The Joys Of Rain

SNOW VACATES THE ROADS

Mud Deters Fancy SUV's

fish come up to see the show

'TIS THE SEASON

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.. Unlike the postcards depicting snow in Winter - OR - placid streams in Summer, our transition seasons are messy!
.. We've lost about 14" of snow to the rain over the last couple of days. It's not a driving rain. It's a drip and drizzle, on and off kind of rain. It's perfect for mud pies. And it also slows down the grouse.
.. There's not much to report. Snow has been forecast for today and the last few days. It's been sparse and wet. The visitors arriving here for "Ski Week" have brought their roller blades and their roller skis, (never knew there was such a thing.)
.. The  South Fork of the Madison River has become a regular coffee klatch of neighbors. We seem to have driven the wolves, elk, and elk hunters away from several roads and woods in the process.

Raffia-Backed Hare's Ear Nymph

.. The large, lake residing, sex crazed trout are still arriving in waves. The resident fish are in an agitated state. The water is colored. The fish are on the bite.
.. The conditions dictate the tactics. Resident fish are up high in the water column and holding tight to the bank. They are relatively less selective than a single man at closing time. They've been eating midge clusters, raffia-backed Hare's Ear nymphs, and "LEGGY" Royal Coachmen with foam wings. Other weirdness, (think caddis,) has also been reported.
.. The migrant submarines are a bit more recalcitrant during the gray and drippy parts of the day, (most of the time,) Those fish seem to be sleeping and need a nudge to bring some fight to the fore. Deep-dredged bright and colorful streamers are the ticket. "Hit 'em in the nose," is the preferred attack plan.
.. We'll hang in for another day or so. Then some rat killin' needs be done. Time now to fill the thermos with some coffee and amber liquid - it helps!

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Do Trout Really Eat This Stuff - Only The Shadow Knows

Adios Visitors

TIME FOR THE NEIGHBORS

Snow Is Not A 4-Letter Word

very and cold are 4-letter words

View Toward The South Fork Last Night.

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.. Minus 15° F is on the border between cold and very cold in our neighborhood. Happily we are not sleeping outside.
.. The weather mavins missed this one! We're hoping they are correct about the coming warm up and the chance for some continued productive fishing.
.. As the pubs empty of visitors and their chatter about "too-cold-to-fish" and their comments about Siberia, the neighbors are geared-up for some spectacular catching.

The Evil Eye Of The South Fork

.. There are still 19 days of catching to be had among the forgotten haunts and holes of the South Fork of the Madison River. Here the fish are far larger than those that run up the Madison River into Yellowstone National Park.
.. The fish are mostly untutored in the ways of fly fishers and seem to be willing to grab any thing with a hook in it = even nightcrawlers and Mepps.

Easy Access

.. Many of the motels in our village are closed as the staff gets laid off and mom and pop head to Jamaica or Hawaii or Belize, or some such place. Visitors flee from town when there is snow and the temperature reaches single digits.
.. The neighbors feel blessed that they have this glorious time & water all to themselves. With the recent snow, access is easy on a snowmachine and the elk hunters can hear you coming.
.. The old adage about keeping your fly in the water is most appropriate when the air temperatures get below -10° F. Half a chicken worth of feathers becomes a colorful icicle very quickly with more than just a couple of false casts.
.. Most of the neighbors fish close and roll cast, (a forgotten art form among the testosterone laden Spey flingers.)
.. The neighborhood fly box is quite a bit different from the one that the feather merchants sell for the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park.

Hornberg For Now

.. Small and medium sized flies with gobs of "internal action" are the favored offerings of those that have fished the Fall run for decades.
.. As we've mentioned before, the old and dowdy Hornberg is a local favorite. So too, the small wet flies of bygone days. Flies like the Scarlet Ibis, Lead Wing Coachman, and Whitt's White Wing.
.. Mash them up good and separate the feather parts into individual strands. Not too pretty but very effective.

#4 / 2xl Soft Hackle

.. This year we've seen some giant soft hackles and some imitation salmon flies that seem to be working just fine. Most of the sizes are tied on extra long hooks of the 4 and 6 variety. Occasionally there will be a 4 / 2xl thrown into the mix.
.. The Fall run on the South Fork is a bit later, (by weeks,) than that on the main stem of the Madison River. It started just a little early this year, (to the surprise and delight of a few savvy kids in the neighborhood.)
.. Usually the catching heats up to mercurial dimensions about the last week of the season. The biggest fish are in the system by the second week in December and they draw some fish watchers, (the riverine equivalent of bird watchers.)
.. Well, it's up to 1° F on this sunny and balmy Fall morning. We've finished the huckleberry flapjacks and the second pot of coffee. There's a stale dozen "grocery store" donuts on the front seat of the car and the neighbor kids are tugging at our epitome to get there before the other old farts in the neighborhood do.

