Muleshoe Bend

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Firehole River, Yellowstone National Park

The stretch from there to the Upper Iron Bridge, about three-eighths of a mile, is quite good, excellent with dry fly or emergent nymph as needed. Below the bridge a long riffle and run reaches to the upper end of Muleshoe Bend. Before the late warming of the river there were big stone fly nymphs of Pteronarcys and Acroneuria (now Calineuria) here, and at the foot of the faster stretches, in deeper water, an occasional large trout could be found waiting for the drifting nymph. This is no longer true, although smaller fish can be taken with some regularity.

The tight loop of Muleshoe Bend is still a half-mile of excellent dry fly water with some good fish in it, as well as many smaller ones. One parks at the road turnout at the apex of the bend on the high bank there and watches for the hatch to commence. I've not found it too profitable to fish this stretch if no flies were showing.

There is a long riffle from the lower end of Muleshoe through the rest of Midway Geyser Basin. It is right beside the road and is an excellent piece of water for the beginner or children. It is loaded with insect life, mostly small, and the rough but not too uneven bottom offers good footing.