Beware Of Yellowstone

MAN LOST IN RIVER

West Entrance Traffic

gallatin still best bet

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SOFT AND GENTLE

.. As the shorter and hotter days of Summer engulf the two million acres to our east the visitors continue to forget just where it is that they are.
.. A seasonal employee has been lost in the Yellowstone River while swimming with friends. Search and rescue is on the job as you read this, (LINK-1.)
.. Traffic continues to be a genuine nuisance through West Yellowstone. During the morning rush hour the single left turn lane on Canyon Street moves at a snails pace. The traffic pattern and speed of movement is complicated by motorists attempting to take shortcuts through town. This tactic confuses the traffic light at the intersection of Yellowstone Avenue and Canyon Street.
.. Should you enjoy frustrated tourists, road-hogging motor homes, driving tactics from around the world, and rental car familiarization: this is the place to be.

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WORKS GOOD

.. In our neighborhood, unless you choose to avoid the crowded Gallatin River beats,  your fate is sealed. It's not all bad.
.. The ants are still moving around and the beetles have finally started to make a significant appearance.
.. The caddis are a sure bet for all day fishing and catching.  A dry/dropper combination is what the neighbors are using. They are fishing hard and walking some. Seems to work.

HOLY GRAIL

.. Many "fly pros" and their counter help minions are sending the visitors to the Madison River below Quake Lake or to the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park.
.. We hope that they told you that starting tonight the road between Mammoth and Norris will suffer nightly closures, (seven days a week,) 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Keep that in mind, (LINK-2.)
.. The words that trickle off their silver tongues blast a litany of guide book rivers: Slough Creek, Soda Butte Creek, Lamar River, etc. It may come as a surprise to many that there are less crowded bits of water that yield willing fish of many varieties and sizes.
.. With scorn you hear about "Beginner's Streams," "Children's Water," or "Brookie Streams." The scorn seldom is aimed at crowded fishing, poor parking availability, or traffic noise. So be it!
.. We suggest that you follow the maddening crowd and take the advice of these pros and their worshipers. You may even catch a fish and you certainly will have bought some flies.

A FRIENDLY AND VACANT  CREEK

.. At the risk of banishment from the local clique of avoidance fishers we might suggest that Pebble Creek or Obsidian Creek or Indian Creek or Winter Creek, will provide fish, solitude, easy parking, glorious scenery, and maybe a bear or moose, or some small furry wildlife as company.

SAVE A TREE

.. We were denied beer and congenial conversation a few years back because of a post about Pebble creek, (LINK-3.) Enjoy the Pebble Plateau.
.. The little creeks do not yield many hero snapshots. They won't demand that you cast into the next zip code. They will, by the way,  test your skill as a stealth fisher and precision caster.
.. Rare indeed.

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WALLPAPER:  DAILY DRIVER

Go East Young Man

SORRY HORACE

It's All Good

depending on rain and mud plugs

YES VIRGINIA THOSE ARE TROUT

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.. The greatest variety of fishing topography in Yellowstone National Park is now ready to go. Opportunities abound.
.. The Yellowstone River is open. The Lamar River is settling down. Slough Creek is pumping out bugs and fish. Indian Creek and Obsidian Creek already have armies of elbows. Virginia Creek is alive with fish and fishers. Trout Lake has willing trout, (a bit more selective than usual.) There are still cruisers along the shore of Yellowstone Lake. Grebe Lake is fully accessible and the grayling are more cooperative than usual, (not quite as easy at Wolf Lake.)

.. Check in with the feather merchants up that way for complete up-2-da-minute reports.
.. For most of these waters the evening is providing spectacular catching on caddis imitations. The hatches have clouded the water and the shoreline grasses. Ovapositing caddis can hide the water from view as little clouds of the critters dance along the water. The trout seem to understand this. Go figure.
.. In the mornings there is a choice for fishers: chucking streamers for the submarines, or floating trico fluffies for the majority of the residents.
.. Pick your favorite baetid imitation and fish the BWO hatch, or for that matter any of the hatches where the mayflies are popping. Right now the fish are doing their best to fill their dance cards.
.. The cutthroat action has been very good on the Yellowstone River. The water is still very high and dangerous. It is running at about 1,000 cfs above seasonal norms - but it's nicely clear and catching, (like last year,) seems to have improved over the desertic conditions of the previous 5 or 6 years.

