Upland Float Trip

SOMETIMES THESE KIDS FISH

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It's Time For Ice

PUT ON THE WOOLIES

Hide Your Auger & Cooler

just a couple of prospecting days left

PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS

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.. So it begins! The West Yellowstone/Hebgen Lake Tournament, is a NAIFC qualifier. It is a three-day event - February 1st through 3rd, 2013. Two-thirds education and one-third competition with a maximum entry of 150 two-persons teams. This year the WY/Hebgen Lake Tournament will have an anticipated prize pool of at least $14,000.00 and could be as high as $21,000.00. Plus there are cash payouts from the Calcutta Saturday night.

.. The town pubs have all gotten their teams preped and lubricated. One of the main features for the neighbors is the "BATTLE OF THE BARS." Prestige and quaffing rights will last until next year's tournament.
.. Local merchants are sponsoring teams from the neighborhood. Please note: a local team beat all the national contenders in last year's tourney. It may happen again this year. Wives and girlfriends, husbands and boyfriends, lovers and companions, are all being scorned and neglected during the final days of prospecting and preparation for the big event.

.. Scerecy is the big key. The neighbors borrow trucks so that they will not be recognized. They are wearing different clothing and hats that haven't been seen in decades. Some have shaved. Others have grown beards. Wigs and bandanas are used in the clandestine efforts to disguise who is fishing where. High-powered binoculars are essential equipment right now.
.. On a less furtive note: It's a big event for the neighborhood kids. The KIDS ICE FISHING CAMP provides instruction and free fishing gear for all the kids that show up on Saturday.

FROM THE POOP SHEET

Ice Camp consists of in-class and on-ice fishing tutorials delivered by experienced, DNR certified NAIFC Pro-Staff instructors. In addition to demonstrations of the latest techniques and sponsor provided equipment, the curriculum promotes safety, conservation and environmental stewardship. Sponsors provide equipment and prizes for the activity, and kids who sign up and participate receive complimentary ice rods and tackle (HT Enterprises supplied over 1,100 “free” rods to kids last year). Although Ice Camp is geared toward kids, all family members are encouraged to attend regardless of age. Introduction to the newest technology coupled with professional guidance gives both the parent and child a memorable ice fishing experience.
 

.. In the evening our village "KIDS 'N' SNOW" program includes 'smores 'n' more.' Ice Skating, Sledding on the sled hill, great music and gneral revelry.
.. Should you be in the neighborhood stop in over the weekend; there's bound to be something that you will find interesting and enjoyable.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

>> February 1: Evening social hour and ice fishing seminar at the Holiday Inn, 5:00 PM,
>> February 2: Kids Ice camp at Kirkwood Resort & Marina Boathouse, 10:00 AM, all day fishing and prospecting and instructional seminars. KIDS 'N' SNOW weekend in the evening at the ice rink in town.
>> February 2: Saturday Night Mandatory Rules Meeting. Registration for the Tournament runs from 4:30-6:45 pm at the Holiday Inn in West Yellowstone, where the Social Hour begins at 5:00 pm, including a complimentary dinner for all registered team members with cash bar. The Rules Meeting, which is mandatory for at least one member of each team, starts at 7 pm. At the Rules Meeting, the exact starting time for the contest the following morning will be announced.
>> February 3: Morning, (starting time to be announced.) until 1:00 PM - THE TOURNAMENT!
>> February 3: 2:00 PM, weigh in starts, at High Country Tavern & Grill.
>> February 3: Evening, Revelry and Super Bowl Parties - all around the lake and in town.

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Winter Entertainment

THE THINGS WE DO

It Helps Pass The Time

watching the snow plows

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.. At 36 below zero it's hard to convince ourselves to get down to the river and molest some fish. So we join the neighbors in several deep-deep-cold activities. One of the most popular is watching the snow plows.
.. The excitement is underwhelming. They come by in a whoosh. The fine powder billows up and settles along the edge of the road. Fantastic fun. We can do it for hours - mostly because our feet are frozen to the ground. Try it, you'll like it!

World's End

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!

Try It - You'll like it

CHECK THIS OUT

Choices

SUPER SUNDAY ?

How About Ice Fishing ?

commercials - shamercials

FLAT OUT FAST  !!!

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.. Too much happening to blink at 120 cycles. We'll catch the second half - maybe.
.. The pubs and theater will be full; so too the neighbor's couches.
.. Spent last evening with the kids and snow program at the hockey rink.

Thanks Dad.

.. The evening was another in the series of  "S'mores & More" events: great fun.
.. Fearless 4-yearolds vs. timid adults always results in cathartic confrontations.
.. We're constantly confounded by visitors and the belief that winter is something to be feared.
.. With open arms our neighbors embrace the opportunities of the season. No great fear here.
.. Not even fishing is ignored. The "post card" images of idyllic pools and inviting riffles are lost in the frenzy of preparations for a daily outing on the ice: with augers, coolers, tackle, warmers, (for the hands, feet, and innards,) and all the necessary impedimenta for a grand time.
.. The NAIFC regional Ice Fishing Tournement kicks off on Hebgen Lake in about an hour. Temperatures have warmed up to about -13° F: the sun is bright and the breeze is below 5mph - PERFECT !
.. We may fish. We may officiate. We may just watch. It's a big deal around here. There's a $21,000 pay out.
.. It's a simple thing: you get five hours to catch and keep five fish; top weight wins. Only Rainbow Trout count.
.. Every entry, (2-person team,) is carefully searched at the start, (there's plenty of places to hide a big fish in the gear, clothing, snowmobile, etc.) the gun sounds and if everything goes well you can be at home for the kick-off.  OR NOT !
.. We tried laying on the beach for a year or two. Sum Fun !

