This is not news to most of you: The Yellowstone area is blessed with a tremendous amount of great trout water. If you have had the chance to sample these waters, you know whereof I speak. On a daily basis, all season long, a multitude of waters present themselves as capable of satisfying our fish-catching desires. How then to decide where to cast our lot?

As implied above, you can not make the call simply based on the notion of "catching fish." Too many options available for that approach. This is where the subtleties and true beauty of the Yellowstone area come into play: Because there are so many possibilities to just "catch fish", we are forced to consider other criteria. What these criteria are and their role in helping us shape our decision are as varied as the waters around here. It might be interesting, then, to offer up the appeal to me of some waters around here; perhaps it will reveal facets you had not thought of, or, (more likely), expose my numerous character flaws. Either way, think about the idea, and let me know why you like certain waters.

Firehole River

It's the landscape. It's the fishing history, from Bergman to Schwiebert to Brooks. The classic mayfly fishing in June and October. I like it because it can be easy, and because it can be impossible.

Gallatin River

It's all trout streams rolled into one - from mountain stream to valley river. It's chucking stuff in the riffles, it's hatch-matching, it's finding big trout (the size you don't think are in there) in little off-beat spots. I love the purity of the freestone stretches. I love the possibility of finding browns, rainbows, cutthroat, and whitefish all together.

Hebgen Lake

The appeal is gulper fishing: rising trout on perfect summer mornings, on a glass-smooth surface. It's about casting, both for distance and accuracy. Every day, you find out if you really can cast. It's watching with keen delight big trout head-and-tail rise, over and over and over again.

Yellowstone River

Free-rising, Yellowstone cutthroat. Great caddis emergences, great spinner falls. Hayden Valley itself, with the burnished hillsides of late August, short evenings, and picky trout. Sight fishing to nymphing fish.

Henry's Fork

The insect hatches are the true appeal for me. Observing them, identifying them, trying to judge how important they are to the fish. Watching the hatches change from year to year, and wondering why. Even if the rainbows don't rise, there are always bugs around.

Madison in the Park

It's the brown trout fishery, all summer, fishing it when you're not supposed to. It's the fall runs of rainbows and browns; fabulous, pristine specimens so perfect and colorful it almost hurts to look at them.

Slough Creek

Slow meadow water, cruising cutthroat, and a landscape more classically western than much of Yellowstone. Trout that will reject your best imitations of midges, then savagely attack a frog.

Quake Lake

The fact that it hardly ever gets fished, and can be so good. It's like private water, only spookier, what with the dead trees and other history. Madison below Quake Lake - Prolific emergences, especially caddis, on serene July evenings. Pods of trout in slow pools, ganged up to feed on Baetis mayflies. Big trout eating small nymphs in thin water!

Gibbon River

Brown Drakes and huge brown trout, both of which are so unpredictable. Yellowstone Lake - Sight fishing, sight fishing, and more sight fishing, all during Callibaetis and Pale Morning Dun time.

That's a brief look at some of the waters-let me know what appeals to you about them, or other waters. It's sure to get you thinking about your own fishing.