Are You Ready ?

THE WEEKEND IS HERE

The Visitors Are Here

the bugs are here

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.. So, you're going to make it a four day weekend  --  are you? You're late. There's a pile of folks that are making it a six day weekend, and they are already here.

Claytonia lanceolata

.. Yellowstone National Park is in full bloom. The protracted cool Spring and the wet meadows of just two weeks ago have given us an early summer riot of color that is at least three weeks late. The fishing and catching has followed suit. Everything is in a gloriously verdant state. The temperatures are warming rapidly and 80's should be seen by Monday-next.

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.. The Gibbon River has finally settled down and hatches may be persistent for the weekend. We expect that it's still a soft hackle proposition.
.. We're headed up there tomorrow to see if there are any parking spaces left and if the fish will be cooperative.
.. Conventional and simplified fishing has finally come into it's own on the Firehole River. Visitors with guide books tucked into their kit bags should have no trouble catching fish in the manner prescribed and described by the authors of those books.
.. Hatches, for the purist, are on time. Set your clock and clean your windshield - the bugs are here. We suggest that you scan the reports from the feather merchants in the sidebar.

.. Finding the fish to catch will be a bit different this year. The river has been rearranged from the high flows of the last four years and the cute little names of perfect fishing areas are, at best, misleading. How-to books tend to be static entities, rivers are dynamic.
.. The Madison River has been greatly rearranged. For instance; 9-mile Hole is either 9 1/2-mile hole or 8-mile hole, now. Yet the visiting angler can be easily spotted following the footsteps of authors that describe the very rock to fish near, (the rock is still there on the shore.)

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.. Recent accurate information should be available at our local tackle emporia, from guides that actually fish. Stop and visit, it will enhance your catching chances.
.. The 'correct' fly choice is always a point for heated discussion this time of year. There are so many bugs, in so many stages, and so many flies, in so many variations, that the discussions continue ad nauseum.
.. We tend to agree with that sage fisher, Mortimer Snerd, "The fly that catches the most fish is the one that is in the water."
.. The fish are frisky, hungry, plentiful, and eager to please; just give them a chance. The 'soft water' is still the key right now. Dark holes, gentle bubble and foam lines, undercut banks, mid-river bars, and pillows in front of boulders are all places where the fish are.

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.. There have been a few neighbors testing the waters of the Gallatin River. It's a river connoisseurs game. There are some fish to be caught, (and bears to be avoided.)
.. If you like to make fishing into a competition rather than a 'by-the-numbers' exercise, the Gallatin River should be your choice this coming weekend. Should you want to avoid elbows, test your river-reading skills, and walk to cover a lot of water: have at it.
.. Some of our younger neighbors, (they visit us for feigned conversation and a quick snort,) like to "explore" [their word.] They seem to think that they should pound every inch of all water in the neighborhood. We did that once - maybe?

.. Some of those same kids who enjoy combat fishing have brought back a fly from the far northern reaches of Montana. It's the "X-Stimulator" from the Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop in Missoula. This hybrid monster has taken on a bit of local mystic. The kids mash it and twist it and pull the wing forward and drown it. To each, his own: takes fish!

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.. The traffic in the park is already horrendous. We suggest that you give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination and that you park where it's safe rather than where it seems to be convenient.
.. We'll provide some documentary posts over the next few days, (time and traffic permitting.) The fishing is glorious, the catching is nearly the same!

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fishing headquarters latest e-mag

Open publication - Free publishing - More andrew ragas

Preparedness

CURRENT BUG ACTIVITY

Anticipated Visitation

some interesting places to fish

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.. Well folks, it's just about as good as it gets. Although the rivers on the west side of Yellowstone National Park are above their seasonal discharge averages, they are rapidly clearing and the catching is getting better by the day. You, (and 150,000 others,) will not want to miss this opportunity.

