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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Anticipation

IT CAN BE COLD

Ice Hole Outlook

here comes the money

A SECRET ICE HOLE ON HEBGEN LAKE

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LITTLE WING LARVAE

.. Those neighbors that just go fishing, (as opposed to"fly fishing" or "worm fishing" or "spin fishing" or "spear fishing" or "deep sea fishing"  or  .  .  .  ) are currently ICE FISHING,  (granted some are fishing with a fly.)
.. Takes have been good. Fish have been large, giant, enormous, and too big to mention. Some have even been trout.
.. The current successful flies, lures, buzzers, nymphs, and pimples, are becoming guarded and well protected secrets. We've gathered the best secret information for those of you that would like to be in the money, for the soon to happen Hebgen Lake ice fishing tournament, (see the videos below.)

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TEENSEY CHIRONOMID

.. On the other foot, conventional and unimaginative fishers, with nads of steel are still wading the frigid waters Between The Lakes.
.. Catching has been better than good. Elbows are fewer than expected - there's even unused parking spaces on the highway.
.. Standard offerings are working their wonders. Double nymph rigs, nymph and ugly rigs, gobs of worms, and the occasional dry dropper rigs are just plain unfailing in their success right now.
.. Many of the non-establishment fly fishers in the neighborhood are foregoing the current catching frenzy for their volunteer work with the upcoming sled dog race this coming weekend.
.. Establishment fishers aren't bothering. Establishment fishers are busy hanging out in warm feather merchant shops and talking about fishing - bless their hearts - must be cold out.

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WADE NOT - FREEZE NOT !

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SUCCESS FOR LAKE AND STREAM

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ice fishing report for the fox chain of lakes

The ice depth on our southern lakes are quickly approaching five inches. Snowmobiles and atv's are out in full force right now so foot travel in most places is relatively safe. Taking advantage of some of the firmer ice we made a long trek on a hunch to an area we believed might be an off the beaten path wintering hole.

footsteps on the fox chain of lakes

It didn't take long to realize that the pressure here was 100% local. This was one of those spots where everyone knew everyone but us, and we stuck out like a sore thumb. Not to say they weren't nice to us, in fact they were down right cordial. Small talk and a few anecdotes aside, the fishing was  down right decent. We came from far and wide searching for papermouths and with a good bit of sorting we took a respectable bag.

a fox chain of lakes papermouth pile

Warm weather and some rain looms in the near future and is predicted for mid-week stretching into the weekend. It's supposed to drop down to sub-arctic temps right after the warm front so I would imagine it wont make much of a dent in the ice, we shall see.

bass through glass

Early ice over a clear northern Illinois lake is almost like looking through a window into the fishes world. A few more inches of thickness and these images will slowly fade to a muted grey. But for now, they offer an almost fish tank perspective into our quarries underwater world. Marked very few today but every one that did come up off bottom ultimately hit. All the ice we found today was in the 1.5 to 2.5 inch range. I'm gonna give it another cold night or two before I try again. Ice isn't being produced at any great rate but at least I got that initial trip in and a few slime-backs on the board.

the fish fighting under the ice

a nice largemouth through the ice

Everyone respect the ice and travel with soft feet. Good luck on the hardwater. Maybe if I get a bit froggy I'll try and punch a hole or two early one morning but my next trip most likely will be an afternoon evening crappie bite.

a wonderful  mixed bag

Auger In

HEBGEN LAKE IS SOLID

Thrumming is Rampant

flies and pimples in use

SCENIC HEBGEN LAKE IN WINTER DRESS

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.. The neighbors are getting worked up about the ice fishing on Hebgen Lake. There's just 6 weeks until the NAIFC-sanctioned ice fishing tournament arrives. This year there will be a prize pool of at least $14,000 and it could go as high as $21,000. Two local teams took home giant chunks of change last year. They are hoping to do it again this year.
.. The balmy days, frigid nights, and perpetual snows are exciting the neighbors beyond all rational behavior. Ten pound trout have already been landed on Swedish Pimples and giant Shop Vac flies. The tournament headquaters out at Kirkwood Resort and Marina is already gearing up with pre-fishing schedules and maps.
.. This tournement has grown so fast that it has two pages on the official Montana State Travel Website:
===> HERE  &  HERE.
.. The tournament is a three day affair: February 1, 2, 3, 2013. It includes free kids' camp, clinics and instruction, a pre fishing day, group tutorials, Rocky Mountain Ice Fishing Product Fair, and of course the tournament and weigh-in.
.. The tournament is limited to 150 two-person teams so get your registration form in early. Like right now. Use the form on the OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT WEBSITE.
.. We'll keep you informed.