.. Right now is the perfect opportunity for big fish on big streamers or ugly rubber legs - if you can resist the noses.
.. Hatches, even in the high water are pretty strong. There really is no need, (for the moment,) to get in the water. Cruise the banks in your best stealth fashion and use your pocket binoculars to find the noses. As the water drops the fish will seek holding water on the subsurface gravel bars. For now they are finding plenty of cover and food along the bank. Have at it.
.. Should you have the legs for it, a stroll down the hill at Tower Falls will provide exceptional catching opportunities both in Tower Creek and the Yellowstone River. This is an excellent place for the late evening fisher to sail a streamer into the haunts of giant fish. Do not go down the hill with a 4 weight and 6x tippet.

.. As the thunderstorms in the Lamar Valley subside and the shimmering heat of full Summer spreads out, there will be plenty of biting flies to bother your fishing. Puddled water is pretty widespread right now and the mosquitoes are having great feasts of flesh in the Slough Creek campground and the Pebble Creek campground. Keep this in mind.
.. There is still a bear, (or 3,) above the campground at Pebble Creek. We've some second hand reports that the fishing is worth the walk. Be loud and raucous once you hit the trees above the little canyon. Carry the bear spray in your gun hand.
.. Soda Butte Creek is still a bit raucous but not too dirty. Right now is a good time to fish the confluence waters of this fine little stream. Either the confluence with Amphitheater Creek, Rose Creek, or with Pebble Creek will provide good catching in the current conditions. Fish in the windows and the seams. Hold on tight.

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Brookie Heaven

GRAY DAYS = DANCING FISH

Forget It.  It's Just For Kids!

we're an aging kid

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.. It's known as a simple place to catch fish. It's right along the road. It's too easy to get to. It's not in the lore of glory waters for Yellowstone National Park. It's not worth the time of "serious" fly fishers. There are surprisingly few elbows. It's just our cup of tea.

.. Indian Creek is currently providing tons of fun for fans of the colorful Brook Trout. The colors of the fish and the meadows are as bright as can be. The delights of catching are punctuated by both beautiful scenery and the occasional diesel tour bus.
.. Sunday started with a thunderstorm and intermittent showers continued all day. There were holes in the clouds on occasion, and the bright sun was dazzling compared to the general gray of the day. The fish didn't seem to notice the difference.

.. The flies used were a wonderfully eclectic assortment of attractors, cripples, nymphs, hoppers, and famous designs. We changed them periodically and whimsically: all were happily banged by the little, (and not so little,) fish in the river.
.. Most fish that accepted our invitation to dance were in the 6" - 8" range. The biggest fish brought to hand was maybe 11". And we tangled with something a bit larger but must have stepped on it's toes during the ballet as it did a beautiful aerial 360° and flung the hook into the shoreline grasses.
.. We also visited Obsidian Creek and found the fish there just as willing as their relatives in Indian Creek. They were of the "visit and slurp" clan unlike the "slam-it-now" behavior exhibited by the others.

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.. The little grasshoppers are now in their final molt and creating quite a disturbance. There are about 10-12 per square meter from Roaring Mountain to Sheepeater Cliff. There are fewer in the trees.
.. These small hoppers are the fly tiers prototype and their shades of yellow, amber, and brown are very spectacular.
.. Another few days and the colors will fade as the exoskeletons harden. Right now these little dickens' are just about 3/4" long and stand out in the just beginning to dry grasses of the meadows.
.. The colors are perfect camouflage for the meadows and provide a perfect target for the fish. Many a 3" Brookie slammed our small hoppers. Some even got them in their mouth.

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.. The bridge over the Gibbon River is all but done. Paving on the road is proceeding at a fair clip. There are still delays. The length of time for the wait to use the single lane depends on the traffic.
.. Going north from West Yellowstone before 10:00 AM the delay is about 15 minutes. Coming south at about 3:00 PM the wait can be 30 minutes. At dusk the traffic thins out and the wait can be as little as 10 minutes. The dancing fish are worth it all.
.. We're habituated to the river stretches around Sheepeater Cliff Campground. The other river sections in the big willow meadows and around the Loop Road Bridge are also full of fish.
.. We didn't stop at those places because the elbow count was fairly high. There seems, however, to be something about the numerous cars in the campground parking lot that keeps fisher folk from parking & walking the 45 feet to the water's edge. We don't mind if they stay away.