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The Glorious And Unmolested South Fork Of The Madison River.

Countdown

PERFECT BLUSTER COMING

Today Was Too Nice

. . or forever hold your piece . .

THE SUN SETS OVER ANOTHER SEASON IN YELLOWSTONE

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.. Just a note to remind you that if you're not here, it's too late. Although Yellowstone National Park closes "officially" at 8:00 AM on Monday, November 5, 2012, you can't fish on Monday . . . or so we've been told.
.. Today was way too gentle for a November day. Happily, the bluster will pick up this evening and should be full blown by Sunday.
.. The neighbors and remaining visitors that fish are catching with astounding regularity. This year the west side rivers are showing off for the late season faithful. There are little bugs all over the surface of the Firehole River, (the Madison River, Nez Perce Creek, the Gibbon River, and the Gallatin River also!) But it's the Firehole River that is really alive with hatches. It's living up to what the neighbors call "the river of no tears." If you're not catching fish - - - your fly is not in the water.
.. Like a broken record, (now there's an anachronism,) we continue to note that the runners are showing off all the way to Gibbon Falls and are taking any fly that is outsized, splashed in their face, or swims by with a bit of action.
.. We wish every year had ended this wonderfully.

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THE LOWLAND MADISON IS STILL DOING NICELY  --  THANK YOU.

Do It Right Now

BIG FISH FISHING

Little Fish Fishing

it's all good for five more days

Fishing With Bobber & Spinning Rig Is legal If There Is A Fly At The End Of Your Line.

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.. Join  the fun. Drive in the slush, and ice, and sleet, and rain, and snow, and enjoy the clouds and sun and wind and everything about the next few days. Soon we'll be counting down the 200+ days until we enter the fray of swollen rivers, mud, and potholes. All too soon this year will fade. All too soon the fish will grow and the pain subside.

.. The bite is on like in days of yore and even the Chamber of Commerce can't find words glowing enough.
.. The snows have come: wet, intermittent, slushy, and warm. This is typical for the Fall to Winter transition. It's a bit late this year but not out of the window.
.. The good thing is that the roads in Yellowstone National Park are mostly clear of the white stuff for propitious amounts of time. BUT: be prepared with tire chains and/or snow tires. A couple of more days of balmy 40's and 50's then some grunge for the weekend. How usual.

.. We're in the standard "Late Fishing Frenzy" mode. Folks are anxious and antsy about getting in a few more days of fishing. The fish are agitated and vigorously perusing their sexual mandate.
.. Park staff is eager to leave their summer posts and get gone to warmer climes.
.. Seasonal counter clerks, some on commission, are busy selling wash tubs for nets in an effort get the necessary gas money for a quick getaway on November 6. The scene is hardly that of the post cards portraying the idyllic fishing behavior that is rumored to exist in Yellowstone National Park.
.. There are places where fish are easy to catch. There are places where big fish can be caught. The two are seldom the same. Plan on wearing your cocoon outfit. Plan on cold fingers and the occasional frozen guide, (of the human and chrome and tungsten variety.)

.. There is fantastic surface action on the Firehole River with the Baetis imitation of your choice, (when the little darlings hatch in the dreary overcast fog.) Try BWO and CDC patterns in the smaller sizes = 16 - 20. We like the dinkers tied for the guys at Buzz Basini's shop.
.. When the bugs are not on the top the fish are still eating at a glutinously rate. Use a drowned Baetis and a Prince Nymph of the appropriate size, (= small!)
.. Of course the head hunters of the Madison River are out in force. Many are sporting double fisted Spey Rods that are useful for casting to the pools a full 30 and 40 feet away. It's not a herculean effort since the rod usually covers half the distance to the fish.
.. Most of these fishers have perfected the art of walking right through the deep dark water and kicking the fish in their belly. This is a technique rumored to produce greater spunk and fight in the submarines hiding in the deep spots.
.. Many of the neighbors are seeking fish away from the crowds. Up on the Gallatin River, (which is way too cold to fish,) there are places where only the bears and fishers go. The bears run from the boisterous neighbors and their raunchy limericks. The fish seem to run toward the screaming noises.
.. Try it: "There once was a bear from I stuck it . . ." etc. Best sung in a loud and lilting contralto.
.. Or, the neighborhood favorite: "Here bear! Hear Bear!" it seems that the bears do things opposite from folks.
.. We've been fishing and catching in none of the above mentioned places in Yellowstone National Park. They are not places worth mentioning because folks just don't fish there. So we do.
.. We like the idea of catching several dozen brightly-colored feisty Brook Trout that willingly come to whatever bits of fluff we happen to have. We like the idea of being shielded from the biting winds by a tunnel in the Lodgepole Pines. We enjoy getting in the car with no waders and no cold, wet boots. We enjoy getting home and popping a cold one without the hassle of undressing and re-dressing. We seem to have weird priorities. It must come with age and decrepitude.

