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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Incubator - 01

The Great Debate

SOME SAY IT'S OVER

Some Think It's Just Starting

is the early season really screwed up?

DOUBLE REFLECTION  - WINDSHIELD SAFETY GLASS - DOUBLE GOOD ??

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.. There is an old adage about fishing in Yellowstone National Park. It goes something like this: "FISHING IN THE PARK IS JUST AS GOOD AS THE FISHERMAN."

A NOT SO SUBTLE INVITATION

.. Right now the fisher folks are grumbling - OR - rejoicing about the stonefly hatch on the Firehole River. Empty shucks have been seen. Does this mean the hatch is over? Bugs have been seen. Does this mean the hatch is starting? Ask the fish.
.. We infrequently chase the big bugs in the Firehole River Canyon  below Firehole Falls. It's hard on the pins. We've learned that it's about 300 feet down the canyon and about six miles back up.
.. There are boulders and deep holes in the water. All the good spots are always on the other side of the river. It's a nuisance. There are some pretty fish to be had. There are some big fish to be had. Bark your shins - have at it.
.. Yesterday we looked at the canyon. Reminiscence is a tough mistress. We got out of the car at several familiar places. We looked at some old trails and some new trails. We saw the tiny green shoots and red-stemmed beginnings of the wild strawberry plants. We thought long and hard about the descent, and the ascent. Pass!  Took a few pictures.
.. Up top, out of the canyon, we paused at a nearby familiar pull out. We thought about what we ought to tie on. Made the decision. And as we were about to leap into action, (or some such,) a winged monster landed gently on the windshield. It whispered to us in a very soft voice, "There are just as many of us above the falls as below." We knew that.

HOME OF THE STONES

.. We, as we so often are wont to do, ignored the invitation and tied on a gawdawfulbig yellow thing and went about our catching. We were chastised soundly for our fly selection, (it did gather up an insufferably large amount of fish though,) as the shunned arthropods slammed into our exposed body parts. There were quite a few dive-bomber kamikaze attacks that found our head and face.
.. Moral: Pteronarcys californica  is a sensitive creature with easily hurt feelings. By our reckoning the big bugs are hatching right now. This is just a guess on our part. Being battered by the flying monsters is not a definitive indicator. However, it will have to do for the moment.
.. The Firehole River is attracting all of the attention right now. Go figure. There are PMD's, Baetis, Caddis, and some funny little white winged beasties along the length of the river. The fish are enjoying it.

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.. The fish in the Madison River are enjoying being neglected. They are eating lots of good food and they can see it very well, thank you.
.. It's, for sure, not going to last much longer - BUT - there is a good 6' or more visibility in the river right now. It's not gin-clear but it's awfully pretty, nevertheless. Even the warm days have not turned the river to mud.

GAWDAWFULBIG YELLOW THING - catched sum fishes too

.. This year's mid-elevation snow pack was dry, dry, dry. The snow moisture content has been rung out of the small snow fields in the mid-elevations and it's going to be a few days, (maybe 10,) before this runoff event kicks up a notch or two.
.. The Madison River is running at about 350 cfs  below the seasonal median discharge rate. It's cool but not cold. The Gibbon River is running at about 110 cfs  below it's seasonal discharge.
.. The Firehole River is very low and heating up again. Current discharge is about 200 cfs below seasonal median. Temperatures have spiked again to 72° F on June 1. That's enough to put the fish off their feed. Start looking at Nez Perce Creek and bears should you delay your visit much longer.
.. We're headed to the Gallatin River. It's cold, clear, low and full of fish that are avoiding the mud further down the canyon. Hell's bells, it's even running about 800 cfs below where it usually is at this time of year - a bit dirty down low though.
.. More to come  - - - - soon.

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BARNS' #2 -  ABANDONED AND FULL OF HAPPY FISH

So Much Water . . .

. . . SO LITTLE TIME

.

A Perfect Opening

WORD SPREADS FAST

 

Elbow Room

Salute

WORLDWIDE

Pinhole Photography Day

Pinhole image of sign on the Madison River.  Sensor dust and all!

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.. For the moment, we have dispensed with the arcane accouterments of fly fishing for the even more tedious tools of pinhole photography.