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Big Kids Water

FISH HERE - NOW !!
but do it carefully

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.. There are some very nice waters that can be fished right now. Just ask the locals to move over a bit and wet your line. If they are sleeping, a nudge will get you a poke in the butt with a sharp horn.
.. Just a bit of seasonal warning: the big bulls are already starting to join the maternity herds. They are still around the edges - or "just out of sight."
.. When fishing the waters of Yellowstone National Park it's important to know just who is in the neighborhood.
.. The big kids are beginning to abandon their solitary meadows and are moving around. Please exercise extreme caution and hyper awareness as you ply your trade on the little, (or any,) waters of the park.
.. The bears have already started their mating behavior. Exercise even more caution and don't disturb the amorous activity of the bruins. What looks like play is a most dangerous activity - if you're not a bear.
.. Watch the park bear spray video for more information: CLICK HERE.

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Mostly Gentle

TOO MUCH TRAFFIC ALREADY ?

"U" Turn At Apollinaris Spring

the dodo's are lose

.. It would seem that on the second day of Yellowstone's Summer Season that visitors savvy enough to arrive early would also be smart enough to have a bit of consideration and suavity - not so for a few of the visitors that we saw yesterday.
.. Briefly: a madhouse of dogs running lose on the lawn at the Albright Visitor Center, "U" turns in several unlikely and unsafe places, parking in the road, toddlers running in the road, toddlers between elk & bison & sink holes, cars sideways in the road with no driver, cars buried in the untracked snow of side roads and pull-outs, bicyclists three abreast going up the hill from Mammoth, bicyclists and their water stations taking up full pullouts, mobile condominiums pulling Hummer's parked in the middle of the road at Gibbon Falls, etc.
.. It's no wonder we did not see any law enforcement all day - they're probably hiding from the chaos.
.. But, we digress. The Gibbon river drainage is only slightly ahead of the Madison River drainage in it's runoff, (yes there's more pictures of culverts in the slide show.)
.. There is very little color in the water and it's bank-full. We took a few of the obligatory pictures to prove that we actually got off of our duff and made the trip. Flood stage can only be a week or so away for the Gibbon River - talk about color, we'll let you know.
.. There was a mayfly of some sort spotted in the "Tunnel" just upriver from Tuff Cliff. Not far away was a dead ground squirrel. We speculate that the two are not related - but . . .
.. Gibbon Falls is still running clear. We would have taken a picture but an obstruction in the form of a land yacht was jackknifed and parked on the double yellow line - check his pictures; his wife was yelling instructions from the open side door. She ignored many unfriendly finger-salutes from a long line of irritated visitors weaving their way past the bright orange monster.
.. The Gibbon River Canyon is particularly beautiful this time of the year. We're going to miss the fishing during the road construction. The route of the new road will make access to about 3 miles of the canyon a genuine backcountry adventure. Reclamation for the old roadbed will guarantee that the down and up of it will reduce fishing pressure.
.. A graben has opened up in the middle of the soon-to-be-abandoned road section. It looks like the road is about to slide into the river. Repairs and abandonment are probably right on time.
.. The big meadows, (Elk Meadows and Gibbon Meadows,) are still covered with a foot or more of snow. No elk were present but coyotes and bison were under the cloud of spume from Monument, (bison in the trees is like trout in the grass- rare but not unusual.)
.. The little meadows at Norris are nearly snow-free and thoroughly saturated with ponded water and geese. The grayling meadows above the cascades are pure white and driven.
.. With the opening just 4 weeks away, (May 22, 2009,) and the long range forecast in our favor there might be a chance to fish these areas early. On the other hand given the caprice of mom, there could be mud in the water through the second week in June, (oe even later,) - we'll have to wait and see.
.. Elroy joined us for coffee and a cigar as we watched the geese near the confluence of Solfaterra Creek and the Gibbon River. He was alone and persistent; seemed more vocal than the other day too.
.. Mammoth in the early season is just a mini-chaos compared to July and August. We decided to brave it and check out the discharges from Obsidian Creek and Indian Creek. Both are crystal clear and slow.
.. The springs at Mammoth are dry and chalky and the runoff is very low to non existent. The construction project at the restrooms may have hit a glitch and could keep 1/2 of the facility closed until the very late season.
.. Now is the time for architectural photography in Mammoth. It's possible to gain some unobstructed views and perspectives - if you are patient. The historic buildings are, (for the most part,) not obscured by the vegetation of invasive landscaping. Pick your spot and lighting conditions. We took a few and a wallpaper edition will be forthcoming.

