Know Your Fish

NPS UPDATES
YELLOWSTONE WEB SITE

MSU Charges To Glacier
In Defense Of Bull Trout

Firehole Ranch Catches New Manager

Visit Montana & Learn 33 Rules - Is That All?

Yellowstone Atlas Coming
(brief local report)

nps photo

.. As lowland folks trek into the uplands to 'officially' start their trout fishing season, (see the underbelly report,) we're busy stuffing flies into the Spring Fly Box, which is a bit different from years past.
.. Fishing in Yellowstone will get underway the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and extend through and including the first Sunday in November. We've been scouting since the park opened and things are wet. If the cool weather holds we'll have some excellent opportunities come Memorial Day.

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.. In a most timely move, the NPS has updated many sections of the official Yellowstone National Park Website.
.. Among the features that have been recently added is an illustrated section of fish identification tools, and distribution maps.
.. The web page is fragmented into several topics and sub-pages; so if you're right-click challenged, here's your road map:
- Fish Distribution Maps,
- Artic Grayling: photo album, slide show,
- Westslope Cutthroat: photo album, slide show,
- Yellowstone Cutthroat: photo album, slide show,
- Brook Trout: photo album, slide show,
- Brown Trout: photo album. slide show,
- Lake Trout: photo album, slide show,
- Rainbow Trout: photo album, slide show,
- Cuttbow Hybrid: This link on the NPS site is broken!
- Here's the real links: Hybrids: photo album, slide show.

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.. The Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit at MSU has released some findings of an ongoing four year study of invasive threats to native fish in Glacier National Park. The money quote says it all:

"What's going on in those lakes is a train wreck," Guy said. "A non-native species is replacing a native species."

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.. The historic Firehole Ranch, (previously the Watkins Creek Ranch,) has landed a new ranch manager. He is Chris McCoy, former Executive Director of Food and Beverage for Glacier Park, Inc. He is well known for inventing the "Red Jammer Soda" in honor of the bright red White Touring Limousines in Glacier Park, when they returned to service in 2002.
.. The announcement was made in a news release by Lynda Caine. Besides the legendary atmosphere and attention to detail, the Firehole Ranch is also hosting a "Women's Week," August 2-6, 2008, for discriminating fly-fishing enthusiasts of all abilities.

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.. Field & Stream is running an article by Joe Cermele about a road trip to Montana.
.. He discovered 33 rules, some great fishing, and took some fine pictures. We're aghast that it only takes 33 rules to survive a road trip to Montana. Maybe that's all the pictures that he took. Hope not!
.. We like the photo of West Yellowstone's night life. Read all about it HERE.

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.. After considerable effort and planning, Yellowstone area universities, National Park Service experts, and other federal and private agencies have joined forces with the University of Oregon to develop the Atlas of Yellowstone, the first atlas dedicated to a national park and its surrounding region, (via The AnyGeo Blog.) You can check out the official web site HERE.

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.. Not to put too fine of a point on it -- BUT -- the cool weather and daily snow showers suggest that when the warm weather arrives, and when the melt is in full flower, opening day will be in close proximity on the calendar. There will be places to fish if the rivers are roaring, but they won't be the traditional ones. Stay tuned and we'll give a complete update in the near future. The long range NOAA forecast suggest that persistent warmer weather will arrive about the second week in May. You know what that does to the Memorial Day Opening.

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