The Gallatin River Lodge

In Yellowstone Country, stay at the center of it all

My rubber-legged hopper imitation simply disappeared from the surface--no splash, slurp or other indication of a strike. As it was early in the day, I was fishing my usual hopper/beadhead dropper combination while floating down the Yellowstone River in the Montana's Paradise Valley. Thinking a whitefish had taken the dropper, I carelessly lifted the rod and was surprised by the large brown that came thrashing to the surface with the hopper firmly lodged in its jaw. Yes, I made the right choice today, I thought as my 5-weight arced with the weight of the fish. Read more – offline – from the current issue; subscribe to FRR.