Hopping Along

HOPPER EXPLOSION

The Ant Invasion

watch fires and bears

WALLPAPER:  FAVORITE HOPPER

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.. Fire season and Fall fishing have arrived together this year. Both have held the interest of the fishers and the news folks.

..Despite the cooler weather and a few scattered showers, the Bacon Rind Fire continues to impact both fishing and back country access in the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park.
.. Winds associated with the impinging cold front have blown up several hot spots and fire crews are back at it.

HAND CARRY IT

.. There will be a community meeting at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, August 29th at the Community Protestant Church at 505 N Electric Street, West Yellowstone. Fire managers will give an operational update.
.. Trail closures for fire areas and bear management areas are posted on the park website and should be followed.
.. These closures impact both fishing access and back country access!!
.. Be sure that you travel with companions and sing loud and ribald songs. Also be sure that your bear spray is fresh and carried in your hand - not your backpack.

 RESOURCES

>> INCIWEB FOR BACON RIND FIRE,
>> BACON RIND FIRE CLOSURE MAP  -  YNP,
>> TRAIL CLOSURES  -  YNP,
>> BEAR MANAGEMENT CLOSURES  -  YNP.

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RED ANT

.. Terrestrial activity seems to have accelerated with the last few cool days. Perhaps there is a seasonal urgency being felt by the creepy and crawly and hoppy critters in our neighborhood.
.. Some urgency is noticeable in the neighbors. We need some smokers and they are not biting.

BLACK ANT

.. Ants on the ground, in the air, and in the water are spicing up the catching on the west side rivers of Yellowstone National Park.
.. They can appear as if by magic, descend upon a locality and then, vanish without any warning.
.. Be sure to have some ant patterns that can be fished on top and underneath the water. Careful observation of fish noses will give you a clue about how to fish the little stinkers.

FUNNY HOW GRAY THEY LOOK

.. Right now the hoppers are prolific but are sleepy until the warm part of the day. We missed the final molt of the grasshopper nymphs and have been surprised at the size of the largest species. They do grow fast.
.. Montana has several hundred species of grasshopper. About half of them can and do occur in our neighborhood.
.. The neighbors differentiate them into two classes: "Big'uns" & "Little'uns." Right now the little'uns are the most numerous. They are also the first to plunge themselves into the rivers during early afternoon.

EASY HOPPER

.. Usually by 2 - 3 O'clock both sizes are hopping around in the meadows and grass lines at the river's edge.
.. Depending on how you prefer to fish, (up stream, across stream, down stream,) an excellent strategy is walk the bank in the opposite direction and chase the hoppers into the water. Then just turn around and pick off the fish noses that appear.

THE TURCK TARANTULA

.. Most fishers use purpose tied "Hopper Flies." A few of the more successful neighbors use other sorts that seem to appeal to the fish more than the fisher.
.. Muddler Minnows, Large Madam X, and Silli Stimulators are all being used right now - AND taking fish. Several sage neighborhood fishers are using the Turck Tarantula. It was devised by Guy Turck and has won several "One Fly" competitions in Jackson, Wyoming  -  just sayin'.

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SIZE 28 FAN WING ROYAL  COACHMAN

.. We're looking forward to the dreary and drizzly day that is predicted to visit with us tomorrow.
.. High temperatures may not reach the 60's. If so, there may be the best Autumn hatch of ephemera in years.

NEZ PERCE CREEK IN THE FALL

.. The conditions are right and the counter help hasn't even the slightest clue. Get out your best delicate floater and pick those slow slick spots that the guides save for themselves.
.. Right now it's early evening. The wind is blowing fiercely. We are headed straight to slumberland. Morning should bring some fog, a spinner fall, and a squadron or three of very tiny flies - hopefully.
.. The neighbors have kindly tied some size 28 flies on short tippets for us. That, we can manage.

