Magic happens during quiet late-June evenings on Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park. Ideally, the day has been sunny and warm, with little or no wind. That’s what the bugs like. And the trout like the bugs.

Particular caddisflies called Helicopsyche borealis–tiny moth-like aquatic insects half the size of a pencil eraser with dark gray wings and bright amber bodies–do a mating dance along the river’s grassy banks. The females lay their eggs by crawling into the water from hanging blades of grass, diving to the bottom of the stream, then popping back to the surface, their life’s purpose accomplished. The trout know this and position themselves in places where the current runs deeply enough near the bank so they feel secure while relishing the feast.

As you first wade in, about 7 p.m., you’ll see scattered splashy rises of small trout. Then, as clouds of the little insects fill the softening sky, larger fish appear–one dimpling the surface over there, another over here. Typical rainbows are eight to 12 inches long. The brown trout run a little larger, with an occasional 16- or 18-incher. They are all wild and beautifully colored.

The Firehole is the most exotic trout stream I have ever fished. It begins small, cold and clear at Madison Lake at an elevation of 8,670 feet on the continental divide in the heart of Yellowstone National Park. This special river flows for 34 miles, gathering rich mineral waters from other-worldly geysers, steaming hot springs and bubbling multicolored mud pots. You’ll see elk and bison grazing in the meadows. If you’re lucky, as you reel in at dark, you’ll hear a distant wolf.

Thomas R. Pero is the editor of Fish & Fly magazine.

Information and Supplies:

Blue Ribbon Flies
305 Canyon St.
West Yellowstone, Mont. 59758
(406) 646-7642
www.blueribbonflies.com.

Bob Jacklin’s Fly Shop
105 Yellowstone Ave.
West Yellowstone, Mont. 59758
(406) 646-7336
www.bobjacklinsflyshop.com.

Getting there

More than a dozen airports serve the greater Yellowstone area. If you want the quickest route to the park, however, point your jet to Montana’s West Yellowstone Airport (not to be confused with Yellowstone Regional Airport, which is 104 miles away in Cody, Wyo.). West Yellowstone Airport (WYS) is about a mile north of the park’s west entrance on Highway 191. The airport, which operates from June through September, has a 6,629-foot runway, Avis and Budget rental cars and ground services supplied by Yellowstone Aviation (406-646-7359).

'Wild brown trout magic on the summer solstice' PDF