Bitch split up with me, get to realign the MT trip...

^^^
I've been seeing some griz the last couple weeks fishing. They seem to be wandering mid-high to high pastures eating flowers. Very relaxed. Good food year with the weather this wet.
Worrying about bears seems to me a waste of psychic energy. It's like worrying that the truck coming your way on the highway is going to veer suddenly and hit you head on. Could it happen? Sure. But you'd be exhausted driving anywhere if you worried about it all the time.
Bear spray works. Just carry some in a handy place if shit gets nuts. Like wearing a seatbelt. Have a good fish man.

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Originally Posted by tomicogs

Thanks for all of the advice so far, knew this was the place to come!

What's the word on fishing solo in the park/bear country, say if I wanted to hike up into a Lamar-ish drainage? Or that nice looking stretch below Gibbon Falls? Will have bear spray on the hip....pretty much the same as fishing solo elsewhere? be careful, keep your wits along with the added task of checking your 6' often as mentioned above? Easy enough to leave a note with plans for the day on the Facebooks as a precaution...

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YNP has Backcountry Offices where you go to get overnight camping permits. That's where you can get up to date info on bear activity/closures. The week before Labor Day is usually during the bear's cutworm moth feeding frenzy. If that is the case, then most of the grizzlies will be up in the talus fields flippin' rocks during daylight, far above where you'll be fishing. With the recent death of most of YNP's whitebark pine, the moths are the most reliable source of fat the bears get (up to 20,000 calories a day). They really need that fat to survive 5 months of winter so that keeps them up high til the moths run out. You may run into black bears hanging out in the berry patches so keep your head on a swivel when you see you are walking through a big huckleberry patch. If drought or early snows end the moth pig out (up to 40,000 moths a day!) early, then the grizz will descend to feed on berries. Best advice I can give you is if you can't see the ground out farther than 50 feet in front of you, start making noise.

yeah, it always seems to get spooky when you're hiking thru the tight stuff....ran across a black bear in Glacier a couple years ago, hopped onto the trail and hopped back off on his way looking for berries, there was another hiker not 50yds in front of us but out of sight due to shrubbery when we crossed paths.

Been working out an itinerary, from West Yellowstone I'm looking at a split day on the Gibbon/Firehole (if temps permit), combine with sightseeing at Old Faithful again for lunch maybe. Then a long day up in the Lamar drainage, check out one of the big name streams up there, Slough/Soda/Lamar itself, take some pictures along the way. Then a day on the Gallatin before a day long sightseeing commute down to Jackson mid week. Then I'm looking at Flat Creek on the preserve, followed by a day hiking up to some lake in the Tetons with the last day checking out the Snake probably. Hopefully catch a fish or two along the way.

Well, less than two weeks out, whoot! Still trying to make up my mind on where to fish; Gibbon, Gallatin, Slough and the Yellowstone above the falls are all on the short list. Slough vs Gallatin will probably be a coin flip...

So, anybody out there familiar with Idaho Falls? Curious about a recommended place to stock up on beverages and breakfast/lunch fixin's after I'm off the airplane. Also, a place for a decent burger might be nice before hitting the road to West, flight gets in around lunchtime...

ugh IF kind of sucks. Lots of big box stores and franchises so will be plenty of place to stock up on supplies but I have zero recs for good food there. Maybe some of the other guys here will have some hidden gems they know about though
for your trip thru jellystone a helpful site is geysertimes.org - helpful so you don't rush off the river to catch a geyser going off to only miss it by a minute or something.
Have fun- weather has been nice- mid 70's during day, down in the 40's at night

Idaho Falls isn't bad, stock up on food at Fred Meyer, nice organic section and good prices. Then hit up the Albertsons on 17th for the best beer selection in town. The state liquor store on 1st street tends to have the best selection of hard stuff. Pop in Jimmy's All Season Angler, the best shop in the USA IMHO, for some bugs and advice and you're set.

If you dig Indian food Tandoori Kitchen is good. At least by Jackson's standards which were non-existent up until the Indian moved in.

Thanks again guys...kinda hoping for brew pub type place to grab lunch and decompress from the flight. Or just stock up supplies and keep moving forward, any opinions on a bite to eat at the Trout Hunter Lodge, will probably stop in there anyway to check it out?

Also, any other tips on eats in/around Jackson?

Snakebite is the best eats in town, right downtown, cash only, good beer and food. Fish Tacos are great. Black Rock (formerly Vino Rosso) across the street has a nice selection of bottles if you want to stock up on some cool micros as well. These are both 100 yards from Jimmy's Shop. I was disappointed by Tandori's lunch menu, never made it back for dinner.