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Short Takes

HEBGEN BREACH
MAKES BEACHES

Madison River This Fall

other fine places

.. There are new beaches for the viewing and fishing. The low water levels from the Hebgen Dam breach have exposed beaches that are usually not available for fishing at this time of year. Depending on the rate of fill for the reservoir, this should be a boon for Fall fishers.
.. The expansive beaches around the Happy Hour Bar are gaining much attention from some of our neighbors. Gulpers are still active and are especially hungry. Enormous pods of fish are cruising the inshore waters of Rainbow Point.
.. These fish are wonderfully indiscriminate in their feeding habits. A double fly rig with a small soft hackle and floating nymph will bring quite a few fish to shore.
.. Evening time, and through an hour after sunset are highly productive. Don't kick the lawn chairs or step in the worm cans. Build a fire just before dark and enjoy the stars.
.. As the reservoir level stabilizes the parked spawners at the Madison River delta will begin a more vigorous ascent of the river. A bit of cool weather would surely help.
.. There are also some nice Rainbows that have already made their way to the plunge pool at the base of Gibbon Falls. Swing a streamer in the cavitation eddy if you can cast that far.
.. Remember to report tagged fish and avoid the area around the fish weir near Baker's Hole.
.. This year's dry Fall weather has kept flows low in our rivers and streams. Fish are concentrated in dark water, beneath undercuts, and in the shade on our smaller tributaries. They are occasionally "joyously large," as one neighbor puts it.
.. Cabin Creek, Duck Creek, Obsidian Creek, Indian Creek, Cougar Creek, and Grayling Creek are all fishing exceptionally well right now. Terrestrials and soft hackles, (sunken or floated,) will exercise your reel if not your backing.
.. Indian Summer provides an exceptional time to avoid the rabid trophy fisher. A stroll along a small creek, with casts of 15' or less, probing the bushes and undercuts between shallow pools is a fine way to fish the neighborhood.
.. The run is on -- but it's still a trickle. There's plenty of cold fog, mist, drizzle, rain, and snow in the coming weeks. That's the time for stories and trophies.
.. It's time for breakfast: SOS, a quart of milk, and blueberry pancakes for desert. It'll take some fishing to get rid of that.

Hidden Treasures

JUST THE THING
FOR AUGUST

Trees Trout Timeout

sorta secret hatches & places

.. It happens about this time every year. Our home waters fill up with visitors and 'discovery' is the theme for every one of them. We retreat to better fishing in more secluded areas where the fish are eager, relaxed, and very willing dance partners. There are no secrets about the fishing in Yellowstone National Park. Happily, this time of year, people continue to visit the fabled glory waters and leave the good fishing alone.
.. The bits of dust on the Obsidian Creek trail are becoming clouds as more and more people wend their way along this stream. Interestingly, the trails along Straight Creek and Winter Creek are still a bit obscure. The late spring and cool Summer temperatures, (so far,) have delayed one of the sorta secret hatches in Yellowstone. It'll be over by the end of next week, but right now there is excellent dry fly fishing to explosive Brook Trout. Your favorite Green Drake imitation in sizes 16-20 will keep you busy for as long as you care to cast. Watch for the bigger fish to be close to the dead fall and snags. Take your 3-weight and enjoy the scenery.
.. Digestion of your leisurely picnic at Grizzly Lake will not be aided by the eager Brookies in the lake smacking anything on the surface. If the day is calm it's fun to cast to the cruisers. If it's windy get to the windward shore for big fish on foam ants.
.. The grasshopper nymphs along Blacktail Deer Creek will have wings by next week and the hatch will blossom along with the beetles by the second week in August. This is one of the places where angry Mountain Whitefish will keep you guessing longer than usual. Little scorn should be wasted on these tigers, they are almost as selective as the Brook Trout.
.. If you still have legs that still work well, now is the time to fish Cache Creek. It's clear, cold and nearly devoid of fisher folks.
.. Eager native Cutthroat Trout have been enjoying the summer so far, (judging by the trail.) The area around Waab Springs shows some usage but this bit of mosquito fodder is well worth fishing right now. The ants are out and they are feeding on first stage grasshopper larvae. Get there early as the temperature really accelerates this hopper hatch.
.. Tower Creek is enjoying a resurgence in popularity this year, as is Solfaterra Creek and Indian Creek. The campgrounds are sprouting more fly rods than camper trailers -- for a change. These are still good August destinations, but the upper Fan Creek meadows are probably better for solitude. Of course bears like solitude too.
.. These are the sorta secret places that we used to visit this time of year. They are getting crowded as 'discovery' continues.
.. We have a couple of places that we've been fishing that are less discovered. The fish are eager, the trails almost indecipherable, the mosquitoes absent, and the water is still cold and clear. Ants abound and the hoppers are over 1/2 inch long. We'll be surprised to see you there.