Fishing the Firehole

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16pmd
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#21

Post by 16pmd »

I think a pretty wide range of rods would be just fine for the Firehole in Fall. Smallish fish and flies, wide open surroundings, light winds in fall and no need for long casts, but some braided currents make 3-5 wts. work fine, but rods of 8' or so make for better mending than shorter rods.

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nativebrownie
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#22

Post by nativebrownie »

Thanks - that would be some day to look forward to ... what a walk...!!

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ibookje
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#23

Post by ibookje »

For me the Firehole would be a 'have to do that once in a life' thing for me.

I was at the Henry's Fork two years ago (thanks for the talk Nelson!) and although fishing was not great due to the heat I treasure the experience.

GMflyf1sh
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#24

Post by GMflyf1sh »

Fish before Memorial Day or mid June- White Millers - Early Sarly Spetember to closing - October Caddis. I love the entire river. Fish are never large on the Firehole with a 10-12 inch fish being Nomral and the occasional 14-16 which is really rare. For larger fish look below the Junction with the Nez Perce. 50 years of fishing the firehole have all been special. I will not give away Bob Jacklin’s favorites but you can stop and ask him yourself. Bud Lilly loved Fountain Flats and Biscuit Basin two of my favorite. Oh, and do not forget soft hackles....

Gregg

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wefishcane
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#25

Post by wefishcane »

I fished it for years with four weights; Winstons mostly. This year I look forward to fishing with a newly acquired Chris Vance 8' 6" four wt. It mostly all open water where I fish so a long, light rod should be great. Now if I can just wade without falling over (just turned 80).

Jim

kconway
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#26

Post by kconway »

Thanks for all the info guys. What about the firehole south of old faithful towards the Teton park?
Ken

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nativebrownie
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#27

Post by nativebrownie »

wefishcane wrote:I fished it for years with four weights; Winstons mostly. This year I look forward to fishing with a newly acquired Chris Vance 8' 6" four wt. It mostly all open water where I fish so a long, light rod should be great. Now if I can just wade without falling over (just turned 80).

Jim
Enjoy...enjoy... Very nice...

I do hope that I can be sitting on the bank of the Firehole in my 80th year - and a few small soft hackles. That would be a dream on a soft October day at twilight. Let's make it a peacock and starling #18 and a long Leonard Catskill... Sitting there...looking...

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Bud
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#28

Post by Bud »

firehole wrote:Thanks for sharing Bud and hope to see you in October.
Dennis
Hope so too. Nothing seems certain anymore.

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pgwulf
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#29

Post by pgwulf »

kconway wrote:Thanks for all the info guys. What about the firehole south of old faithful towards the Teton park?
Ken
Just South of Old Faithful is Kepler Cascades and from there, S/B & uptream, the river narrows and there isn't as much cover for fish as in the lower section...it's a long walk in, along a trail that parallels the river for a while before heading East to Shoshone Lake, but when I walked it (Once in the early '80s), all I found were small 4-6 in Brookies.

I'd stay downstream of Biscuit Basin but if you really feel like hiking a "rough" trail, take a short rod (7' max) up The Little Firehole River from the Biscuit Basin parking area. In the summer, 10-12" rainbows & browns go up from the main river for cool water...lots of deadfalls, logjams, & mosquitos along with the fish.
"Outside a dog, a book is man's best friend...inside a dog, it's too dark to read!" Groucho Marx

Booman2
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#30

Post by Booman2 »

My partners and I have fished it since about 1970, mostly September. Great water after the temps go down. Personally, I fish mostly soft hackles and Sawyer nymphs. As for rods, I like an 8 footer for either a #4 or 5, but that's just my preference.
Schwiebert wrote about it, as did many others. Old copies of FFF contain some nice articles.

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flyfishingpastor
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#31

Post by flyfishingpastor »

The Firehole River is my "Totem" River. It has a spiritual significance to me and it never fails to enchant me with its beauty. I've fished it on opening day and in October and everything in between. She has mostly been generous to me, but she can be stingy when she wants to be. A lot of it is easy wading, but closer to the falls the rocks are deadly slick and dangerous. I usually fish an 8' 5 wt and swing soft hackles when nothing is coming off. Like others suggest, it gets warm in the summer through early September but fishes well when it's cool.

I've fished a lot of trout water, but I keep going back to the Firehole. Last year is the first year I didn't fish it at all in a couple of decades and my season definitely felt like it had a hole in it. This year, barring something bad happening, I'll surely go back.

Pat

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nativebrownie
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#32

Post by nativebrownie »

Thanks, all, for the stories and images - stuff to dream on and look forward to...

