Hebgen Lake, Montana

TIME:  8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
WEATHER:  Clear, late breezes, mid-70s
WATER CONDITIONS:  Clear, cool
LOCATIONS FISHED:  Hebgen Lake, Montana, near West Yellowstone
ROD USED:  8’ 6” 5 wt Winston Joan Wulff Favorite 
FLIES USED:  #18 Blue Winged Olive
HATCHES:  Baetis
OTHER:  Fished with long-time friend, Mike.  Really early this morning, about 7 AM our time, I left for Hebgen Lake to fish the gulpers with longtime friend, Mike.  He and I used to fish the Norfork and White Rivers quite often, and I was really looking forward to fishing with him.

We met at the turnoff from the main highway, and visited for about 30 minutes, catching up on families and friends.  After donning waders and getting our “boats” ready, we worked our way across the Madison Arm to hunt for rising fish.  Mike saw a fish working, and stealthily rowed towards it, waiting for a gulping pattern to develop.  He made the cast and immediately hooked-up with a chunky 20+ inch rainbow.  After several more minutes, he again spotted rising fish, worked his way toward them, and made a precision cast, and wham, another beautiful rainbow.  As the day wore on, he repeated this several times, and it reminded me so much of duck hunting back in the river bottoms and sloughs of Arkansas.