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FISH THE WEEDS !!

By Request

VERY SIMPLE RECIPE

Rare Ingredients

bring those earth-shattering appetites

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So, O.K., guys and gals here it is:

HUCKLEBURGERS FOR BREAKFAST

* Very fresh ground, freshly-butchered and larded beef;

  -- 4# of sirloin is our base,

* Wild Huckleberry Syrup,

  -- 1/8 cup per pound,

* Wild Huckleberry Barbeque sauce,

  -- For basting while grilling & dressing,

* One extra large egg,

  -- Beaten with a dash of warm water,

* Worcestershire Sauce,

  -- Add to taste, (about one teaspoon per pound.)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

.. With all ingredients at room temperature: in a great big bowl mix the ingredients with your hands. Squeeze the goo through your fingers until it is well mixed and of a uniform consistency. Form patties by hand, roughly 1/2 pound each. Lay patties on waxed paper, (or foil if you must,) for 10 - 15 minutes, (or longer,) until a soft dry rind is formed.

.. Carefully salt and pepper top. Softly place seasoned side down on the grill over embers of dying wood fire. Baste lightly with Wild Huckleberry Barbeque Sauce. When the fat hits the fire with regularity gently turn the patties.

.. Salt and pepper and baste again. When the fat hits the fire again, carefully turn & move the patties to the edge of the heating circle. Peek inside with a pair of forks to see how red and juicy they are. Serve with lightly toasted premium buns and Wild Huckleberry Barbeque Sauce as garnish. (add lettuce, tomato, sweet onions, or beets, to your own personal taste.) Added ingredients tend to mask the delicate flavors of the Wild Huckleberries.

.. Beer is a great accompaniment to any and all burgers. We use cold black coffee with a dram or two of: Galliano, or Sweet Vermouth, or Jameson Irish Whiskey or Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, or a fine Scotch Whiskey. Some folks even add clotted cream and sugar . . . .
.. Believe it or don't: this breakfast guarantees phenomenal success during a full day of fishing. Catching is optional.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

.. There's a bit of snow on the ground and the fish are frisky. Baetis of some mysterious sort are still popping on the Firehole River and a new wave of submarines has entered the Madison River in flotilla force and is rapidly moving up stream at flank speed!

SNOW FUN

BREAKFAST BBQ

Have A Huckleburger

it's our own silly tradition

THE BEST BREAKFAST THIS WEEK.

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.. It's not mainstream. It's not fancy, exotic, elitist, or designed to "WOW" our visitors. It is, nevertheless, a damn good hamburger - even if we do eat it at the crack of dawn - in the snow.
.. One of our neighbors owns a little spread just west of town. His annual gift to the neighbors is a bit of freshly butchered choice Angus beef. We always select the hamburger because it's ground together with enough fat to be tasty and produce little fire-popping explosions - you heart healthy folks can cast aspersions as you wish.

LOOK !!!  A wood fire.

.. Juicy, not crispy, is the way we still cook the meat. Pinkish and with lots of carcinogenic wood smoke from the embers that were a fire, not some sort of pressed dung and mastic in little marshmallow shaped turds.
.. In celebration of the Last Week of Fishing in Yellowstone National Park we get up before the dawn cracks. Have some coffee, stomp our feet in the snow, talk about the balmy weather, and start the fire, (we do use gasoline instead of "fire starter" - for shame.)
.. By the time the coals are ready we've become warm and hungry and, have added some "juice" to the coffee - it's another bit of silliness we've concocted.
.. The burgers are served with plebeian accouterments such as salt and pepper and WILD HUCKLEBERRY BARBEQUE SAUCE. This morning we also had some home made french fries and sliced tomatoes. {{Wonder of wonders, there were decent tomatoes at one of the markets in the village.}}
.. Now it's time to load the caravan. We've decided to fish at the same spot this year. That should raise some eyebrows among the traveling hoards that are not visiting the park to fish. We'll monopolize the good water, commandeer the best pull-outs, and become, (for one glorious day,) the absolute asses that we despise and deride for most of the year.
.. Film at eleven.

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Today's Lovely Fall Colors - (as seen at breakfast.)

