Of Wikis And Caddis

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just the facts ma'am
(P.S. hoppers seen in Gibbon Meadows)

.. The recent expansion of the fly fishing sections at Wikepedia continues. Recent additions to Angling In Yellowstone National Park, and Fly Fishing have begun to shape the whole section and topic. When this flurry of activity is over the die will be cast for the scope and content of the subject.
.. Wikipedia has grown to enormous proportions and is becoming a "go-to" source for both casual and serious research. It's still a bit cumbersome too, but it is a useful early tool in research and general information gathering.
.. The Wiki-Spawn are proliferating and now include Wikiversity, wikiHow, Wikihowto. Cross references and cross fertilization is beginning to be fully incorporated in the various articles on many topics and subjects.
.. There is currently no entry for fly fishing in Wikiversity, wikiHow has dozens of fishing related articles including how to fish for river trout and how to tie a blood knot, Wikihowto has no articles on fly fishing.
.. Here's how you can help. The Fly Fishing article in Wikipedia has an editorial box, (masthead image,) noting the specificity of some aspects of the article, along with a caution that technique and methods might be better suited to other wikis.
.. Jump right in and add your two cents worth. If you don't, your expertise and information may be lost to the ages, (we notice that the East Gallatin River entry is particularly sparse.) Or just ignore it all and go fishing.

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.. Now is the time to tie up some 'Hopper-Dropper' leaders. The hoppers are going to be here very soon and the action promises to be violent this season.
.. There are a few hoppers at the little riffle above the picnic area in [no] Elk Park on the Gibbon River. There are a few in the meanders at National Park Meadows on the Madison and Gibbon Rivers. None have been seen at Grasshopper Bank - but then, again, we didn't stop to look.
.. We have a trusted report that there are hoppers at Roosevelt, and that the elk on the flats south of Gardiner have been seen kicking at mysterious yellow dots.
.. Take your fluttering caddis for a walk on the Firehole River after dinner. Stay until dark-thirty and fish the back eddies and undercut banks. Keep the 'skeeters away with an occasional respite and your favorite bug repellent.
.. There is still very good fishing on Nez Perce Creek. Don't tell anyone that you heard about it here. Simple attractors and a few soft hackles will be all you need. We fished there all day and into the night with just Feather Dusters and Stiff Hackles, (floated and sunk both of them and they worked just fine.) Caught a fish or two. Saw a bear. Saw a bison. Saw two day hikers. Visited with a blood sucking mosquito.
.. All bugs present and accounted for on the Gallatin River. All fish eating well. No hopper reports here yet, but that doesn't mean you can't practice with them. PMD's, Golden Stone Flies, and a glorious evening caddis hatch adorn this river.
.. Somehow the word has spread and the parking places are scarce. Try a Casual Dress, Yellowstone Sally, or Hellifiknow in sizes 12 and smaller. You can float or sink them to your heart's desire.
.. Jason Neuswanger over at the Trout Nut has some fine pictures of caddis in all stages. It's no wonder there are so many successful imitations. His Hydropsychidae page is full of both pictures and fishing information
.. Soda Butte Creek is ripe. Morning will be the finest time if you dislike mosquitoes. Fish the little riffles and pocket water in the small canyon just above the confluence meadows. Nymphs, to start with, is the way to go; followed by your favorite PMD or Gray Drake imitations. Floating a sparsely dressed soft hackle can do it all.
.. Evning will bring on the caddis and a trip down the road to Slough Creek can produce some amazing results with just about any well presented imitation.
.. An excellent pattern for almost the whole caddis hatch is the Iris Caddis. This pattern originated right here in West Yellowstone. It is a development of the folks at Blue Ribbon Flies and is usually fished as a floater. It is just as effective when drowned. The original can be seen HERE. A modern version can be seen HERE. Tie a bunch of these and use them behind a floating hopper and you may get tired of catching.

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.. Those busy beavers over at Parks Fly Shop have published a useful article entitled A Month By Month Rundown Of The Fishing In Yellowstone Country. This brings their information articles to four. We look forward to the coming chapters.
.. The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) has updated and expanded their site. This foundation is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It has excellent introductory articles for family fishing and boating fun. The fishing information is generalized enough for the novice and specific enough for the advanced angler. Regional and state information is excellent, and very useful if you travel to an unfamiliar region of the country. Check out the Fishing Section, and the State Information. There's even some statewide fishing reports that are references to commercial sites and are sort of timely and mostly accurate.
.. Fly Fishing Yellowstone Park continues to grow and expand. The recently added stream directory and the Yellowstone Hatches sidebar are very useful introductory tools. We anticipate additional hatch charts, too.
.. We would be remiss in our late night typing should we fail to mention the beautiful sheepshead fish pictured over at the Horse's Mouth. Such wondrous form and proportions are seldom seen in this part of the world. It must be the salt water that enhances such striking beauty.