.. The big bugs are on the Firehole River and the fish have found them. There are Yellow Sallies as big as bananas, the Salmon Flies are like giant zucchinis and the Golden Stone Flies will dwarf a Mazda Miata. This co-emergence is not unheard of, but to happen for the Fourth Of July is a rare occurrence.
.. If you like to fish in the morning on the Firehole River you will find a cool light fog and a spinner fall, (PMD's,) from about 7:30 AM onward. BWO's, Baetids of a couple sorts, and drowned nymphs can gather up fish all day.
.. For the folks that want to catch a lot of fish a rig with a small, (size 12 or less,) dark, floating Woolly Worm followed by a Caddis Nymph, (Rock Worm, Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear, or even a Prince Nymph) imitation will take 10" to 14" fish all day in the deep riffles.
.. We like to use a drowned, green, stiff-hackle in these high water conditions. Sizes 10 through 14 are good depending on what your rock-turning indicates.
.. The forecast for the weekend is a few scattered clouds and a few thundershowers. If you're blessed with overcast at the right time a mid-day mayfly hatch will clog your orifices. You'll need perfect presentation to fool a fish because of the fantastic cloud of the little devils.
.. The caddis have begun to appear in numbers that the fish enjoy. Sunshine in the afternoon is not a cruse right now. A two-fly rig with a large elk hair caddis, (size 10 - 12, or even 8,) followed by either an emerger or nymph will get the attention of even the most wary of trout as dusk covers the valley.

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.. The Madison River at this time of year is touted as a streamer fishery: and that's true, but there are some heavy White Miller hatches happening now that will continue for another week or two.
.. The deep undercut bank, (on the far side of the river from the parking at Barns #1,) has grown to enormous proportions during this high runoff episode. There are fish in there that will suck the cleats from your boots.
.. Take the long way around and sneak up on the bank, (getting your knees dirty is a good idea.) A short line and short, heavy leader with a marabou leech or dark green Wooly Bugger will wake you and the fish. Be prepared.

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..  Nez Perce Creek, (poor neglected sister,) is providing catching so good in all the riffles that should make the legal stretches a designated children's fishery. It's too easy right now. That's probably why it's being ignored.
.. The wade-deep crowd just can't stand to have anything too easy. Drowned and mangled dry flies, big nymphs, or bright yellow Woolly Worms will take more fish that your story can convey.
.. Of course, it requires a walk of about 700 yards to get to the water that provides exceptional catching. That may be too far for the wader-laden visitor.

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.. Visitation is heavy now and will be astronomically high for the Fourth. Caution is highly recommended in driving, gawking, parking and walking.
.. Some of the best fishing in this post-high-water period is reached by parking in a narrow spot, crossing the road, and then a meadow with downfall and bears. Please be careful: restrict your posing for the tourists to the crowded parking lots.
.. The bison are busy re-paving the road from the west entrance station to Madison Junction. This early summer maintenance is a Yellowstone ritual. It has been made an even greater attraction this year because of the wet meadows. The bison don't like to lounge in a wet puddle any more that do the picnickers.
.. If you can handle not fishing in crowded waters we suggest the Firehole River above the cascades along the Lone Star Geyser Trail. There are just a few Brook Trout in the water, but most of them are eager to dance with you.
.. We'll mention the Gibbon River tomorrow . . . we promise. But for now, we commiserate with you if you haven't found lodging. This little burg in the woods has been full for a week. There are a few camping places left, but driving from Bozeman is not too far if you need to fish in Yellowstone National Park over this coming weekend.

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golf course and small pond bass fishing

Brought to you from somewhere in Lake County on a hot summer day. Fishing in a dress shirt and a tie just after work. This isn't the most technical type of fishing around but for me its getting back to my roots. Nothing huge, nothing to brag about, but it sure feels good to bend the rod on a couple largemouth bass. With a little diligence, there are some big ones to be had.

golf course bass fishing

When fishing ponds, its best to keep it simple. Cranks, spinnerbaits, plastics and topwater baits are all super choices. My best luck has come close to shore, usually right where the bottom begins to taper off. Rocky shorelines and extra cover is always an added bonus. You may have a problem when your wife finds the loose plastic worms in your dress pants pocket. Working late... sure you are!