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THE SNOW HAS FINALLY ARRIVED IN WEST YELLOWSTONE

Not Quite . . .

IT ONLY GOT TO 47° F

Winds Were Manageable

neighbors vacate town

THE NEIGHBORS PAUSE IN THEIR LABORS TO QUAFF A BREW OR TWO

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..Sunday was another pleasant and unseasonably warm day. The thermometers in town ran to 47° F and not a bit more. We were hoping for another 50° F. The day was "Squinty Bright," and sun block was a definite must.
.. Some of the brave neighbors probed the estuaries along the shore of Hebgen Lake for legal open water: it's a sport for the young and thick of body. Rumors of open water at the mouth of Grayling Creek persist - SO?

Size 20 winged midge with outriggers

.. Ice fishing is still in full swing and, (depending on expertise,) some fine trout dinners are being gathered up.
.. Smokies, (whitefish,) as well, are running to 3# and seem eager as the ice-out approaches.
.. The water around Campfire Lodge is getting a pounding - all the way down to Quake Lake. Fish are being taken on just about any subsurface offering in the size 10 to 14 range. Pheasant Tail Nymphs, Prince Nymphs, Feather Duster Nymphs, Shop Vac Nymphs, and winged midges, (size 20 - 24,) are getting drowned in abundance.
.. The extended forecast calls for a few more gentle days with some mixed rain and snow about to show up in the neighborhood.
.. There is a steady stream of cars running from town to the little bits of legal open water. There are quite a few non-recreational snowmobilers headed to the major estuaries as well.
.. The fisher folk of our village have abandoned their 'stool-warming' at the pubs during mid day and can only be found with their prehensile cheeks squoze down after dark - - SPRING FEVER HAS ARRIVED !

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With the last few weeks of salubrious weather the Madison River is already bank-full

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refined whitefish tactics

early morning whitefish caught on Green Bay

While our first day on Green Bay was spent in the twelve to fourteen foot range, our ride out on the second day  suggested we might try poking some holes even shallower. We fished from ten feet deep all the way in to about six with the best luck in the extreme shallows. These were fish that you didn't have to work up from the bottom. They were cruising fish that were feeding in the shallows and if they did pop up on the flasher they almost for sure were hot to bite.  With the crystal clear visibility we actually were able to get a couple of takes sight fishing.  When I first started thinking about what our first trip to Green Bay would be like, I had always envisioned us sitting out over a thirty foot hole dropping heavy spoons garnished with a variety of meats down to the bottom. Well, this certainly hasn't been the case...

my personal best whitefish caught on a bluegill rod

Standard presentations from the research we did before this trip led us to spoons like the Swedish Pimple in a size four and gold in color. This was noted as an effective pattern used on its own tipped with waxies and minnow heads but also as a dropper fastened below a small jig and swivel. This is an effective rig for quick drops and also for pounding bottom to create quite a disturbance. Fishing such shallow water I felt that this presentation was a bit overkill. We eventually downsized to just a tiny tungsten jig head tipped with a glob of waxies, and we fished these on our ultra-light bluegill rods. This setup resulted in some of the best drag screaming fights of our weekend trip.

Again, I can't say enough for the tip down fishing on Green Bay, they accounted for a third of our fish the second day as well...

our pile of keepers from a morning of fishing

This trip was a blast and is something I'm going to consider making a yearly ritual. For those who have never been or have thought about it before, I would highly recommend giving it a shot as a destination for the Chicago ice fisherman.

the whitefish of green bay

Day 1-

With a true passion for all of the different fish found in Wisconsin, me and Neal are always ready to chase a new species no matter where they may reside. This past weekend we spent not one, but two days chasing whites on the vast expanses of frozen water found just outside of Dyckesville Wisconsin.

ice fishing whitefish

With our very first few steps on to the frozen bay, it was easy to see where the congregation of people were setting up camp. Hundreds of shanties grouped together in a semi circle, some set up  just a few short feet from one another, formed a new city on the ice. With big group fishing on community holes not really being our scene, we set up about a half mile outside of "shanty town" more towards the shallows.

another nice green bay whitefish

To say that the fishing was easy would be a lie. With everything new there seems to be a healthy learning curve with catching whitefish. With a high sun and blue bird skies, the consensus from the people we talked to was that the bite was tough all around. The two greatest equalizers we had were staying mobile and fishing tip downs.

