Saturday, October 22, 2011

Word Of Mouth

BIG FISH BEING CAUGHT
Madison & Firehole Hot
follow the cars to fish heaven
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.. The jungle telegraph is a wonderful thing. Whispers in the aisles of feather merchants are amplified by the retelling in the grocery store, post office, hardware store, and bank. They become open conversation in a matter of minutes. Texting is double-thumbed through the village and soon it's common knowledge that everyone should head to the river.
.. Within an hour excuses are made and an exodus of fisher folk are streaming to the appointed place. It's a social event and - fish be damned - everyone gets to the hot spot.
.. Usually the fish are gone, or the hatch is over, or visitors from elsewhere are there first. It matters not. The word has spread and the hot spots stay that way in current mythology for days or even weeks.
.. We appreciate this wonderful social mechanism. It sends people away from the waters that we like to fish. It's a boon to iconoclastic anglers, hermits, grumpy old farts, and our self.
.. Right now, as the hoards are flocking to the famous rivers we are leisurely fishing on the Gallatin River and a couple of it's tributaries. These waters have been abandoned and ignored by the most sage of jungle telegraphers.
.. The Gallatin River waters are forgotten and touted as "too cold," "done for the season," "not worth the effort," and other, wise insights. So we catch some fish, talk to the trees, sing to the bears, scare the elk, and leave the cell phone at home. We're pleased.
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