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gt05254
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#33

Post by gt05254 »

I enjoyed fishing it with Paul Schullery several times. From his book, "The Rise", he was kind enough to include a photo of me fishing the Firehole:
Image

Gary

Ocduff
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#34

Post by Ocduff »

I want to get back there and fish the Firehole. Beautiful river. Have driven past when visiting the park and it looked nice and not heavily fished.

How’s the whitefish situation there?

If anything has kept me from going back to the area it’s the whitefish. Nobody talks about them - it’s like a dirty secret - and if you mention you caught a lot they say you’re “fishing wrong” or defensively say “but they’re native” - but I’ve caught 40 in a row in places.

Nothing against whitefish, but I’m trout fishing. Seems they outnumber trout 5 to 1. And you can’t keep them of your fly - dry, wet, nymph or streamer.

I’ll give them credit as good fighters - the only way to know it’s not a trout on the end of your line is if it won’t jump.

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Hellmtflies
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#35

Post by Hellmtflies »

Ocduff wrote:I want to get back there and fish the Firehole. Beautiful river. Have driven past when visiting the park and it looked nice and not heavily fished.

How’s the whitefish situation there?

If anything has kept me from going back to the area it’s the whitefish. Nobody talks about them - it’s like a dirty secret - and if you mention you caught a lot they say you’re “fishing wrong” or defensively say “but they’re native” - but I’ve caught 40 in a row in places.

Nothing against whitefish, but I’m trout fishing. Seems they outnumber trout 5 to 1. And you can’t keep them of your fly - dry, wet, nymph or streamer.

I’ll give them credit as good fighters - the only way to know it’s not a trout on the end of your line is if it won’t jump.

I have no issues catching "Whities" they're great off the smoker with a creamy white wine.

alberta al
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#36

Post by alberta al »

HM,

I totally agree. We used to fish the Red Deer in the fall just to catch some nice Rockies for the smoker. Smoked Rockies, a good wine next to the fire out in the backyard was a great time in the fall.

Alan
Hellmtflies wrote:
Ocduff wrote:I want to get back there and fish the Firehole. Beautiful river. Have driven past when visiting the park and it looked nice and not heavily fished.

How’s the whitefish situation there?

If anything has kept me from going back to the area it’s the whitefish. Nobody talks about them - it’s like a dirty secret - and if you mention you caught a lot they say you’re “fishing wrong” or defensively say “but they’re native” - but I’ve caught 40 in a row in places.

Nothing against whitefish, but I’m trout fishing. Seems they outnumber trout 5 to 1. And you can’t keep them of your fly - dry, wet, nymph or streamer.

I’ll give them credit as good fighters - the only way to know it’s not a trout on the end of your line is if it won’t jump.

I have no issues catching "Whities" they're great off the smoker with a creamy white wine.

Ocduff
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#37

Post by Ocduff »

I was wondering how they taste! There’s plenty of them! A good salmonid to catch your limit on.

So then, my question has been answered?

kconway
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#38

Post by kconway »

I fished the Firehole downstream from the geyser's several times last september and didn't catch that many whitefish at all. All the fishing seemed slow on the Firehole when I was there, but who cares it's awesome.

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Eric Peper
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#39

Post by Eric Peper »

The Firehole is such a beautiful place, and it is our "go to" river whenever my wife and I fish together. I've been disappointed in recent years by the number of people who see it as a bathing and wading site for it's entire length, as well as by the folks who have changed the river's flow pattern by randomly moving rocks for reasons only they understand.

I had to smile when I read an earlier poster's comment about the Firehole holding primarily "smaller fish." Only a few years ago I had the joy of seeing in the Firehole the largest trout I personally have ever seen in the greater Yellowstone area. It was moving downstream close to the bank at the Firehole picnic area just downstream from Fountain Flats. I could clearly see the huge spots on a brown that I estimate at easily 30". What a treat! And what a river!

Eric
A mountain is a fact -- a trout is a moment of beauty known only to men who seek them
Al McClane in his Introduction to The Practical Fly Fisherman . . . often erroneously attributed to Arnold Gingrich

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Flyman615
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Re: Fishing the Firehole

#40

Post by Flyman615 »

I certainly agree with Eric. I fished the Firehole for 37 straight summers with several fall sojourns thrown in for good measure.

It is--without a doubt--one my very favorite trout streams in the U.S. The Firehole and its environs is definitely one of America's natural treasures!

Scott
Last edited by Flyman615 on 03/26/20 17:44, edited 1 time in total.
Flyman615

"An undisturbed river is as perfect as we will ever know, every refractive slide of cold water a glimpse of eternity" - Thomas McGuane

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