business jet TRAVELER • June/July 2006

FLY FISHING THAT’S WORTH A FLIGHT

Wild brown troutmagic on the summer solstice

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Magic happens during quiet late-June evenings on FireholeRiver in Yellowstone National Park. Ideally, the day has been sunnyand warm, with little or no wind. That’s what the bugs like. Andthe trout like the bugs.

Particular caddisflies called Helicopsyche borealis–tiny moth-likeaquatic insects half the size of a pencil eraser with dark gray wings andbright amber bodies–do a mating dance along the river’s grassy banks.The females lay their eggs by crawling into the water from hangingblades of grass, diving to the bottom of the stream, then popping backto the surface, their life’s purpose accomplished. The trout know thisand position themselves in places where the current runs deeplyenough near the bank so they feel secure while relishing the feast.

As you first wade in, about 7 p.m., you’ll see scattered splashyrises of small trout. Then, as clouds of the little insects fill the soft-ening sky, larger fish appear–one dimpling the surface over there,another over here. Typical rainbows are eight to 12 inches long. Thebrown trout run a little larger, with an occasional 16- or 18-incher.They are all wild and beautifully colored.

The Firehole is the most exotic trout stream I have ever fished.It begins small, cold and clear at Madison Lake at an elevation of8,670 feet on the continental divide in the heart of YellowstoneNational Park. This special river flows for 34 miles, gathering richmineral waters from other-worldly geysers, steaming hot springsand bubbling multicolored mud pots. You’ll see elk and bison graz-ing in the meadows. If you’re lucky, as you reel in at dark, you’llhear a distant wolf. o

by Thomas R. Pero

Thomas R. Pero is the editor of magazine.

Blue Ribbon Flies305 Canyon St.West Yellowstone, Mont. 59758 (406) 646-7642www.blueribbonflies.com.

Bob Jacklin’s Fly Shop105 Yellowstone Ave.West Yellowstone, Mont. 59758 (406) 646-7336 www.bobjacklinsflyshop.com.

Information and Supplies:

The trout are waiting for you in Firehole River, which spans 34 miles in Yellowstone National Parkand offers what fly-fishing expert Thomas Pero calls“the most exotic trout stream I have ever fished.”

Getting thereMore than a dozen airports serve the greater Yellowstone area. If you want the quickest route to the park,

however, point your jet to Montana’s West Yellowstone Airport (not to be confused with Yellowstone RegionalAirport, which is 104 miles away in Cody, Wyo.). West Yellowstone Airport (WYS) is about a mile north of thepark’s west entrance on Highway 191. The airport, which operates from June through September, has a 6,629-foot runway, Avis and Budget rental cars and ground services supplied by Yellowstone Aviation (406-646-7359).

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