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WALLPAPER:  MEGA BLT SANDWICH

That Time Of Year

FOGGY WATERS

Happy Bugs & Fishers

the faithful return

(a brief aside)

WALLPAPER: A GOOD MORNING

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.. With a few days of cool and, the afternoons dampened by showers and,  the anticipation of Fall, the faithful are returning to the Firehole River.
.. This is one of the cherished and favorite waters in Yellowstone National Park. Although its reputation can exceed it's reality - this Fall is looking to be exceptional. River flows are still slightly above the seasonal norms, (Amazing what a decent snowpack and cool Summer will do!)

ALL 'ROUND STONY

.. The temperature of the water has dropped into the range where guilt is no longer a problem if you fish in the mornings and late afternoons. At Old Faithful the temperatures are no higher than the high 60's and the flows are dropping to about 70 - 80cfs, (LINK FF-1.)
.. By the time the water reaches West Yellowstone the temperatures are bumping the low 70's but still attractive for catching in the foggy mornings and evenings. Flows are around 300cfs and are responding to the daily rains in the drainage, (LINK FF-2.)

NEIGHBORS FAVORITE

.. Even the Madison River has bugs and successes this early in August. This is not unheard of but has been unusual during the last few warm Summers.
.. As with the Firehole River the flows are marginally high but are clear, cool, and attractive for catching.
.. It's hard to argue with all day fishing in water this clear, deep, and temperate. We do like the mid 60's and look forward to the upcoming mid to high 50's. So do the fish. (LINK M-1.)

GOOD BOBBER & CATCHER

.. The Gibbon River has come alive in both the big meadows and in the canyon. Enough said.
.. Down in National Park Meadows there are some sweet holes that are full of lonely fish. Must be the walk from the road to the water!

CAN'T SEE WHAT FISH EATING ?

.. We have been fishing the Gallatin River quite a bit lately. There are still hoppers in the afternoon. The swarms of flying ants, (of recent memory,) are not as prolific this Fall - yet there are some!
.. Happily for fishers, (not so for the trees,) the spruce moth emergence has been pretty heavy. With this cool and damp weather it might be best catch it now. The hoppers are not too big this year and are waiting for the afternoon sun to commit suicide with their Banzai runs on the waiting fish. Backwater eddys collect the carnage. Fish know this.
..The neighbors have noted, (in the pubs and hardware store and post office conversations,) that there seems to be fewer elbows this year. If true, this bodes well for the rest of the Fall and into the early Winter - we'll see!

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ASIDE

.. So just what is our Justice Department up to? They are playing big brother in the worst way. They are seeking millions of names and web address of folks who visit websites that may or may not have been used to recruit participants in legal demonstrations.
.. We caution you not to be curious. Don't seek information about organizations or other groups that you have not heard of. The Trump administration seems to believe that legislation by intimidation and prosecution is a better strategy than the constitutional process of Congressional and lawful legislation.
.. Watch carefully to see if we are in administrative legal jeopardy from the current administration for being curious and seeking information. You may have already been exposed to administrative prejudice and discrimination by just surfing the web.
>> Check the BBC,

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THE DARK MARAUDER

.. The overcast is breaking up. A late breakfast and a nap have robbed us of a morning catching frenzy.
.. We may have to try the Firehole River along with a few of the intrepid neighbors. They say that there really are places to park.

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WALLPAPER: ROASTED CHICKEN AND ROASTED GARLIC

Opportunities Abound

GULPERS ON THE LAKE

Hoppers On The Wing

oinkers in the weeds

WALLPAPER:  HEBGEN RESERVOIR SANS WATER

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.. On those rare mornings when the clouds are sparse and the wind forgot to wake up, Hebgen Reservoir is alive with sipping and slurping sounds of trout inhaling callibaetis on the surface.

MY WHAT BIG EYES YOU HAVE

.. Just munching along like Pac-Man, are the gulpers of the still and quiet mornings on the lake.
.. Although not necessary, a long and precise cast will bring more fish to net.
.. Some folks park their tube, (or boat, or raft,) right amongst them and do fairy well too. Of course the gulping always stops too soon - damn the caprice of the bugs.
.. Folks usually head to shore for an early lunch when the surface action stops.
.. There are, despite rumors to the contrary, still fish to be had. They are in the same places. In the same weed beds that gave birth to the callibaetis so recently departed.
.. These are not the "good fish" from the pods so recently dispersed. These are the behemoths of the deep. They may have joined in the recent surface feeding but, they have returned to their dark holes in the weeds.
.. We've been given permission to show the fly that will entice and take these fish. Thanks go to Francisco "Paco" Valenti, an avid fisher and varmint hunter, for the permission to photograph the fly and present it here.

