Important things to remember when planning your trip to fly fish the streams of Yellowstone National Park – Fishing Hooks
The regulations require that all hooks be barb-less. This reduces the stress on the fish when they are being caught and released. What many anglers fail to understand is that they are not required to purchase flies tied with hooks that are barb-less from the manufacturer. Regular hooks used for flies can be made barb-less according to the rules and regulations of the park but simply mashing down the barbs flat. This is very easily done with pliers (needle nose work great but other types will also work) or forcepts which most anglers have with them. We recommend doing this as you use the flies. It is fast and easy and this presents you from making all the hooks you have with you barb-less. They are not required to be barb-less in the fly boxes on patches, only when you are fishing with them. You may want to use the same patterns with barbs on other streams, including those just outside of the park like the Madison, Yellowstone, Snake, Gallatin and others. This will also save you the higher cost of purchasing flies tied with barb-less hooks.