We rotated holes frequently and revisited the same holes that produced over and over again. While most people were hunkered down we spent the entire day shifting gear and blazing trails. Above and beyond fishing our butts off, not one other group we came across was fishing tip ups or tip downs. It seemed like they were married to their jigging rods. What a shame, the tip downs fished with rosy reds just off bottom resulted in nearly one third of all our fish and put us just shy of our two person limit.

be sure to bleed out your catch for best taste

neal with our near limit, is that a mullet?

Stay tuned to see how we fared on day number 2...

Not The Typical Pair

THE LITERATI CRINGE

The Simple Approach

ice auger's getting workout

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.. There's only a week left before February smashes into West Yellowstone. We're using it to rest up before the onslaught begins.

..We have boxes and boxes of winter flies. We love them all, we cherish them, we even use most of them on occasion: but, time and again we return to just two for most of our winter fishing.
.. The Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear Wet Fly & the Sierra Bright Dot often suffice for every situation above or below the surface. Both can be fished either wet or dry. Both are easy to tie and both stab fish jaws with satisfying regularity.
-- These flies have the additional distinction of being rare today. Neither is sold at the local feather merchants, neither is the latest and greatest, neither is full of fancy hard-to-get synthetic materials, and neither will leave you fishless.

--The "neighbors-of-the-auger," usually have one of these tied to their rig along with maggots or meal worms or bulldog flashing blades. They are a secondary attractor beneath the ice but they are common and will take fish.
.. The NORTH AMERICAN ICE FISHING CIRCUIT is holding it's $21,000 Regional Qualifier on Hebgen Lake February 3-5. The neighbors are on the lake en-mass and dragging in the fish. Practice is essential in this sort of thing.
.. The current midge hatch Between The Lakes is drawing the faithful to the open water. Often times a twin rig with a Prince Nymph and GRHE-W is the weapon of choice.
.. The true and faithful dry fly fishers use a small Sierra Bright Dot. Correctly tied the fly presents the perfect attack: the fore & aft hackle combined with the dark tips of the pheasant seem to entice the starving fish into a frenzy of idiocy. There are three targets with three specular patterns and they are close together. The fish seem mesmerized by the little fly. The red is easy to see, (so too is orange or yellow.)

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Previews Of Coming Attractions

BIG HAPPENINGS ON HEBGEN LAKE:

The neighbors are already dragging 'em in,

New service for ice fishers,

Tournament coming to town.

It's Just Nuts

NEIGHBORS GONE WILD

Fish Completely Bonkers

the worms crawl in

MYSTERIOUS VISITOR FROM ENGLAND

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.. It is the best of times and the worst of times. Fly fishers below the ice, and fly fishers in open water are using the same flies and doing very well.
.. It's so good that fish are jumping into waders. It's so bad that exotic license plates are outnumbering the neighbor's plates.

GARDEN HACKLE

.. The switch to artificial worms is early this year. There are some skeptics that poo-poo the San Juan Worm as not fly fishing.
.. Well it may or may not be. Orvis sells them in their fly catalog. Orvis also sells several other "non-fly-fishing-flies." The neighbors love them. The fish eat them with gay abandon.
.. Even the Gob O Worms has made it appearance early and is scoring fish in the 5-pound class, (through the ice.)
.. And then there's the fly at the top of the post. We don't know it's name but it comes from England. We committed the unpardonable sin of stealing it from a neighbor's fly box while their back was turned, (toward us and behind a bush.)
.. We have apologized and further humbled our self in the effort to find out the name and source for this segmented wiggler - to no avail. Our misdeed has sealed the lips of the former friend. The damn thing looks like it's molded of vinyl or some such and reminds us of a sunfish lure, (even though it's not yellow. Now there's a thought!)
.. Several times each year we receive grief in major doses from the neighbors for revealing secrets of place or kind. This post is sure to bring down a flood of ire as well.
.. For the uninitiated we show the various non-flies that the neighbors are using right now. These things are usually tied at home but, many are now available commercially. Even if you eschew their use, they will provide excellent conversation starters and stoppers.

SAN JUAN WORM

.. The San Juan Worm is often called THE DEVIL WORM. It has become a staple of fishers that want to catch fish. Many pretend it's an imitation of a Herculean blood worm. That may be. Perhaps fish dream of these things and lose control when one floats by. Currently the red variety is in vogue on the rivers while the purple or two-toned variety is being used under the ice.

