Flatland Fly Fishers

Miller's Micro Meat Fly Tying Instructions

Miller's Micro Meat Fly Tying Instructions by Charlie Craven Miller's Micro Meat Fly Tying Recipe: (Click the links below to pu...

5 Common Dry Fly Fishing Mistakes...and How to Fix Them

5 Common Dry Fly Fishing Mistakes...and How to Fix Them - Dark Skies Fly Fishing Struggling with dry fly fishing? Learn the 5 most common dry fly fishing mistakes and how to fix them to catch more trout and turn refusals into hookups.

We recently shared that some of the rivers out in Yellowstone had put restrictions on fishing just in the mornings. Unfortunately water temps have gotten high enough now they are closing fishing on some rivers or sections of rivers completely until water temperatures drop.

(News Release Update) Beginning July 15, temporary full closures to fishing on the Firehole and Madison rivers and their tributaries are in effect. The Gibbon River and all associated tributaries downstream of Norris Campground are also temporarily closed to fishing.

In recent days, peak water temperatures have ranged from 80 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Coupled with high air temperatures, these conditions are lethal to trout, and there have been reports of dead fish in the Firehole River. The closures will protect the park’s native and wild trout fisheries and will remain in effect until conditions improve.

The weather forecast for the coming week calls for slightly cooler temperatures and isolated thunderstorms. Staff will continue to monitor the water temperatures, and the closures may be lifted, or additional restrictions and closures may be put in place, depending on condition assessments. Currently, there are no restrictions on fishing other park lakes, rivers and streams due to high water temperatures and low river flows.

👉 Learn more at: go.nps.gov/26015

The Lower Illinois River in Oklahoma seems like an over looked trout fishery from us. They are having to stop stocking for a little while, but not because of temps. This is a tailwater. Floods at the hatchery is what has created issues.

We are temporarily suspending trout stocking on the Lower Illinois River. Photo credit: Scott Hood

Stocking trout is a complex process that depends on trout availability from hatcheries. We conduct two types of stockings. Seasonal stockings come from private hatcheries and occur from October through June. Mitigation trout are provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) hatcheries based out of Arkansas during and after the seasonal stocking season.

Last year's flooding significantly impacted USFWS hatchery production, resulting in the loss of approximately two years' worth of trout. Although the hatchery was not a complete loss, the flooding greatly reduced production and has affected the availability of trout for stocking.

The hatchery currently has trout in the 3–4" size range. It takes approximately 19–22 months for trout to reach a stocking size of 9-11", so recovery will take time. Hatchery staff are working diligently to rebuild production while also raising fish for future stocking seasons. This shortage affects all public waters that receive trout from this hatchery.

For perspective, so far about 36,000 trout have been stocked in the Lower Illinois River in 2026.

We are working closely with hatchery managers and will resume stocking as soon as fish become available. We appreciate your patience and understanding and will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available in September.

Bucktail vs Synthetic Hair when fly tying for Bass? It Depends on the Water

Bucktail vs Synthetic Hair when fly tying for Bass? It Depends on the Water Short answer: choose bucktail for slow, clear-water presentations where its natural taper and hollow-fiber buoyancy read subtle and lifelike, and choose synthetic hair like craft fur or EP Fibers when durability, color consistency, or heavy current and aggressive retrieves matter more. Many effectiv...

Gunnison Valley Fly Fishing in Spring and Fall

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Tripple Shimmer Minnow for smallmouth bass

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The Susquehanna Strip: A Deadly Streamer Retrieve for Smallmouth Bass

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Tying Senyo's Hot Rod FROG

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