Crowded ?

VISITORS ENJOY VISITING

Bison Enjoy Lounging

fishers enjoy catching

FISH THE GIBBON RIVER GINGERLY

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.. The "HIGH SEASON" in Yellowstone National Park is upon us. A major spike in visitation is just two weeks away.
.. By the Fourth Of July behavior patterns of fish and people in the park will have reached maturity.

.. Right now motor home owners have learned to park on the double yellow line. Fish have learned to look up.
.. Bicyclists have already learned to ignore the bicycle lane. Fish learned to follow the shadows two weeks ago.
.. Photographers are learning  to scorn the life-giving rains. Fish have remembered to use the current in a tussle with upright featherless bipeds.
.. Changes in the learning process and park conditions will soon begin to take place. These changes should increase the maturation level of visitors, fish, and fishers. Lines at entrance stations will reach astronomical lengths. Fish will begin to avoid the warming waters. Fishers will need to fish at different times on different days with different weather conditions.

A BLOOMIN' RIVER

.. Sadly visitors will not learn to enter the park earlier or later. Interestingly fishers will gripe and grouse about the weather - rather than take advantage of it.
.. Fish, of course, will be in the most advantageous water for feeding and keeping cool: The fish mature faster than humans.

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.. The Firehole River has provided excellent catching over the past four or five days. Air temperatures have been below seasonal averages.
.. Along with a couple of decent showers, our cloud cover has been fortuitously conspicuous and has encouraged the hatches of Mayflies, Caddis, and other aquatic bugs and such.
.. The next few weeks will demand rapid maturation of the fishers if they intend to become successful catchers:  A WARMING TREND LOOMS.

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.. The Madison River has become slow, cool, and crystal clear. It is spewing forth little winged creatures that seem to be unappreciated by many visiting fishers: perhaps it's the combined vehicular and bicycle traffic.

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.. Grebe Lake is experiencing some heavy pressure. The early disappearance of the snow and the rapid drying of the trails has allowed happy anglers to spread the word about this normally moderately fished destination.

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.. Pistol packing fishers have been encountered on the Mary Mountain Trail. They had no bear spray. Apparently they have lost their light bulbs.
.. They were disappointed with the catching as well. Search the deep riffles and dark pools with drab nymphs and you'll do better than they did on Nez Perce Creek.

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Tough Casting On Grayling Creek

.. The larger fish seem to have backed down from Grayling Creek. This leaves the creek with an exuberant population of 8 to 10 inch fish and lots of elbow room - for both the bears and the fishers. There is even a small caddis hatch happening late on warm days.
.. The best catching is beginning to move from the rapid bits of water in the park to the lower willow thickets of the lower creek and the upper ends of the estuary at Hebgen Reservoir.

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Do It Yourself

.. The Upper Gallatin River is still being ignored by experts and feather merchants alike. Sparse hatches of mayflies have been reported. Sparse sightings of caddis are problematic. Big fish are being taken on giant nymphs, small streamers, and both soft and stiff hackles. Some of the deep holes along about mile-post 26 are clear and it's possible to to see the gentle inhalation of the nymphs: if you're sneaky.

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HAPPY CAMPER

On Time - & - On Target

MOTHER'S CAPRICIOUSNESS

Pick A Place - Pick A Stick

it's better late than never

CONTEMPLATE THE CHOICES

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.. June, our historically wettest month, has arrived late this year. It's here now and bits of wetness and coolness are showing up. Both are appreciated by fish and fishers. Of course they bring a scowl to the faces of visitors in Hawaiian shirts, shorts, and sandals with black socks.
.. It would seem that there will be no chocolate runoff this year, (barring a deluge of biblical proportions.) That being the case, it's time to get serious about the place and manner for catching on the rivers of the west side of Yellowstone National Park.

.. We're going to fish them all with a single fly: the Big-Wing Sparkle Caddis. Small, Medium, Large, and VERY BIG. Drown it or float it: it's the simple road to catching success.
..The rivers are cooperating. The fish are cooperating. We hope that mom will show some understanding and cooperate as well.