DANGLE THESE FOR "GOOD FISH"

.. Paco calls it the "VIXEN BUNNY,"  [zorro femenina conejito.]
.. It's a fairly standard fur strip streamer. It's made from the urine stained, soft, inner thigh fur on a female red fox.
.. It's tied on a hook with a spring-form weed guard. It has a stiff looped tail support. It probably imitates a leech - who knows?
.. Fish the fly in the dark holes in the weeds. Fish right where the gulper action was and weeds are the thickest.
.. Let it sink for a few seconds, (or more.) Get it in the weeds. Strip it in slowly, (figure 8 style,) all the way back to your boots. Move the low rod tip very slowly from side to side as you strip it in. You will take some "Hero Fish." You won't have to take an early lunch.
.. You'll have to tie your own. The guides, feather merchants, visiting sports, and counter help don't have them. They are only interested in "good fish," not the resident monster fish. Besides that, an early lunch and a cold one are always on their agenda.

WALLPAPER:  VIXEN BUNNY

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.. Further up the road along the Gallatin River, (and it's seldom fished tributaries,) the hoppers are very active: so too the ants.

SOME ARE IN THE WATER

.. Ants on the ground; ants in the air; ants everywhere. At least they are, when it warms up and the clouds part and the cool showers abate for long enough to warm them up.
.. The fish seem to be in a most willing mood near the park line.
.. Afternoon caddis are popping even on overcast days and even in the wind.
.. The mantra for this part of the Gallatin River is "Walk a little; catch a lot." We walk a lot and catch a little - it's our curse.

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WALLPAPER:  OCCHI DI SANTA LUCIA [with semolina]

Swarms - - A Pair

RIGHT NOW

Big Ones & Little Ones

trout can be peculiar

COURTESY PHOTO:  Wayne's Word - (Thanks Wayne)

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.. So there was a swarm and fall of "flying ants" on Tuesday. All around Hebgen Lake fishers rejoiced and fish gobbled them up.  Catching was sublime. On Wednesday the neighbors and guides and visiting sports made haste to take advantage of the blessing from the sky. A massive migration to the lake took place. SURPRISE!
.. Instead of  the "flying ants" of yesterday there were ants so small that it was hard to see them in the sky but the fish saw them all over the water. These very small ants were the food of choice despite the abundance of "flying ants" that were clearly visible in the air and on the water.
.. How small, you ask? A size 20 Trico with the wings pulled off and the body mashed together was a size too big and constantly refused. Now that is small.
.. The real frustration of the current situation is that the fish have not been 'boat shy.' Dimples on the gunwales of boats, noses boinking the boats. tail splashes that wet fishers in boats, all were common and it would have been easier to net a fish than stick it with a fly.
.. This condition may persist for another day or two. Fish very very small or fish elsewhere.

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WALLPAPER:  WILDFLOWERS AND DAILY BREAD

OVERBANK !

FIREHOLE: ANOTHER RECORD

High Water Reigns

warm and sunny days persist

WALLPAPER: BANK FULL FIREHOLE

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.. Well folks, the fish in the FIREHOLE RIVER are in places unfamiliar to the faithful visiting the little river. Perhaps a bit of river sense will bring some to hand. The color is not too bad, and visibility is about 3 - 5 feet.
.. It may seem silly to the expert fishers but, the neighbors are taking fish on both floating and drowned ants. It seems that the high water has flooded the living rooms of ant nests. Don't mention this to the feather merchants - their ant bins are not yet stocked.
.. Wade fishers are galumphing right through the fish that are holding tight to the bank. A few minutes of careful observation will even reveal noses in the bits of submerged grass along the bank. There are fish to be had during this high water phase of the friendly little stream. Enjoy the sun, there's warm drizzle in the forecast.

