LaMoyne started to get into the fish and he missed a couple of big ones. I was fascinated to see the techniques and I am sure some will work well at home. I can’t wait to try them out.

We stopped for lunch and most of the other boats were using nymphs and indicators which I jokingly referred to as “bait fishing”. This cracked them all up. As the day went on we covered 8 miles of glorious water. I am not sure how many we caught but Jann did better than all of us. I am sure it was because the fish against the bank in the undercut were drawn out by the first fly that landed but took the second fly to come drifting past. That’s my story and I'm sticking to it.

I drove back to Last Chance Island Bend Lodge and settled into room 23 before walking across the road to the Trouthunter Restaurant and Bar. Here you can buy Moose Drool beer on tap with Trout Slayer beer and Fat Tyre beer. There would have been 30 guides and their clients all eating, drinking, etc. and the windows were 30’ high and looked across the Henry’s Fork and the sunset. Brad the barman and a few locals had a long chat as we settled into a couple more beers - I fell into bed.

The next morning I was up early and determined to hit all the streams on the way back to Red Lodge. The first cab off the rank would be the south fork of the Madison. I stopped there and searched an off-river lagoon, taking two browns about a pound on a Klinkhammer as emergers were popping off all-over.

Back through West Yellowstone and up the Firehole arm of the Madison. Earlier the Firehole had been too warm to fish, but now after a few cold nights, the effects of the thermal aspects of the hot springs were reduced. I started at the base of the canyon above where the Firehole joins to Gibbon to create the Madison.

While a few fish hit the fly in the rough water and the canyon was spectacular, above the falls the flat meadows looked very fishy as well. I had a full fly line out to reach risers on the far side and a New Zealander came up taking photos. He was from Christchurch. We had a great laugh when I said New Zealanders were only mongrel Aussies anyway!

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