to happen: smaller flies...
www.finandfire.com www.finandfire.com
 
I can give a quick very late report - Ant patterns worked pretty well for me as well as some of the smaller chubbies. Struggled in the upper calmer meadow stretches sight casting to cruising fish. Never was able to dial in what they were looking for. Having my family with me and herds of bison that were freaking my wife out didn't help. She made me leave rising fish multiple times due to herds rolling through. Never got a ton of great time on the water.

Man I love the Lamar Valley. Saw wolves 3 different times, had a bison die in camp that had to get hauled out by the park rangers. Had black bears roll through camp twice, my wife didn't like that.
 
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