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Scrumptious.

Just Push A Bit Harder.

Skates Or Shoes - Your Choice.

YIKES,  IT EXPLODES !

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IGNOBILITY

OF RODENTS AND BOATS

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.)

Diversions

A DIFFERENT CUP OF TEA

Winter's Haze Enhanced

not for everyone

Digital Pinhole Image: 1/60, on camera flash, f256, distance 1".

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.. The winter is a bit on the long side up here. Fishing becomes a greater chore than usual. We tend to fish less and extemporize more. This winter was the perfect example.

Mahogany Pinhole: 4x5, 79mm focal distance, f156.
Shutter speeds by thumb.

.. During one long evening we stumbled onto an old pinhole camera project in the corner of a long forgotten trunk. Hmmmmm? It sparked interest in this, the earliest of photographic techniques.
.. We diverted our lachrymose moods of winter into useless busywork and puttered with the concept of, and application of pinholes to everything.
.. One bit of silliness involved yards and yards of Duct Tape, black paper, and a hole in our window shade. Thus we turned our front room into a camera obscura.

Canon EOS 30D pinhole.

.. Sheeze, what winter does to the mind. We averted cabin fever with cabin obscura. And, it did pass the time. Given the irregular viewing wall in our 'cabin camera' it brought to mind the weltanschauung we held during the 60's.
.. Lately we've adapted some of our large format gear into primitive hulks that we call cameras. We've also transformed a couple of digital cameras into digital pinhole devices, (the sensors needed cleaning anyway.) It's amazing what you can do with tin foil, electricians tape, a short extension tube, and black card stock.

Indulgent friend.

.. We've even adulterated the view camera with a pinhole. Now that is pure sacrilege! They all will make pictures. The images however, are not for everyone.
.. Today, with post processing, photoshopping, and enhancements - both in and out of camera, images tend to be presented in a cookie cutter fashion: overly sharp, overly saturated, over the top. We call them good and go on down the road.

Indulgent friend's dog.

.. Pinhole images require a bit of engagement. They are not starkly identifiable in an instant. This means that the viewer takes a bit longer to decipher them. It's not what everybody wants or needs. It is fun though.
.. We have badgered our friends and neighbors, (and neighbor's dogs,) into enduring our follies this winter. They endure and indulge us and admire the ethereal images that happen. We nod and accept their friendship.

Back door.

.. Done with panache and aplomb, the images can be quite charming or very disturbing. We've not reached either stage yet, but we're looking forward to opening day in Yellowstone National Park.
.. Our scouting trip this year will combine stream observation with vista observation. Not in the name of art, rather in the name of getting to the best places first.
.. The big images are going to be challenging. Exposure times in the minutes, reciprocity failure, temperature corrections, apertures in the hundreds, and aiming with crude sighting devices should make the venture rewarding. In our case it's as much about observing as it is about the final image.

.. We'll not be posting any fuzzy, ugly, indecipherable images during the season, (we make and break promises with ease,) but we shall take a fresh look at some of the iconic images in Yellowstone Park before the fishing starts.
.. And, why mention this at all? Because Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day is just around the corner. It happens on the last Sunday in April, (that's April 24, 2011 - Easter Sunday, this year.)

.. Pinhole fanatics around the globe will take a picture and post it to the website. A snapshot in time that happens every year. We're sending them one from the high country and, meager as it is; it's our contribution.
.. P.S. The fishing and catching, by the way, is now going great guns in the Gallatin River Canyon. After we've fished out all the good holes we'll let you know where it was best.

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EEEEEEK !!

FEELING STUDLY ??

Need A Trim ?

east coast suavity

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.. Straight from our favorite music blog, (New Heathens,) comes information of the strangest sort. MONTANA FOR METROSEXUALS ????
.. It seems that Stamford, Connecticut is a genuine hot spot for the "Montana Mystique." Here, (there,) now is a place for men to get a trim, (and many other things if you look at the menu for services in this interesting barber shop.)

.. As we read the post at The New Heathens blog we fell from our saddle and rolled on the floor choking on spittle and parts of the contents of our stomach that got stuck in our nose.
.. It's with real satisfaction that we note that folks from Montana who have migrated to the East Coast still recognize what a barber shop is all about.
.. This barber shop, MONTANA FOR MEN, was opened in 1988 to provide a place for men. If you're feeling manly and studly then stop in and get your hairs cut, or trimmed, or coiffed, or whatever else you like from the menu.

MONEY QUOTE:

Montana for Men was established in 1998. Master Barber, Michael Warde, had a belief that gentlemen needed and deserved a Grooming Center to call their own, where they can relax, kick back and receive all the services offered to women, but in a masculine setting. No fear of running into your best friend’s wife while getting your color. We offer the classic barber shop elements with the most up to date modern techniques.

.. We note, thanks to the extensive New Heathens report that there are some interesting takes on the flavor of Montana. For instance the "The Billings" is a full-boat treatment. You can see some of the other "Packages" below.

.. The things that seems like they would be at home in our fair state are the beer and televisions. Probably placed there to take your mind off of what you're paying for your package.
.. We can not do justice to the post on the New Heathens Blog. Check it out for what real Montana haicuts would be. They probably wouldn't fly too far in Stamford, Connecticut.

For instance:

The Paradise Valley = Where would you like your hair subdivided, I mean cut?
The Missoula = Your hair is knotted into dreadlocks and softened with patchouli oil.
The Bellgrade = Free townhouse by the interstate with every cut.
.. There's a page full of real Montana haircuts if you choose to laugh so hard it will hurt all the way to Stamford, Connecticut. CLICK HERE!

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NATE SINGS

NATE FISHES

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