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WALLPAPER: ANTS IN MAY ?

Gigantuous & Eensy

ODD DUCKS INDEED

Tickle Your Purity

feel smug about flotation

THE MEGA STIMULATOR:  FLOATS LIKE A CORK

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.. There are some fisher folk that refuse the bobber. For years bits of yarn, toothpicks, foam stickies, and other bits of stuff were called "indicators" in an attempt to disguise the fact that they added flotation as well as visibility to the fly leader and it's attendant flies.
.. Soon, (it's a generational thing,) it became common for the fishers of the fly to call a spade a spade bobber a bobber!
.. Still, however, there are those that are pure of heart and clean of spirit. Not a bobber in the vest. Not a toothpick to be found. No yarn. No foam stickies - chartreuse or otherwise.

TWO TONED FOAM ANT WITH WHITE WING: MINI BOBBER

.. These elite egoistic purists gentle souls have discovered that there are ways to provide visual enhancements as well as floatation within the rigid strict confining simple parameters of stodgy restrictive conventional traditional fly fishing.
.. The most common way, (in our neighborhood,) to fool your ego is to tie some huge Stimulator flies.
.. Make sure that the wing is twice the size that it ought to be. Fill the body with lots of hollow ungulate hair. Be sure that the thing will hold up a respectable fly. Accept that you will be fishing a fly that is not fashionable at the time - but it is a fly.
.. Then, supply your rig with a beautiful dropper fly that will satisfy the other fishers neighbors feather merchants experts fish. Right now that means some sort of terrestrial critter that will entice a fish: perhaps an ant.

CDC ANT -- DELIGHTFUL BIT OF TRADITION

.. The most cagy of the neighborhood traditionalists use a high-floating foam ant with white wings. They would never acknowledge that it too is a bobber, (with a hook.)
.. Some of the "not so cagy" fishers are of a bent that demands real fur and feathers. These folks engage their souls with a CDC ant. They love the fact that it seems "more authentic."
.. We have not the psychological strength to maintain the fiction that the fish know the difference. Then, again, we're not selling flies or dreams or tradition. We're trying to catch fish. Sometimes even the traditional will do the job.
.. Then again . . .

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THE "DEVIL WORM" -- IT SINKS,  IT CAN'T BE SEEN,  IT CATCHES FISH

A Point Belabored

NOT HOPPERS BUT,

Beetles, Ants, Worms, Sticks,

sometimes the trout eat it all

PRETTY PINK BOW TIE ON FOAM FUZZY BEETLE

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.. It's not that we are angry at the mayflies. It's not that we are angry at the stoneflies. It's not that we are angry at the caddisflies. Nor do we hate the spruce moth, or damselfly, or dragonfly.

THE HUMBLE ANT

.. Right now, however, as we speak, the wee little land dwellers are beginning to fall into the water and serve themselves up as food for trout. It's not a roaring parade to the water - yet; but trout are eating terrestrials.
.. For a nearly perfect combination of flies on the Gardner River try floating a foam beetle above a trailing golden stonefly nymph.
.. Should you be in the mood for the opening of the Yellowstone River there just may be some terrestrial action as well.
.. This year the river is running at a good 1,200 fps below seasonal norms. That might allow access to some  early season wading localities that have not been seen in decades.

.
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.. And, that's about all there is to that story.

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FLOATS HIGH -- CATCHES TROUT

Gettin' Buggy

TERRESTRIAL TIME ?

It's Coming On Strong

is your bug & hopper box ready

BLACK BLOBS ATTRACT TROUT

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Sierra Bright Dot (green)

..It's not too early to start thinking about wayward bugs meeting their untimely demise by encountering water and hungry trout.
.. In fact the beetles and ants have been dying untimely deaths for a couple of weeks now.
.. Dry / Dropper, Hopper / Dropper, Dropper / Dropper, pick your favorite ground dwellers and surprise yourself with some rambunctious and adventerous fish.

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Cul De Cunnard Red Ant: Simple And Effective.