Fly Fishing In Yellowstone National Park: May Flowers ?

Wednesday, May 02, 2018

May Flowers ?

WATCH IT MELT

High Pack Impacted

make time now

THE FISHER FOLKS FRIEND

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.. We have really enjoyed this gentle cool Spring.
.. With interspersed snow, drizzle, and sunshine the fishing has been excellent: the catching even better.
.. Ice out has been slow enough that the fish have remained concentrated in the shallows and along the edges of the ice in Hebgen Reservoir.
.. Discharge rates of our local waters have been high but neither catastrophically violent nor excessively dirty -- until now!
.. Our second "Hydrologic Alert" has just been issued by the National Weather Service, (LINK IF YOU LIKE.)

HERE IT IS:

Event:

Hydrologic Outlook

Alert:

...High Elevation Snowmelt to Increase Potential for Small Stream 
flooding as Temperatures Warm Later This Week into the Weekend... 
Strengthening High pressure over the inter-mountain West will bring 
gradually warming temperatures to the region through the remainder 
of this week into the weekend. By late this week, afternoon 
temperatures in the 70s are expected at lower elevations with 
daytime temperatures in the 50s to near 60 in the mountains. This 
will allow for increased runoff from high elevation snow-melt, and 
may lead to the continuation of flooding in areas already impacted 
by high streamflows and contribute to increased streamflows on 
smaller creeks and streams originating in the mountains. 
Larger river flooding is still on the horizon and river levels will 
gradually rise but flood levels are not likely to be reached until 
later in the month. A minor spring weather system is expected to 
move across the region late this weekend into early next week, 
bringing precipitation with snow levels remaining fairly high. While 
precipitation amounts do not appear excessive at this time, This 
system will continue to be monitored as even localized moderate 
precipitation could led to an acceleration of snow-melt.

Instructions:

Target Area:

Beaverhead
Broadwater
Cascade
Fergus
Gallatin
Jefferson
Judith Basin
Lewis and Clark
Madison
Meagher

.. Our low level snow pack is about gone, (deep shade and northeast facing corners excepted.) The rivers and streams are flowing steadily at bankfull volumes. Now, the high snow pack will be impacted with a predicted streak of 60°F days and some honest rain - to boot!

FISH THE GRASS

.. Grab it now or, be prepared to fish the mud. During high runoff there are at least two places where catching is productive: 1) under the bank where the water is less turbid and the current is the slowest, (LINK-U,) and, 2) in the grass.
.. Every now and again the lowest meadows get flooded and stay that way through opening day.

FISH UNDER THE BANK

.. When the meadows are flooded the trout morph into bonefish.
.. The food is easy to get and, the current is slow and, the water is clear.
.. There are several places that hold a promise this year: Gibbon Meadows at the campground, Firehole River near Ojo Caliente, Junction Meadow in National Park Meadows where the Madison River has it's origin.
.. There are still about 23 days to prepare for fishing in Yellowstone National Park. Practice is available along the estuary edges of Hebgen Reservoir and some low meadows on the Gallatin River. Try it out!

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ORANGE CADDIS

.. There is no better way to remove bits of the garden from your fingernails than to grab a wet fish and remove the hook.
.. This allows for clean fingernails, ego boosting trout fooling, and redistribution of nutrients and sediment samples: altogether very gratifying.
.. We'll have to try it this afternoon when the wind dies down, the sun warms the shoulders and, the fish have not been tickled in the gentility of Notellum Creek.

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