Streamside in Yellowstone

Mid-summer is the best time to sit alongside a river and listen to it talk to you. Peace and solitude like that are hard to find in crowded suburbia, but up here in Yellowstone, one can find both alongside any number of great trout fishing waters, entering from any of the Park's four entrances.

Fishing isn't about being a lazy angler certainly, but there are times in August and early September when mid-afternoon doldrums fall upon the water. Catching a trout is difficult for even the best of anglers. When the doldrums hit, this older, wiser writer now sits on the edge of whatever creek or river I find myself fly fishing during that time. I put my rod aside, pull out some trail snacks and water and let my mind fill with the sights and sounds in front of me.

On the Yellowstone River, back in the early 90s (when the upper river was filled with two-pound cutthroat) I was fishing with some friends who had become frantic around 2 o'clock, when those wily Yellowstone cutts decided to take a nap.

So did I. I waded upriver to a shallow eddy, where the bank was lined with tall lush grass that would allow me to sit back, dangle my wading boots in the current and watch the water flow by. There, I sat.

Pelicans flew by, thunderheads built, tourists stopped to take pictures, but I watched the water, for the most part. Several hours passed quickly as I memorized the current seams that washed over trout lies that would be fished later when the sun began to drop.

Rusty spinner time is "Prime Time" during mid-summer. Just sitting on the bank and dreaming about the evening hatch would have been peaceful enough, but the water began to make a different sound.

Slurping? Only a feeding trout makes that sound. Time to tie on a 20 rusty spinner and enjoy the rest of the evening. My 'peace and tranquility' time paid big dividends as I waded into position and told my friends, "spinners are on the water and the trout are in a good mood!"

Besides the Yellowstone, I also like to find peace on the Snake River in the Lewis Lake area, the Lamar River and its many tributaries (check with the back country ranger's office in Mammoth if overnighting. And always carry bear spray!) up in the northeast corner of the park.

Without a doubt, one can find tranquility on Slough or Soda Butte Creek with their miles of meandering sage and alpine meadows. On to the Gibbon, Firehole and Madison. Or drop down into the Gardner for some great caddis fishing on pocket water in the evenings, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and wildlife while waiting for the setting sun to bring up the trout.

Without going on and on, you can see there can be some benefits when the summer doldrums put the trout down under the hot, bright August sun. Take my advice and sit down for awhile. Feel the stress ooze out of your system. You are on vacation. It is you and the trout, so watch the river. The trout will let you know when it's time to begin casting again. Life is good.

Tim Wade has been fishing and guiding Yellowstone area waters for almost 30 years. He owns North Fork Anglers in Cody, Wyoming.