Thursday, November 29, 2007

INTERREGNUM

A BRIEF PAUSE FOR WINTER

.. Still a few days left to slog down to the South Fork of the Madison River. Big fish await the adventurous. The snow is now two feet deep - but it's soft. Take a long rod and dap for the submarines parked in the undercuts and holes. Bright colors or white - or black and dark - or anything in between about two inches long. Big leaders and hold on.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Ecological Release

SOUTH FORK HOT & SNOWY
Hitchhikers Abound
.. A foot of snow and icy trails have not stopped the neighbors from visiting the good pools of the South Fork of the Madison River. The run is on and there's only a few days left. Large Woolly Buggers, Dark Spruce Flies, and Yellowstone Spruce Flies are the offerings being used to catch the late fall behemoths. Fish to 7# have been reported.
.. The big fish have crossed the road and are as far up as the springs. Pop cans and litter make fishing a bit of an unsightly experience but today's snow should obliterate the trash. The bridge pool below the forest service road bridge has been an excellent place to catch the resting giants --- Long Rod, Careful Backcast, Avoid Willows, Land Submarine!
.. Protect Your Waters has an article about, (and reference to,) the growing trend to consciously and deliberately move about invasive species. Right now the movement is centered on endangered species. Read it HERE & HERE.
.. The question posed by the article in Economist.com bears consideration:
Once the tinkering has started, who takes responsibility for negative outcomes, like losses to agriculture or changes to the aesthetic value of an area? There are too few good answers to these questions, and we need them, as the trend toward deliberate ecological modification looks set to continue.

.. Most of the fish in Yellowstone are transplants, (including the current stock of large brown submarines in the slim water of the South Fork.)photo courtesy David B. Robert: Gallery, Site.

.. Stop Hitchhikers also reports about the drive to eliminate the bluegill from Japan. The fish was initially a gift of "Hizonor" Mayor Richard J. Daley to, (then prince,) Emperor Akihito, in 1960. It has since taken over the moat at the imperial palace and moved on to surrounding waters and Japan's largest lake; Lake Biwa. The emperor has make a public statement regretting the situation and is encouraging the population to eat - not release the "Prince Fish." Read it HERE.
.. A review of the problems facing the local fish population, (particularly the Cutthroat strains,) can be found HERE. (The Yellowstone Cutthroat pages are HERE & HERE.)
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From The Horse's Mouth:
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Time To Shovel The Sidewalk

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Retrospective

TAKE FIVE
Remaking the Fishing in Yellowstone National Park

.. The Jack Byroth note is worth the read. Read it HERE. Good reading and good references for the research inclined.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

BIG TIME HELP FOR TROUT

T.U. & Whirling Disease Foundation Join Forces
.. Protect Your Waters let's us know about a merger in the efforts of Trout Unlimited and The Whirling Disease Foundation to combat the Myxobolus cerebralis parasite that causes whirling disease as well as the broader issues of invasive species.
.. Read it here:
Protect Your Waters
Denver Post
T.U. Home
T.U. Press Release
Whirling Disease Home
Whirling Disease Interactive Mapping Project (MSU)

CARRY Formula 409 !!
(click image for large view)

Friday, November 09, 2007

Dr. Julie Ball Rocks

HERE'S YOUR WINTER ENTERTAINMENT
get her calendar
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.. Or, you can visit THE HORSES MOUTH on Friday, and the six other days too: we do. The site is evolving nicely and has a growing list of fishing links . . . . . yee-ha!

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.. Or, try Angie's SHRINE TO THE FISHING GODDESS site. Check out the growing gallery on the LOVELY LADIES PAGE. OR - - - - MY PMS PAGE.
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.. For the visually oriented that demand live action try fishin n chicks. Sample below.

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.. We're having sausage and eggs before going to Cameron.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Miscellaneous & Etcetera

HOT FISH CLUB
New Chopper
Fat Leaders
(not so well kept secret)

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.. Good grits and the stink of history await the visitor to the Hot Fish Club at Murrells Inlet, SC.
We recommend the absolutely stunning SEAFOOD POMODORO.
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.. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, (FWP,) has a new pilot and a new chopper to help with ongoing research and transportation of researchers to remote locations. You can read about it in the Missoulian.
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.. Unless you're trying to exhaust a hooked fish, or seeking some sort of bragging rights, you may want to fatten up your leaders and tippets. Read about one man's opinion about fat leaders in the Mission City Record.
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.. Fly Fishing In South Wales now has a proper web address. As Gareth notes:
"From now on, the URL is www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk. For any techno-fiends among you, you may want to update your RSS Feed details, etc."

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.. The West Fork of the Madison River is gaining attention by our neighbors over the hill near Cameron, Montana. Of course, it's no secret to the folks in Ennis. Small streamers, large nymphs, and a few Elk Hair Caddis will serve you well for nearly all of the day. If you're impulsive and can get there tomorrow you might want to stay at Papoose Creek Lodge.
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.. Should you want to own a piece of paradise there is 1,000 feet of Madison River frontage for sale. Great for letting folks know that you have arrived.
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.. The Madison River is also doing well around Indian Creek and the Hatchery Spring Creek. Don't let on that you heard it here.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Got Info ?

TRY THE INFORMATION CENTER
Front Range Anglers
.. Just about all the information that you can digest. Big lists of links to: stream flows, government agencies, weather, electronic magazines, blogs and BSS services, fly tying, and much - much - much more. Check it out.
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.. Long a tradition in Yellowstone country, tandem fly rigs are making a splash across the fly fishing world. Marshall Cutchin at MidCurrent points us to an excellent excerpt from the new book by Charles Beck; Fishing Tandem Flies - RIGHT ON!
.. Go get 'em Tom. Pete over at Fishing Jones has picked up the drumbeat for the Upper Sac. Kind'a' like a wildfire, the conflagration is spreading. Get in on the action - as we in Montana know, no matter what the law, and no matter what the tradition, and no matter what the history - special interests will continue to attack the public waters.
.. Don't Get Sick In Idaho - or for that matter, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah or Arizona. Read about access to health care in the region in New West.
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.. If the NyQuil won't work to get you to sleep, click on over to HOOK T.V. Flyfishing. Many videos, many ads, many groups. It's in Beta - oh well!
.. As a last resort, roll over in your motel bed, get the bible and your laptop and visit THE DIRTY PARTS OF THE BIBLE. It's all about Sex, God, and Country Music.
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.. Need a new "fish car?" Get Outdoors lets us know that you can buy the Dali Lama's Land Rover on ebay. Who said fly fishing couldn't be spiritual?
.. Well, it's time for biscuits and gravey.