Aluminum Pinhole on Digital Camera

.. The slow pace, deliberation and preparation is, on occasion, good for the soul.
.. Be it a digital sensor, film, or paper that is exposed, the image is soft and often ethereal. Certainly it is not in keeping with the contemporary aesthetic of super sharp, violently colorful, and post processed to the point of crisp sterility.
.. There is a small resurgent community of photographers that are exploring the limits of the "portable camera obscura." Cameras range from beautifully made precision instruments to such items as Altoid tins, Oatmeal boxes, Sardine cans, and other 'everyday items.'

4x5 pinhole film camera. Photographed with a pinhole camera.

.. The pinhole camera phenomena are parallel to but separate from the toy camera craze that is sweeping the world, (other than the U.S.A., Japan, and a few other gadget-oriented cultures.)
.. Recognizable images of social events are produced and cherished for their spontaneity, crooked framing, soft focus, and idiosyncratic nature of poor or shifted colors.
.. For many aficionados the images are far more engaging than the postcard sterility of most of contemporary photography.
.. There is even a growing body of artists and "serious" photographers that has taken the form to extremes. Large prints and original images on paper are making their way into art galleries and salons around the world, (including the U.S.A.)

Pinhole Soup Can

.. The Museum of Modern Art engaged German artist Michael Wesely to capture the new building with a 34-month-long pinhole image of their new building, (LINK.)
.. Perhaps it's not too surprising that some of the same things that attract some people to fly fishing also attract some of them to pinhole photography.
.. No matter how good the caster of the fly, there is a certain indeterminacy about it's landing and result; the same for pinhole photography. No matter what the speculation about the fish on the end of the line, the same indeterminacy exists until it is landed; the same for pinhole photography. Etc.
.. Pinhole photography is frequently dismissed as: faux photography, gimmicky, diffuse, ethereal, poorly focused, or aimless - so too fly fishing.
.. For now, we're continuing our exploration of the technique. We've dabbled in it, (and fly fishing,) for over half a century - no need to stop now.
===> Pinhole Resource
===> Pinhhole Gallery
===> Handmade Photographic Images

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Firehole in Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park - Pinhole Image.

Let There Be . . .

ANTS !!

Fine Crop of Formica obscuripes Forel, the Western Thatching Ant - Madison River

Edict

NO QUESTION ABOUT IT

Firehole River - Park Opening

a seldom mentioned location

Previews Of Coming Attractions

LOST WEEKEND

Slow Cruising

we'll let you know

Speingtime In The Neighborhood

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.. We're in Yellowstone National Park for the next three days. Checking on the waters - they're still there.
.. It's tough work but we're compelled to do it. Reports as time allows.

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Single File

Hoary Beasts

nps photo

Wishing You A . . . .

Merry Christmas

THE REEL SANTA

Au Revoir Yellowstone

IT'S RESTING NOW

Let The Fish Grow

let the lies begin

Looking Back: It Was A Very Fine Year.

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.. What a wonderful last week of the legal fishing season in Yellowstone National Park. The predicted blustery weather has died with a whimper and some thin clouds. Sunshine drenched the afternoons on most days and the bugs continued to hatch.
.. As we look back over the year it seems that this was a year of many fish and healthy fish. Of course during this coming Winter the fish will grow in the retelling of tales in the dim pubs of town.
.. There's still plenty of fishing in the neighborhood. Rest assured that we will manage to get to it and to the other not-quite-so-neighborly waters as well.
.. Now that we've stopped saving our daylight it's time to make use of what little there is left. There are things to do, places to go, people to see. We're practicing using words like: Chetco, Umpqua, Grande Rond, Clearwater, and Snake. More to come.

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View Of The Chetco River From The Front Porch.

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.)

Gallatin View

GREAT FUN

..

Elsewhere

DENALI LIGHTS - WOW

Glacier Gets It Together

just a bit of a pause

..

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.. Just think of the electrons involved in that video. Do we really need lead-lined underwear?

.. Will Yellowstone National Park ever ignore commercial interests in favor of the preservation of native fish? Glacier National Park is!

LINK

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Get Upstream

FISH HERE

USE THESE

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.. There are still eager fish to be fed along the Gibbon River in Yellowstone National Park.
.. For the neighbors it means trading a few gallons more gasoline for the privilege of catching some trout in cool water.