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 Here's the current situation:
Madison River - still about 300 cfs below the seasonal mean. Cool, clear enough, bank full, fish with your normal early summer fly assortment.
Gibbon River - about 150 cfs below the seasonal mean. Warmer than usual and fishing very well in all river sections. Streamers in the big meadows. Soft hackles in the canyon, Anything small in the pretty stretches above the cascades and all the way to Grebe Lake.
Gallatin River - about normal for this time of year. Cold: clear in the park. Fan Creek is low and the willows are full of bears and moose. Swing a small streamer under the banks of the big bends in the slow sections. Soft hackles in the riffles. A few noses in the afternoon.
.. Firehole River - about 100 cfs below the seasonal norm. Rising a little toward the norm. The 76 degree spikes have abated for the moment. Cooling to perfection in temperature and flow characteristics. Bugs on the rise. Rubber legs in the canyon above the falls. Soft hackles in all riffles. Flies that float in the gentility of elbow central.
.. According to the mom watchers this coming weekend should be perfect for catching on all of the west side waters. Don't bother with Nez Perce Creek, it's full of bears and bear spray is more than useful. The big fish that have run up from the Firehole River are rested from their sexual shenanigans, rambunctious, hungry, and willing to dance. It's hardly sporting to take advantage of their compliance - even if we will

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Prognosis = Practically Perfect

COME THE DAWNING

Enter The Faithful Hoards

it could be the stuff of stories

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Legal fishing opens tomorrow in Yellowstone National Park.

Here's the neighborhood outlook:

Weather: Mild - high in the 60's, mostly cloudy overcast, occasional and scattered  or widely scattered heavy drizzle or light rain, breezy not windy, bright.
Madison River: Lightly colored, visibility up to two feet, rising slowly, way below seasonal discharge levels, pretty river.
Gibbon River: Cold and approachable in the upper reaches, some slight color in slower sections, noticeable color in canyon and big riffles, stable discharge, below seasonal runoff levels, pretty river.
Gallatin River: Well into runoff regimen, cold but fishable near the banks and back eddy areas, especially attractive in confluence meadow near Fan Creek, pretty river.
Firehole River: As good as it gets this early, below seasonal discharge, rising slowly, fish moving and vigorous, visibility up to five feet, wonderfully cool, very pretty river.
Nez Perce Creek: Distinctly attractive, bears, bison, moose, dangerous.
.. Bugs? Yes, all day long on the Firehole River. Possible in early afternoon on all other west side rivers.
.. Flies? Soft hackle in shallow riffles. Stiff hackle in deep riffles. King Prince Nymph in deep and dark water. Small Pink San Juan worm in meadow sections. Surface and film = size most important.
.. Traffic? Probably not as bad as you'd think but gawdawful anyway. Visitation is lighter than in recent years past for this weekend. Visiting fishers will be happily surprised. Parking possible in most pullouts - if you arrive early.
.. Lodging? All wader friendly lodging plumb full. Rooms still available at plush-carpeted motels and cabins.
.. We had little time to explore the rivers away from our west side environs. Check PARKS' FLY SHOP for rivers in the central, north, and northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park.
.. We may visit some of the best places tomorrow. We may wet a line. We may catch a fish. We probably won't encroach on your elbow room. There's a couple of nice dark holes that we haven't explored since last year. Hope not to see you there.

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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.

All Messed Up

EYES WATERING

Nose Running, Neck Swollen

tongue hanging out

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.. Runner fever is competing with the elk rut. Interestingly, the elk have just barely started to mill around while the fisher folks are all pretending that there are runners to be had. Such a sorry state of affairs. Patience, in this case, is more than a virtue: it's a necessity.

.. The giant elk are still in the high country. The giant runners are still podded-up in the estuary arms of Hebgen Reservoir. We've not even had a spit of snow, nor a really hard freeze, (31° F is not a hard one at all !!)
.. For the time being there is great fishing to be had - both inside Yellowstone National Park & around the periphery. There are still gulpers on the lake, and the monster Trico hatches seem to just be starting.
.. The Firehole River is beginning to behave like a Fall river. There is fog and mist in the cool mornings and surface fishers are competing with streamer fishers for the once again active fish. Many fishers are still wearing out the drag on big fish in the tribs. The concentration of fish moving out of Iron Spring Creek and the Little Firehole River is drawing a symphony of elbows in and around Biscuit Basin.

.. Hoppers persist in the meadows of the Madison River. They are also all along the park line from The Barns Holes to Baker's Hole - and a bit beyond at the edge of the trees on The Flats.
.. The muck and mire of the Grayling Creek estuary and the Duck Creek estuary show the post holes of knowledgeable fishers as they cast to the staging fish waiting to sniff their way home to a sexual frenzy.