GOB O WORMS

.. The Gob O Worms is a much disparaged cluster of San Juan Worms on the same hook. It has the distinction of being invented locally, (or so we've been told.)
.. It can spark vile and evil outbursts from fishers that are usually friends, (LINK.)
.. It is featured on websites around the region, (LINK,) and is now sold commercially by Idylwilde Flies, HERE. And sold as well by the Driftless Angler, HERE.
.. Purple, puce, flesh, and red colors are all being used right now. The fish are inhaling these at a record pace.

APPS BLOOD WORM

.. This year many of the neighbors that usually kindly provide us with flies have turned to the Orvis Catalog. There are some offerings that suit their fancy and they bought some for pattern prototypes.
.. The Apps Blood Worm is the current favorite from Orvis, (LINK.) It turns out that the fly is just a San Juan Worm with some "flexi floss" tied through the body and separated at the bow and stern. The little red darling is not as effective under the ice as on the river. But on the river it's quite the phenomenon.

MEDUSA (red)

.. Another San Juan Worm variant from Orvis is the Medusa, (LINK.) This is, presumably, a fly that will not get you funny looks from your friends.
.. It's supposed to represent a blood worm cluster, CLUSTER WHAT? It is sold in several colors which suggests that blood worms are chameleons, or have projectile tongues, or some such. This creation is yet another SJW variant with a fat body and clipped floss.

MEDUSA (pink)

.. The pink variety featured by Casters Online Fly Shop is doing well under the ice. It's being used with bits of garden hackle and the fish seem to prefer the artificial.
.. Most of the neighbors, feel that both varieties are the same species and that the folks that tie for Orvis ran out of red and used pink.

SHAKY WORM

.. A minority opinion is that the red is male and the pink is female. As soon as we capture some in the seine we'll let you know.
.. Orvis is kind enough to provide even another interesting worm imitation called the SHAKY WORM. It's similar to the rest of these SJW variants but has a pretty glossy body. It also comes with a bit of Phly Phising Philosophy.

MONEY QUOTE FROM ORVIS:

This is not fly fishing heresy. The fact is trout eat worms and not just the ones we fish with. Worms exist in the stream and imitating a worm with artificial patterns is no different than imitating an insect. If it works, use it. Trout fishing worm pattern in red.

.. We suspect that if these things catch fish in the numbers that the neighbors are reporting that feather merchants across the continent will get in on the selling.
.. It will be interesting to see if the local purists eschew profits for disdainful posturing. Now there's a can of . . . .

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The Gnats Have It

IT'S SNOW FLY TIME

Buzzers, If You Will

warm and periodically still

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.. Mom is fooling with us again. This is the time of year when we normally plunge to the depths of the freezer.
.. Au contraire; despite the recent winter storm warning our high temperatures continue in the 20's and 30', (punctuated by an occasional 40-something.) The lows are not quite in the single digits and, the winds have slowed.

.. Bright overcast interspersed with a bit of blue sky has the midges swarming.
.. The Rainbow Trout are beginning their amorous phase, and fishing is good in the neighborhood.
.. Drag out the "itty-bitty" box and fish any and all of the small nymphs and dinky floaters. Griffiths Gnat is the current neighborhood favorite for floating flies. The bi-colored Renegade is a close second place.

.. Small dark nymphs, or small bright nymphs are equally productive right now.
.. It's about time that the "real fly fishers" caught up with the "ice fly fishers." The hearty hole-drillers have been fishing very small flies for about six weeks now, (LINK #1, LINK #2.)
.. The snow has been deep enough that only a dedicated few nuts fly folks have wandered around the lower stretches of the Madison River at Campfire Lodge.
.. They report, (bless their young legs,) that a few, (probably a gross understatement,) fair-sized fish have been taken.
.. These fish begin to leave Quake Lake about this time each year and spawn in the gravels of the Hebgen Tailwater. Right now is the time for fishing. In just a few weeks, (gadzooks the winter is flying by,) they will start building redds and it will be time to leave them alone as they engage in fishy frivolities.
.. Because of the deep snow on the shoulders of the roads, parking places are at a premium. This is dangerous territory for wader-clad fishers. Please be careful about where you park. Leave an unobstructed width of roadway. Do it legally. Tickets and towing started last week!
.. Below is the annual photo of the "Quake Lake Dancing Nymphs" - by popular request.

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