Jelly-Stone Park
Jelly-Stone Park
Hey boo, boo… what do you got in da pick-a-nick basket? This August I had the privilege of helping the outgoing outfitter of Spanish Peaks Resort, Matt Henningsen, and the new outfitter (formally of Paws Up Resort), John Way, on backcountry pack trips in Yellowstone Park. This summer, we went up Specimen Creek twice, to fish Sportsman’s Lake and up Slough Creek to fish the big Yellowstone Cutthroats. The trips were full of great fishing. Basically, at Sportsman’s Lake you just had to throw your fly out there and ask yourself “How many fish do I want to catch today?” Sportsman’s is beautiful and a sight to see. It sits at the bottom of Electric Peak and is full of 12” to 14” Yellowstone Cutthroats. We also saw several bears. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the bear in the background that Matt Henningsen and I had to chase from camp. I used pots and pans to make noise, while Matt used his horse and the pack of mules to run the bear off. Meanwhile, Miles Edwards stood his ground, unfazed, for the picture. Nice job Miles!
Yes, there are big fish in Slough Creek, and lots of them! Slough Creek is full of big Cutthroats that aren’t as easy to catch as you might think. If you are on your “A” game, with a nice long cast, perfect mend and a gentle set, you may be rewarded with a 16” to 18” Cutty. I did get one fish a little above average, 22”, using 6x and a size 20 Betis Emerger. All and all, it was an August to remember in Yellowstone National Park.