 

dropshot pond bass

Some Wrasse Over the Weekend!

Here are some more recent catches of a few Wrasse i had over the weekend!!

This is just some of the ground i fish over for Bass/Wrasse! As you can see what we are standing on is thick Kelp! 

This one here was one of the biggest i had, really wanted my Soft Plastic!

Another great Shot of a colorful Wrasse

So after around 15 Wrasse on Friday/Saturday the sun went down and it was all over!!

 Sunday i spent the day on Anna2 Charter Boat Catching some Bream & Congers. This is only picture i took though.

I love there Eyes!!

I am off on Holiday for 2 weeks on Saturday so May not post anything for a while. But i will make it up to you guys when i get back ;) Bye for noww !

RE-POST

UPDATE TOMORROW

BUT

giant stoneflies on the Firehole right now!

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{{This is our post from last year. It's still the same with a couple of interesting changes. The weather will be pleasant instead of hot. The rivers will be a bit higher. The hike to Grebe Lake will be a bit more sloppy. The stoneflies of three types will all be active. Thunderstorms and overcast will improve the fishing. Updates coming!}}

.. It's an absolutely wonderful thing.
.. Fishing in Yellowstone National Park on the Fourth Of July is an epic endeavor for all. Everyone in the world will be in the park - and, they will all be fishing.
.. For those that still don't know where they will be wetting their line, here's some thoughts:
==> You might catch a fish on the Firehole River if you fish in the morning,
==> You will catch a fish on the Madison River  if you use a Bead Head Caddis,
==> You will catch a fish on Trout Lake,
==>  You will catch a fish on Obsidian Creek,
==> You will Catch a fish on Joffee Lake,
==> You will catch a fish on Grebe Lake.

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.. This weekend will be a bit warm. The crowds will be a bit dense. The rivers will be a bit crowded. The fish stories will be a bit exaggerated. And, a good time will be had by all.
.. By all accounts, there will be enormous visitation numbers for this weekend.
.. In addition to the attractions and beauty of Yellowstone in early July, West Yellowstone is planning the largest fireworks display in Montana.
.. The West Yellowstone "WILD WEST RODEO" has grown to the point that it's not just a 'show' rodeo - but it's become a stop on the rodeo circuit. The bulls usually win!
.. The Dairy Queen has added 45 extra staff persons for the weekend.
.. The police department has given all officers the day off.

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WHERE TO FISH ??

.. Places where fishing will be good  --  AND crowded:
-- Firehole River,
-- Madison River,
-- Gardiner River,
-- Gibbon River, (below Norris Campground, the road construction will have no closures for the weekend!,)
-- Trout Lake,
-- Solfaterra Creek,
.. Places where fishing will be good  --  AND less crowded:
-- Firehole River, (along the Lone Star Geyser trail,)
-- Firehole River, (between Firehole Falls & Madison River,)
-- Little Firehole River,
-- Iron Spring Creek,
-- Nez Perce Creek,
-- Gibbon River, (between Norris Campground and Virginia Cascade,)
-- Obsidian Creek.
.. Places where fishing will be good  --  AND nearly empty:
-- Gibbon River, (along the Grebe  Lake trail,)
-- Fan Creek, (above the beaver pond,)
-- Duck Creek, (observe the bear closures,)
-- Grayling Creek, (please park  safely,)
-- Bacon Rind Creek, (beware of the moose,)
-- Gallatin River, (above the Fan Creek Confluence,)
-- Bechler River, (it's a banner year for mosquitoes,)
-- Boundary Creek, (if you walk more than 300 yards,)
-- Heart Lake,
-- Snake River, (in the Thorofare,)
-- Hellroaring Creek,
-- Trail Creek,
-- Mountain Creek.

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.. The weather is going to cooperate for the long weekend, (sorta - kinda.) Clouds, thunder storms, wind, and hot temperatures are predicted for the weekend.