End Of The Line

FORGET "PRETTY" DAYS

Welcome Fishy Days

bring your "A" game

THEM WERE THE DAYS. THAT'S STILL THE PLACE!

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.. It's finally hit! What would be called winter in much of our country is now fall in the high country. The neighbors are dancing with glee. Fishing is spectacular in the snow and rain and sleet and grappel and hail. We finally get to wear long pants again.

My What Big Eyes You Have.

.. Some very large streamers and other monstrosities are sprouting on the short, heavy tippets of the fly fishers around here.
.. There are some peculiar habits and attitudes that come to light when the fishers seek the submarines of Fall. One of the most peculiar is the need to tie half of a chicken to the end of the line and call it finesse.

"Cute" little fly.

.. Interestingly the same attitude is called forth when presenting itsey-bitsey flies to the same fish. Right now the fish are eating both extremes and everything in between.
.. We suspect that almost all fishers on the west side rivers in Yellowstone National Park believe, in their innermost being, that they are finessing the fish to hand - no matter what fly they have chosen. We'll let them have it.
.. As is usually the case for this time of year, the neighborhood kids are preparing their Halloween costumes. Most of the costumes are designed to fit comfortably underneath a snow suit. Fishers should take note.
.. There's just a couple weeks left for legal fishing in Yellowstone National Park. Make the most of it. There are surface bugs galore, there are nymphing opportunities everywhere, there are the famous runners of the Madison River, (and other places for those that know,) and there are sheltered roadside pull-outs for telling lies and warming fingers.
.. Grab a double handful of the high country Fall and wade right in. Displace as many fish as possible - it's the social thing to do. Bring a hip flask if you're driving a BMW. Bring a thermos of amber liquid if you're not. If you are serious about this circus you should bring at least an 18-pack per person. Some jerky and stale bread will distinguish the dedicated from the counter crawlers.
.. Remember to fish the shadows. Remember to fish the dark water. Remember to fish the shallows. Remember to fish the seams. Remember to fish the pillow and the cavity. Remember to fish the rocks and downfalls. As a matter of fact - fish it all, you may just stick a fish that hasn't been walked on.

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The Gallatin River is low and the trout are in the dark water. Mostly!

Countdown

BE HERE NOW

2 Weeks Left For Catching

some snow has spit at us - no stickeee

MADISON RIVER AT THE PARK LINE - VERY FISHY  !!

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.. As the peaks around Hebgen Basin can attest - some snow has fallen in the neighborhood. It even made it to the ground here in town. It melted as soon as it hit the ground. There's none here now. The fish near are here and loving it.

Tradition Will Out  !!

.. It's an interesting thing that's going on right here and right now. The neighbors are smacking the fish in the tributaries and shallow parts of the lakes.
.. The visitors are smacking the low water on the main stem of the Madison River, Gallatin River, Firehole River, and even the Mighty MO!
.. Although the Madison River and the Firehole River are at - OR - just a smidgen below seasonal flows; the Gallatin River is off by quite a bit.
.. Of course the neighbors are clustered around Specimen Creek, Bacon Rind Creek, the West Fork, and other secret debouches along the course of the river.
.. Bears be damned, (carry the spray and sing and dance and fish with a friend,) this is the time of year that Campanula Creek, Grayling Creek, and Duck Creek are visited by sturdy and adventurous souls. Bless them all and the bushels of fish that they catch.

Right Form, Wrong Color, Works Guud !!

.. Despite all of the myriad flies available for catching the migrating submarines of our waters, the Woolly Bugger continues as a favorite fly of the neighbors and visitors alike. We prefer the Snortle or a simple Woolly Worm ourselves.
.. The Curmudgeon Corps in the neighborhood is busy with the entertainment of the hour.
.. Enjoyment, for them, comes in the form of gently poking fun at both the neighbors and visitors who catch enough fish to feed Wyoming - and keep none of them. [[Curmudgeon defined below*]]
.. They, themselves, are busy catching and smoking fish at a rapid pace. Some have even gone to the trouble of seeking the lowland hardwoods for their smoking chores. Alder and Apple are this year's choice.
.. We usually give them a wide berth at this time of year. We will nod if we pass them at the grocery store. We do smile as we wait in line at the post office. We wave to the familiar vehicles on the street.
.. Engaging conversation, however, is reserved for those times, (coming soon,) when they accost us and offer a fish or two - YUM!
.. Well, with just a couple of weeks left for legal fishing in Yellowstone National Park, we're headed up to a shady, undercut bank, on the low-water Gallatin River. Rumor has it there's a flotilla of giant fish engaged in some sort of sexual shenanigans in the adjacent waters.
.. Finally, with a gentle whisper, we do say: "confluence of Nez Perce Creek and Firehole River."