Trouthunter is a great spot, maybe make a point to get there for dinner after fishing the ranch.

I should be mayor of Idaho Falls.

You got my vote, thanks man. Snakebite looks like just what I had in mind....flight lands before 1:00, looks like they serve lunch until 3, should work out just right.

Fishin' wise, I'm guessing it's gonna be a mid/late morning tee time due to the cooler overnights in the forecast? Then take a break mid afternoon, fish the evening rise or sight see...should be ideal, opens up the early morning window for good picture takin' light I'm thinkin'.

So, how sketchy is it to hit the trailhead in just breaking dawn light, solo, but making noise and with a headlamp? Definitely gonna sport the bear spray, but I know that's not like some sort of invincibility cloak. Thinking about checking out Purple Mountain Trail there near where the Gibbon & Firehole come together as a 'quick hike' before fishing, or take in a sunset up there on the way back into town, which means hiking down in the dark...

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Originally Posted by tomicogs

Fishin' wise, I'm guessing it's gonna be a mid/late morning tee time due to the cooler overnights in the forecast?
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Late August is when tricos start and trico swarms usually get going by 9am. Tricos provide a fairly reliable hatch during the so-called august doldrums. You can find them most places where the water is calmer and has some soft bottom and weeds, I.e. typical spring creek or meadow stream. Winds are usually calm in the morning too.

Any advice for getting through the WY fishing license PITA'edness? They make you choose the days you're going to fish. We're going up in a couple weeks with no set itinerary and won't be sure we'll be in fishing spots on certain days. Doesn't make any sense but from a fee collection standpoint.

The CO out of state license is for a certain number of days that can be used any days.

yeah, WV does the same thing for their out of state, kinda cool, kind of a pain if you don't have a set plan. I'm just gonna do a three day block for Thurs/Fri/Sat, can't imagine not fishin' at least a little bit each day while in the Jackson neighborhood..


And tricos? ugh, they can be fun to fish over, but those tiny fuckers sure ain't my favorite hatch....this is supposed to be vacation, bring on the #16's and bigger.

I would worry too much about hiking solo in early morning, but like always yell like a retard and have ur spray in a chest holster. Also if it's a toss up between slough and gallatin I'd hit slough(but I fish gallatin alot). It's a popular place for a reason but just hit sections between meadows for better/less crowded fishing(again be loud if solo). It's kinda an embarrassment of riches round here so whatever you do you'll have fun!

'embarrassment of riches'

yeah, got that right. I'm settling in on the Gibbon for sure, then make a day of it and head up to Slough, and probably a day on the Yellowstone or possibly some time on the Madison/Firehole if conditions suit. Driving down to Jackson thru the park on Wednesday, might sneak some time on the Yellowstone then or spend the day sightseeing and maybe stop to fish when the mood hits during the commute south. Around Jackson I'd like to check out the Snake, Flat Creek and keeping a day open to sightsee, maybe hike to a lake or something, rent a bike possibly. First time in that neck of the woods, so keeping that part of the plan kinda loose..

Hope you like smoke. This morning might be the worst I've ever seen. Visibility barely 2 miles. The new normal for the West in August, I guess.

Feel free to pm when you get close to Jh. If I can I'd be happy to wet a line.

This smoke is intense.

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Originally Posted by tomicogs

So, how sketchy is it to hit the trailhead in just breaking dawn light, solo, but making noise and with a headlamp?.

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Watch out for fresh kill in Lamar Valley, might look for birds circling for a clue, or just ask a ranger. As for hitting a trailhead at dawn is a bit sketchy but plenty of people do it. It's mainly a mind game though. There are other places nearby that kinda wig me out, but not where you are going.

Schwerty, just might take you up on that, will be rolling into your neck of the woods next Weds (not tomorrow), fly back home Sunday.

And yeah smoke, neat....guess we'll just have to see what Mother Nature has in store, at least it makes for sometimes funky sunsets.

my advice: fish until you find fishing the style you like, then say screw it and stay a while, learn the river and have a special montana (or in the park likely wyoming) spot. A home away from home stream if you will.

overplayed to use the term, but I'm fkna stoked! to be hearing that 3:30am alarm tomorrow, couple espresso's and I'm on the way to HIA. Thanks for all the tips/beta, will definitely be putting it to use. Yellowstone portion is pretty much figured out, but down in Jackson....first time there, so kinda loose on the plan other than a short list of waters to fish, sights to see and get a feel for the place and just unplug...

trip was amazing, wow.

Thanks for all the advice & tips, decompressing today, beginning to work on pics..