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.. There are some distinct advantages to fishing in Yellowstone on the Fourth of July:
==> Compare ring tones while exercising your waders,
==> Meet folks with pink fishing vests,
==> Catch flies with flies, (under water,)
==> Observe casting form worse than your own,
==> Delight in fishers festooned in gear worth the price of your BMW,
==> Practice creative parking & master rapid rigging,
==> Exchange insurance information with celebrity chauffeur's,
==> Find and explore alternate fishing locations 'cause the good ones are full of turons,
==> Enjoy bathing beauties in your favorite riffles,
==> Discover the many and varied paint jobs on tour buses,
==> Pose for pictures taken by 90,000 digital cameras.

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.. Time to kiss a fish!

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With apologies to Stevekale - thanks.

.. P.S. If you's scanned this far you deserve a reward: There is a wonderful site about bugs that is making waves in the "BUGOLOGY WORLD" and the "FLY FLAILING WORLD." CHECK IT OUR HERE. (There is an English version for the non-Francorphhile.)

Terry Sellers

Yesterday Jamie and I ran a group trip with some boys and I had Terry from Texas and Jamie from Virgina in my boat. The water was big but we managed to be the only ones out there and we caught loads of fish. They were active and feeding strong! The advantage of guiding in the big was is no one really else is out there so we had the river to ourselves. We landed several nice fish including an 18 inch rainbow and this nice brown. Jamie had a nice brown on too but he broke him off at the boat! I don't think it could have been a better day of high water fishing!

smallies!

On Sunday Tony and I took my man John Maiden and his family out for a little smallie extravaganza. Tony took Wiley and Nancy and I took John and Will. It was a nice break from the big water that was rushing down the river at home. The creek was amazingly beautiful and we had a great time. The smallies weren't really chasing bait or being very active but we did manage to bust a few nice fish as well as bend the 3 weights on a bunch of perch!

27/06/11 - Glebe - Pool 1

Weight – 129lb 4oz
Catch – 35 Carp, 8 Bream
Weather – Sunny, very windy, rain, cloudy, flat calm – take your pick!
Match – Match Fishing Scene Float Only – 5th out of 20 (3rd in section)

1st trip to the Glebe in Leicestershire, which is a club complex with 8 lakes as well as 2 other lakes at Mallory Park run by Roy Marlow. It’s a really well established and well looked after fishery and today’s match was on Pool 1, which is the biggest lake on the complex with 30 well spaced pegs on a boomerang spaced lake.

This MFS match attracted anglers from all over the country, as well as a few locals, most of whom had fished here before . It was certainly an expensive day, particularly with fuel prices, however I was awake early and Mark picked me up at 5am reaching Nuneaton just after 7 for breakfast.

Today will be the first of 3 visits this summer with another float only next month and the Angling Trust Masters in August, so I was largely guided by Mark about the best approach and he has had a lot of success fishing caster. So 30pts were ordered from Tony to be split between 3 of us, plus I had another 4pts frozen. Several tins of corn and bags of 6mm pellet completed the bait list, plus I some worms left over from a few weeks ago.

After an initial walk round the way the wind was blowing, we both fancied either end, although around pegs 15-17 can be flyers and I found myself on peg 26, with Mark on 27. With 20 pegs in we all had plenty of space, split into 2 sections. I certainly had a challenge on today. As well as Mark, Pete Bailey was in my section as well as the end peg 30 which won yesterday’s match with 200lb.

Obviously with 14pts of caster tactics for the day would be shallow at 13m with 3 or 4 red maggots on a 16 B911. I also set up a line at 5m feeding pellet & corn, as well down the margin, under a bush which obscured my view of the rest the lake to my left and I only had 3 anglers to my right.

When the match started there was a gentle breeze, which soon got stronger. In the 1st hour I had 5 carp and already got though 3pts of caster! Moving into the 2nd & 3rd hour was a struggle, yet Mark kept catching. At the time I really couldn’t understand why. However on reflection, because I was in danger of going through my caster too quickly, I had cut back on the feed, plus the wind was becoming increasingly strong, making it difficult to feed. Also I should have used a heavier float to provide a bit more stability. So after 3hrs I had about 40lb.