.. We've been on the Gallatin River of late. The purple San Juan Worm, little Purple Beetles, and Elk Hair Caddis with a Feather Duster Dropper are all excellent choices for catching.
.. Some of the die-hard surface-fishing neighbors swear by a Royal Wulff or a Royal Coachman. Others fish a Humpy and call it a Goofus Bug, (oldsters they are, some even tie the Goofus Bug.)
.. The bears seem to be everywhere. A sow grizzly and cub are around Specimen Creek - still! There is a giant cinnamon colored black bear near and around the confluence meadows of Fan Creek. Remember to fish with a friend, sing very loud ribald songs, and have your bear spray in your shooting hand.
.. Finally, (for now,) Nez Perce Creek, above the thermal features has been producing some outsized fish to rather large soft hackles in hues of yellow and orange. The local fishers prefer to call the colors "Dark Mustard," and "Burnt Umber." We've seen them. They are yellow and orange. Certainly not available at any self-respecting feather merchant in this neck of the woods.

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Here & There

FISH: BIG, LITTLE, ANY

All The Pretty Fishes

anglers getting it done

THE COLORS FADE - THE WINTER COMES

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.. With just a couple of weeks left before the park closes, anglers are rediscovering just how good the catching can be.
.. The Firehole River is still producing a small caddis hatch on the rare bright sunny evenings after the thunder snows. Most afternoons and evenings there are prolific flights of Baetids. All offerings, from realistic imitations to soft hackles are taking fish with ease.
.. The elbow quotient is down a little bit from previous years at this time and general park visitation is a little slow as well. This makes travel and parking in Yellowstone National Park almost pleasant.
.. The Brookie Playground of the Way-Up Firehole River is seeing some increased activity of both the catching and fishing variety. It's less abandoned than usual for late Autumn.
.. The willow morass of Cougar Creek at the park line and at it's confluence with Duck Creek is getting some pressure from guided visitors. Attractors of various small varieties are the frequent choice - including emergers and floating nymphs.
.. Despite the absolute disappearance of all fish from Nez Perce Creek there continue to be reports and cell phone pictures of the fish being taken there.

DRY FLY EVENING ON NEZ PERCE CREEK

..The Madison River is seeing two groups of headhunters: standard and informed varieties are visiting in equal numbers. "FISH THE SPLIT," has become the watchword of highly successful catchers on the river.
.. Where islands, gravel bars, and dense weed beds split the river into two or more streams the enlightened head hunter seeks the submarines in the most gentle flow. Reasoning seems to be that the out of the way places are good for resting after a migration of a dozen miles or so. Seems to produce.
.. Yesterdays snow melted even before most of it reached the ground. Pity! We're off to enjoy some creative parking and post rut elk shenanigans.
.. More coming soon.

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FISH THE SPLITS  -- ADVICE FROM ON HIGH

The Lineup

WE'VE BEEN SELECTED

It's Like The Mambo

but without the gyrating

AN AUTUMN RITUAL

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.. There are Baetids on the Firehole River, they are on the Madison River, (upland & lowland,) they are on Duck Creek, they are on Cougar Creek, they are even on the Gallatin River and the Gibbon River. There are hungry fish everywhere.
.. The sage advice on Baetid imitations from the neighbors catching fish : "flies as big as you can get away with." That suits us just fine. We're going to start with a size 16 and work down.
.. The experts have exterminated all the fish on Nez Perce Creek, Iron Spring Creek, and the Little Firehole River: "all done for the season," they proclaim.
.. Spread the word far and wide, make sure that everyone knows about it: we are, on the other hand, going to visit the disappearing and exterminated fish of Yellowstone Park. We'll let you know if they like the rain and snow.

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IGNORE THIS WATER ON THE GIBBON RIVER
IGNORE THE DARK WATER UNDER THE BANKS
THE FISH ARE ALL GONE

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Up A Lazy River

THE ELBOWS DESCEND

The Bears Persist

please park safely

TIE ONE ON !

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.. It's not your typical postcard idyll on the Gallatin River these days. In fact it's become a damn dangerous circus.