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Afternoon Sunshine + An Undercut Bank + Pea Gravel + Aerated Water = FISH

[[*   ".. A curmudgeon's reputation for malevolence is undeserved. They're neither warped nor evil at heart. They don't hate mankind, just mankind's absurdities. They're just as sensitive and soft-hearted as the next guy, but they hide their vulnerability beneath a crust of misanthropy.
.. They ease the pain by turning hurt into humor.
.. They attack maudlinism because it devalues genuine sentiment.
.. Nature, having failed to equip them with a serviceable denial mechanism, has endowed them with astute perception and sly wit.
.. Curmudgeons are mockers and debunkers whose bitterness is a symptom rather than a disease. They can't compromise their standards and can't manage the suspension of disbelief necessary for feigned cheerfulness. Their awareness is a curse.
.. Perhaps curmudgeons have gotten a bad rap in the same way that the messenger is blamed for the message: they have the temerity to comment on the human condition without apology. They not only refuse to applaud senseless mediocrity, they howl it down with morose glee. Their versions of the truth unsettle us, and we hold it against them, even though they soften it with humor."

- - - JON WINOKUR ]]

Bluster At Last

FISHING HOT

Catching Good

weather colder and grunger

THE END OF AUTUMN IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

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.. It's been cool for a couple of nights. The low clouds have spit a bit and the sparse electric colors of our gentle and dry Fall are gone.
.. Mustard, brown, rust, amber, gray, leaden, and other late fall descriptors should be in your vocabulary if you visit here. You should also practice words like monster, pretty, giant, kype, streamer, rubber legs, woollywhatever, favorite Baetis, etc.
.. It's popcorn time on the Firehole River. Noses are everywhere and Baetis-Sipping can be heard for yards and yards. Splashing is the order of the day when the afternoon sun is just right and the Caddis take wing in frenzied flight to avoid the airborne trout.

.. The Madison River has been great, even in the sunlight, for the Fall-run fish from Hebgen Reservoir. Fishers have found the dark water in places never before fished. The books are obsolete right now. Some of the giant fish that have been pulled from the Madison River have left holes in the water that took hours to fill in.
.. Of course, if you are like us - and had your fill of the conga line, the upper Firehole River is yielding about 20 neon Brook Trout per hour to any competently presented fly, (above or below the surface:) fewer elbows and shielding from the wind by the dense lodgepole desert, are a Fall delight indeed.
.. The open secret of the week is the Gallatin River. A rig with two nymphs of the Prince variety, (different sizes - mind you,) is the current neighborhood choice. Surprisingly this also coincides with the advice from the counter help at many feather merchants.
.. Again this year, the neighbors are tying the KING PRINCE NYMPH. Runners seem to enjoy large nymphs as much as streamers and Woolly Worms Buggers.
.. The big bends of the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park in the now closed Bakers Hole Campground are being visited by folks willing to walk for their fish - there are many in the deep pools and undercut banks of this "fishy" bit of water.
.. Many of the neighbors believe that the biggest fish from the reservoir will not show until the snow arrives. That could be tonight, tomorrow, or as late as Wednesday. So be it.
.. The poor sister of Fall fishing is showing great form right now. The Gibbon River is nearly devoid of elbows above the falls. There are many unmolested fish eager for a dance partner. Drowned Caddis or Baetis cripples should accompany your standard Adams in the big meadows. Cute little bead head nymphs could yield a Grayling above Norris Campground on either Solfatara Creek or the Gibbon River's skinny, but dark, water. Of course the eager Brookies above Virginia Cascade will dance with any thing they can get in their mouth.

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Forgotten Riffles And Runs Of The Gibbon River Are Solace To Trout

Wader Friendly Lodging

FISHERS INVADE WEST

Stay For A Spell

torment a fish or two

Built in wader hangers.

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.. 'Tis a real pleasure, (and just a mite entertaining,) to have visitors from around the globe in town to catch some fish. These are single-minded folks with a pleasant and determined attitude. "Serious" does not go far enough toward describing those involved in the Fall Fishing Frenzy.
.. Of course, (this year anyway,) the salubrious weather has made them just a bit grouchy. They seem to prefer sleet, rain, snow, wind, and fog. Hang on, you'll soon have to dry your waders inside!

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JUST A SKIFF  --  FOR NOW!

A Quandary

IS IT THE FLY ?

Or The Presentation?

or is it the damn fish ?

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.. The kid behind the counter at the fly shop said to try one of these if the other seven didn't work! He said we needed a dozen of each!
.. One of the absolute pleasures of fly fishing is being unsuccessful with many flies.

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