.. It's unusual, but not unheard of, to speak of the upper Gibbon River warming as fast as it has this year.
.. It means that the further upstream you go, the cooler the water and the more sprightly the fish. We'll take it - but not as often as usual.
.. The terrestrials are out and the Hoppers are beginning to imitate Olympic Swimmers - but poorly at that: all in the favor of the fish and fisher.
.. The Spruce Moths are busy imitating Caddis Flies in some areas, and the active fish are very indiscriminate about the pattern or size - right now.

.. There are very few ants around, but the beetles are especially prolific this year, (soft winter and all that!)
.. Fish in the morning while there is still dew and pockets of fog. Precise casting to the early shadow lines with groceries will wake up some of the larger fish.
.. The Brook Trout will be active all day, but again, they will be resting in the shade of rocks and undercut banks. As the sun moves - so too the fish.
.. The nice thing about fishing marginal waters in the late summer is the beauty of the surroundings that are unencumbered by elbows or the plashing of baggy waders.

.. The catching has slowed just a smidgen and there is time for dawdling and lazing and basking in the beauty of Yellowstone National Park. This is not for headhunters or scalp collectors. It is, however, relaxed, gentle, unhurried, fishing - with some pleasant catching thrown in.
.. The neighbors are fond of reminding us that even, (or especially,) the bigger fish seek the cooler upstream waters. Your Ipsydasie Superslaughter Wig-Wag attractor fly may end up with a fish bigger than your relaxed attitude deserves!

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P.S. The gulpers of fame on HEBGEN LAKE are becoming very noisy early in the day. Right now the midges are holding sway but . . . .

Published Tomorrow

OFF THE HOT PRESS

A Prose Tapestry

some fly fishing stuff too

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.. It's not just another, (of the myriad,) Yellowstone Fly Fishing books. It is one in a long line of books about fishing in the park.
.. It's not just another, (of the myriad,) "I did this and so should you!" books.
.. If anything it's a book that highlights and celebrates Yellowstone National Park. It's a tapestry woven of history, anecdotes, personal experiences, interviews, rumors, legends, and fish stories.
.. Offered up are fish stories from people who, have fished, and some who continue to fish in Yellowstone National Park. The stories serve to illustrate the rich diversity of any fishing experience in the park. They are the delights of their tellers and their enthusiasm, reverence, joy and pain are all there for us to read.

.. The intriguing title touts the "50 Best Places." The book covers many more than that.
.. Fishers who love specific river segments or lake localities are used to illuminate the lore of any single piece of water. The famous and infamous have come forth to share insights and delights: you will recognize many of the names and places - some you won't !!
.. If this were an early 19th century work it could just as easily be titled "The Personality of Yellowstone's Fly Fishing." It's all there! Bears, Wolves, Monster Fish, Native Americans, Mountain Men, Explorers, Early Visitors, Bandits, Outlaws, Rapine, Tragedy, and Fishing.
.. Of course there are plenty of illustrations. Certainly there are quite a few tips and tricks about the various waters and the fish inhabiting them. There is even the expected hatch sequences, recommended flies, secret tips and tactics, where to, how to, etc. - it really is all there.
.. This is a "FAT BOOK" and we strongly recommend that you properly break-in the binding. We also suggest that you buy two. If you love the park and it's fishing you'll quickly wear out the first one.
.. If you view fishing in Yellowstone National Park as just another catching destination you should avoid this book. If you would like your experiences in the park to be enriched and informed by it's long history and traditions then this is the book for you. It will even help you catch fish.
.. It's an easy read and one full of everything from gossip to fact. It is readily apparent that the author, (a Montana native son,) is not quite done with the 50 best places. We're sure he'll be back. Perhaps he'll treat us to a sequel.

OFFICIAL DETAILS

English
ISBN: 0811710513 EAN: 9780811710510Category: Sports & Recreation / Fishing/Travel / Parks & Campgrounds
Publisher: Headwater Books, Release Date: 08/01/2012
Author: Nate Schweber
Synopsis: The most important hatches and recommended patterns, along with key fishing techniques and the best times of year to fish there. Interviews with a stunning collection of Yellowstone Park veterans in the know, including fly shop owners Bob Jacklin, Craig Mathews, John Juracek, Richard Parks, and John Bailey.
Writers, including; Tom McGuane, Wild Bill Schneider, and The Drake magazines' Tom Bie. The best spots for Yellowstone cutthroat, westslope cutthroat, Snake River finespotted cutthroat, grayling, rainbows, cuttbows, brown trout, brook trout, mountain whitefish, and Mackinaw lake trout

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