GREAT FISH FOOD

.. Cars, trucks, buses, motorpickles, dune buggy's, screaming bicycle riders, and bear jam congestion's are all on the roadway.
.. The river has finally come into it's own. You can fish all day and score with just a simple rig. A size 10 Elk Hair Caddis up top followed by a size 12 or 14 Prince Nymph 12" down on the point. You will catch fish.
.. There are PMD's that confuse the picture just before any clouds descend, (rare right now,) and spruce moths are beginning their dance in earnest. Two years ago at this time we were singing the virtues of hoppers. Well, this year, the little pogo sticks are about a week or ten days away from being our first pick.

THE PLACE

.. There are a few bears visiting the haunts of our neighborhood fishers. The Fan Creek bear is a cinnamon colored black bear that is curious and hangs out even in the presence of fishing parties and trail riders. This bear has been up the Gallatin River along the Bighorn Trail as well as along Fan Creek.
.. A small grizzly bear is causing traffic jams near Specimen Creek and the meadows below the road and the narrow canyon above the road. The annual visitation of the large black bear around Black Butte is also becoming a regular occurrence.

HAND CARRY

.. Fish with a friend or two. Sing ribald songs, tell dirty jokes, laugh and guffaw with gusto.
.. Make your presence known and by all means carry your bear spray in your hand.
.. There has already been one death-by-bear in Yellowstone National Park this year. Try not to become the second.
.. The Madison River is beginning to see some small hopper action along with a sparse but persistent PMD hatch. Caddis is still king along the big water and foam lines. Some of the fish are taking small brownish nymphs such as the Shop Vac.

BUBBLEBACK EMERGER

.. The folks down at Galloup's Slide Inn have a variation on the Pheasant Tail Nymph that is becoming popular with some of the neighbors. It's called "Trina's Bubbleback Emerger." Most of the neighbors use it as a dropper fly for general searching. It's pretty good early in the hatch as well.
.. The bear is still on the Mary Mountain Trail along Nez Perce Creek. So too, are the fish. This river is seeing better fishing than we've seen in a few years. Sage philosophers allow that this may be because a lot of Firehole River fish 'ran-up' the creek early during the monster high water phase last month. Could be.
.. What ever the case may be, they are still behaving like Nez Perce Creek Fish: Attractor dry flies and yummy-looking terrestrial imitations are working just fine. Even grasshoppers!

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AS CLOSE AS WE WANT TO BE !!

The Ides Of July

NOT ALL WATER IS MUD

But Much Of It Is

seek and ye shall find

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.. It's impossible to see the fish under Fishing Bridge. We're not even sure that they are under the bridge. Boaters on the lake report that there is a silt plume that describes a river course through much of the lake. Pelican Island looks like several clumps of trees in the water.

.. This is the time to NOT FISH the Yellowstone River. But folks will!
.. The discharge from Yellowstone Lake is leveling at about 9,300 cfs. That's right at 5,000 cfs above the seasonal norm. It's nearly 2,000 cfs above historically record rates for the last week. That's a lot of water!
.. Discharge on the Firehole River is descending toward it's seasonal flow. Temperatures are ascending toward their seasonal highs.  Mid day spikes are already at 74° F.
.. The Gibbon River is a mere 120 cfs above seasonal rates and is clearing rapidly. There are still some large bugs around and some mid day caddis. The big meadows are drying, the bison are grazing, and the mosquitoes are buzzing. Stalking and crawling is better than wading --  but only if you want to catch fish.
.. The Lamar River is at it's seasonal high and is continuing it's Jekyll & Hyde phase by responding to local thunderstorms with lovely colors of brown and puce mud. Soda Butte Creek is slowing just a tad but is still best fished above Ice Box Canyon.
.. The Madison River is high, quick, and clear. 300 cfs above seasonal discharge is easily handled by the moderately incised channel of the river and fishing is good and some fishers report that it's as good as it gets.
.. The Gallatin River is still a rampaging storm of water but is clearing. Some of the higher tributaries that we usually look to this time of year are still muddy - or worse. Above the Bighorn Trailhead there are some "Ant-Eating Fish." Bacon Rind Creek is still high and colored, but the first meadow is holding some hold-over spawners. We have it on good authority that it's a good seven mile walk to get out of the chocolate milk on Fan Creek.
.. The Gardner River is high, roiling, & surprisingly clear below Boiling River: the catching is good. There are big bugs and hearty souls that fish among the boulders.
.. Grebe Lake is doing nicely, thank you. Take a leech and find some Grayling. These pretty little fish are very willing right now. The mosquitoes are not too bad. If you weigh more than about 200 pounds they won't be able to carry you home to the kids for a snack.

