Cave Falls is a beautiful cascade
located just inside the park on the
Falls River
located just inside the park on the
Falls River
Falls River:
| ............................Fly Fishing Yellowstone National Park |
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Wading the stream in places can
be very tricky and on the
dangerous side. The bottom
consist of layered rocks that are
difficult to get around on.
be very tricky and on the
dangerous side. The bottom
consist of layered rocks that are
difficult to get around on.
This is a nice one Angie caught on a
dry fly in the Falls riffles. Fishing
along the banks can be productive at
times.
dry fly in the Falls riffles. Fishing
along the banks can be productive at
times.
The Falls River is a wide, large
river in this location just below
Cave Falls.
river in this location just below
Cave Falls.
The Falls River looks as if it hold
trout from bank to bank any where
you want to fish but that is not the
case.
trout from bank to bank any where
you want to fish but that is not the
case.
The sign at the entrance.
The Falls River flows from the Southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. To
reach the river inside the park, you must hike. The Henry’s Fork of the Snake
River steers anglers away from the Fall River, so you probably want have much
company.
This river did not have any fish until cutthroat were stocked in the early 1900s.
Shortly after that (a few years) rainbow trout were introduced. These have
interbred and produced the "cutbow".
The headwaters of the Falls River start at Beula Lake. The upper portion of the
River is a mixture of meadows and a canyon sections. Trout is the uppermost
section are mostly cutthroat trout. These are 9 to 15 inch fish. Below the section
of cascades, Terrace Falls and Rainbow Falls, there are cutbows, cutthroat and
rainbows. Much larger fish are found in the meadow section. The fish are mostly
rainbows and cutbows. The water in these meadows is slow moving and more
difficult to fish because the fish can get a good look at your fly.
Below the meadows, the river flows over a bed of basalt lava for about 6 miles.
Wading is difficult in this part of the stream because the rocks are slick. Most of
the fish in this section are cutbows.
Access:
The Falls River is accessible from the Ashton-Flagg Ranch Road that intersects
Highway #20 near Ashton, Idaho. This is sometimes called the Grassy Lake
Road. The Falls River Campground lies just outside the park. The road
continues to the Cave Falls Trailhead. From there you can hike up the river for
almost a half-mile but to continue, you must ford the Belcher River. This cannot
be safely done if the water is high.
The meadow part of the stream can be reached from Reclamation Road about
30 miles west of Aston, Idaho. Follow Fish Lake Road just over a mile to Fish
Lake. From here it is a mile to the South Boundary Trail inside the park. Hiking
West on the trail will get you to the river just above Mountain Ash Creeks
confluence with the river.
Mountain Ash Creek:
Mountain Ash Creek is a meadow creek for the first mile of so. The next 6 miles
the stream flows over a lava rock streambed that is more of a steeper gradient.
Cutthroat and cutbows are present. They average, 9 to 12 inches, with some
larger ones in the meadow sections of the creek.
Proposition Creek:
Proposition Creek is a small tributary to Mountain Ash Creek.
Comments:
The Falls River is located in a section of the park that is visited by few anglers.
The majority of the stream is not easily accessed. Sections of the river offer
excellent fly fishing opportunities for those willing to go to the trouble of fishing it.
Copyright 2007 James Marsh
reach the river inside the park, you must hike. The Henry’s Fork of the Snake
River steers anglers away from the Fall River, so you probably want have much
company.
This river did not have any fish until cutthroat were stocked in the early 1900s.
Shortly after that (a few years) rainbow trout were introduced. These have
interbred and produced the "cutbow".
The headwaters of the Falls River start at Beula Lake. The upper portion of the
River is a mixture of meadows and a canyon sections. Trout is the uppermost
section are mostly cutthroat trout. These are 9 to 15 inch fish. Below the section
of cascades, Terrace Falls and Rainbow Falls, there are cutbows, cutthroat and
rainbows. Much larger fish are found in the meadow section. The fish are mostly
rainbows and cutbows. The water in these meadows is slow moving and more
difficult to fish because the fish can get a good look at your fly.
Below the meadows, the river flows over a bed of basalt lava for about 6 miles.
Wading is difficult in this part of the stream because the rocks are slick. Most of
the fish in this section are cutbows.
Access:
The Falls River is accessible from the Ashton-Flagg Ranch Road that intersects
Highway #20 near Ashton, Idaho. This is sometimes called the Grassy Lake
Road. The Falls River Campground lies just outside the park. The road
continues to the Cave Falls Trailhead. From there you can hike up the river for
almost a half-mile but to continue, you must ford the Belcher River. This cannot
be safely done if the water is high.
The meadow part of the stream can be reached from Reclamation Road about
30 miles west of Aston, Idaho. Follow Fish Lake Road just over a mile to Fish
Lake. From here it is a mile to the South Boundary Trail inside the park. Hiking
West on the trail will get you to the river just above Mountain Ash Creeks
confluence with the river.
Mountain Ash Creek:
Mountain Ash Creek is a meadow creek for the first mile of so. The next 6 miles
the stream flows over a lava rock streambed that is more of a steeper gradient.
Cutthroat and cutbows are present. They average, 9 to 12 inches, with some
larger ones in the meadow sections of the creek.
Proposition Creek:
Proposition Creek is a small tributary to Mountain Ash Creek.
Comments:
The Falls River is located in a section of the park that is visited by few anglers.
The majority of the stream is not easily accessed. Sections of the river offer
excellent fly fishing opportunities for those willing to go to the trouble of fishing it.
Copyright 2007 James Marsh