I periodically tried the 5m line, which produced silly bites on corn from what turned out to be skimmers. Whilst on this line I upped my caster feed and started to get more swirls so the fish had returned. I then remembered I still had some worm so started using worm heads and tails, with the fish preferring the tails, probably because they wriggled more.

The next 3hrs was far better, alternating between worm and maggot. The wind dropped and in the last 2hrs I probably just beat Mark, but he had too bigger lead to overtake. However, the end peg only had 3 fish in the last hour, whilst I put in 40-50lb including my biggest fish of 9lb, beating the end peg by 20lb.

The 5m line didn’t really produce and I had 1 roach from the margin which dropped off. In the end had a really enjoyable days fishing, certainly learnt a few things about the venue and have a clearer understanding of what I need to do for next time.

I got beaten in my section by Pete Baily and Mark, which is nothing to be ashamed about. My section was 1st to be weighed and for a while it looked like I would be 3rd overall since no one was admitting to more, however pegs 6 & 8 both beat me so I ended up picking up the section by default.

1st 194- 5 Pete Bailey – p23
2nd 168- 5 Mark Poppleton – p27
3rd 153- 1 Bob P – p6
4th 141- 6 Tim Suttle – p8
5th 129- 4 Ken Rayner – p26
6th 118-10 Nick Merry – p20

Update on the Freak Shark

Shark expert Felipe Galvan sent us an e-mail saying he has seen this shark and tried to buy it from the fisherman, who was unwilling to part with it, however he did agree for the scientists to do some studies on the shark. At first they thought the "eye" might have been fused nasal cavities, but now they are going to do some testing to see if the "eye" is actually that, or if it is part of the tissue. They already have a scientific manuscript that is under revision for publication. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

Very Brief Report

FISH HERE !!

.. Just in time for the biggest weekend of the summer all rivers on the west side of Yellowstone National Park are fishing well. They are high, and colored, and productive.
.. Fish the hatch when you see it. Fish anything else when you don't. We heard that in a local pub from a fishing guide. It must be gospel!
.. Secret places with few elbows for the Fourth Of July will be posted during the coming week. It might not be gospel.

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DON'T FISH HERE

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First Mullet of the year!

Imagine trying to sleep in a caravan with a Harley Davidson ticking over 3 ft from your pillow? So off I went as a result of Les and his snoring and landed on the chosen spot at about 5am. Having spotted the fish on a scouting mission the previous morning they were there in the same spot at roughly the same time. Having fed them with an offering the previous day I was optimistic about my chances. With the forecast being what it was for Sharkatag I had packed my Bass and Mullet gear planning this as a possible back up. Anyway, had an offer on my second cast and missed it and then struck at a line bite so when the third offer came along I was now warmed up and off the fish went. Nothing like it at that time of the morning to get the adrenalin going, better than an espresso! 5 minutes later my first of the year was beaten and some pictures taken and the fish returned. I then headed to Ardwell to meet with Gordon for the next leg of the Sharkatag but the weather unfortunately beat us on the day with a straight southerly no good to anyone. So...will post some pictures shortly but in the meantime here is a shot from the caravan with Michael and Jason's pup (which was seasick on Saturday) Its doesn't seem to have put Sinbad off by the looks of it !

The fish above shows some conflicting ID points according to the National Mullet Club site, the jugular space under the chin too wide- not a Thick Lip as well as the lips a being different, gold spot behind the gill like a GG but no slime, no black patch on the pectoral fin like a Thin Lip ??? Watch this space this needs further investigation, better pictures and a closer look the next time I'm in the area.

Sharkatag Event

Home early due to the weather today...lousy too much wind in Luce Bay. I did manage a 5am start this morning thanks to big Les and his snorning but more about that later. It was worth it but with 4 hourse sleep on Saturday night I'm a tad tired today as the troops rocked in a 3.30am to start a snore fest!

Thanks to Gordon for another good day aboard Tickety Boo, Tope, Smuts and Thornbacks with more Scad than Mackeral as they were very hard to come by we still managed on frozen baits and fresh crab.