.. The Lewis River can be had. It's still big for this time of year but the bank-holding fish right at the plunge pool are starved for attention and for food. Help them out. Just above the falls is doing pretty well too.
.. So, on the Ides of July, where's a fisher to go? What's a fisher to use? Fish the Madison River all day. Slow water and foam-line drift a spinner in the morning, fish big and ugly down deep in the noon day sun. Carry your caddis / miller / hopper-box for late afternoon and evening. The little hoppers have entered their second molt and don't fly real good yet.
.. Fish the Firehole River from sun up 'til 11:00 AM, if you must. A double nymph rig with the upper floating and fuzzy will be all you need. In the evening the caddis are becoming overwhelming. You can get on the river about 5:00 PM and wander around. Watch the banks and sink one too.
.. There's bears and moose all over Duck Creek. If they don't get you the mosquitoes will. There are fish. There are willing fish. There are easily caught fish. There are hazards. You should have two canisters of bear spray and sharp eyes. Please obey the closure rules if you try this.
.. The bodacious and willing Brook Trout of the upper Firehole River have come alive. The are "getting air" as would a 14-year-old skateboard champ. They eat anything and everything that will fit in their mouth. They will strike at much bigger offerings. This section of the river should be banned for fishing - it's too easy. Just above the southern closure bridge, down in that little canyon that you said you'd fish someday, is a population of unmolested logs. Its only a 1/4 mile down to the fish. It's about 3 miles back up the steep sides. Legs are required to score here.
.. We say this quietly: Nez Perce Creek is full of fish that have run away from the high water in the Firehole River. Walk just a bit, beware of bears, wolves, moose and mosquitoes. Stay on the trails and don't fall through the thin crust of the thermal areas. Catch a few fish on anything that floats, or sinks.
.. The Little Firehole River, Iron Spring Creek, and the plunge pool at Fairy Falls all have fish waiting for your visitation. Treat them gently in this time of stress.

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Better By The Day

CATCHING IS GOOD

Fishing Is Good

gawking is best

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.. This will be the week for glorious fishing stories. The near-term weather is predicted to be perfect for visiting Yellowstone National Park. There will finally be a day or two with 70° F temperature.

.. The west side rivers are still setting daily discharge records but are clearing rapidly. The meadows are getting dry, the bison are laying in the sun, the mobile condominiums are belching fumes, and tour buses are thick as the spinners falling onto the water.
.. Catching is now possible from sunup to sundown. And the next few days will give us the longest catching opportunities of the year. Sunrise is now about 5:10 AM. Sunset is about 9:15 PM. The watchword now is to use your summer solstice well. Starting next week the days will begin their noticeable shortening - all too rapidly.

.. The Gallatin River is high, cold and clear above Taylor Fork. It's a big nymph and streamer proposition. The local naysayers would have you believe that it's too cold to fish. Best believe them, it leaves more room for the neighbors.
.. The last mile of Duck Creek is at grade and surprisingly clear, It too is a subsurface paradise. Be careful and stay in the legal zone by the water. The bears are congregating in this area. Evening caddis have been spotted around 4:00 PM in this stretch.
.. The Madison River is back within it's banks but the previously flooded meadows are spongy. Discharge is high but not near daily records and there are bugs apparent in the early afternoon. Streamers, big ugly unconventional flies, and drowned flies & nymphs are producing well in the gentle stretches.

.. The snow on Mary Mountain is rapidly melting and Nez Perce Creek is at it's banks. Catching is only fair in the bear infested waters and meadow about 1/2 mile above the bridge. The wildflowers are spectacular though.
.. The Firehole River above the cascades is very clear, cold, swift, and beginning to produce beautiful, hungry, eager, Brook Trout.
.. Below Old Faithful, in it's elbow-ridden stretches it's beginning to show it's summer pattern:
===> Spinners early,
===> Nymphs and emergers at mid day, (all day if you like,)
===> Caddis in the evening,
===> BWO & PMD when you see them,
===> Stonefly & Yellow Sally nymphs, all day,  starting now,
===> Salmon Flies soon, listen to rumors in the pubs.
.. We're headed to the big esses around Baker's Hole. This Madison River water requires a Montana Fishing License and a Yellowstone Park Permit. The water is high, the trails and tracks are muddy, the willows eat your body and gear, and the fish are near the bank and unmolested. It's just too much work for visitors. The fish are way too big for their small rods and dinky nets.

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