Yellowstone Park Opens Up

BUT NOT HERE

Only East And South

day use and drive thru

-------  

.. A phased reopening has been announced by the National Park Service. Limited facilities and services are opening for day use and lower loop drive through visitors. This is phase one and will start on Monday May 18, 2020.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

.. Campgrounds, backcountry permits, visitor cabins, additional stores, expanded tours, takeout food service, boating, fishing, and visitor centers will remain closed. These Phase 2 services and/or facilities will open when safe and appropriate mitigation measures are in place. This will happen at different times. 
.. It is important to read the "official" park notices for your planned visit. There have been erroneous reports in various media outlets about the details.

RESOURCES

>> PARK NOTICE,

>> FULL PLAN, (PDF)

----- 

.. Our village is showing some gentle signs of Spring and cautious behavior by the neighbors. There are pansies in the flower beds of a few houses. There is gardening activity scattered through town. There are mothers taking walks with their children. Despite the intermittent snow and rain showers there is a brightness all around. There is very little snow left in piles facing north in dark corners.

ROYAL COACHMAN BOMBER

.. We are expecting our Spring mix of weather for the next 10 days or so. Snow, grauple, rain, hail, wind and, dark or light clouds are in the offing. We may finally break 70°F for a glorious weekend.
.. There are a few 'outdoor' pubs gathering anxiety ridden imbibers. Conversation includes such topics as: economic devastation in a tourist town, the stupid high price of meat products, the continuing escalation of grocery prices in general, limits on grocery selections, the suspicious lack of declining local gasoline prices, observations about greed and exploitation, catching opportunities on local streams and lakes, lack of young foreign women in town,
.. There are now boats and brave tubers on Hebgan Reservoir. Leaches and giant novelty nymphs are fooling the winter starved trout. It's unclear if the streams leading out of Yellowstone National Park will be legal to fish on May 18, 2020 or not.
.. The Montana state regulations stipulate that those streams above Hebgan Reservoir are open to fishing when the park opens to fishing. Quandary - huh? We have inquiries out and will let you know.

------- 

WALLPAPER:  THE DARK SIDE OF THE GROCERY STORE

Just A Little Bit . . .

OF RAIN

Of Snow

of catching fish

FINALLY: EMERGENCE OF THE KITCHEN GARDEN

-------  

.. Our typical Spring mix of rain and snow and hail and graupel is continuing. The kitchen garden is exposed and there is some green from new rhubarb leaves and old strawberry plants.

NEARLY CONVERTIBLE WEATHER

.. Cleanup will wait for another 10 days or so depending on Zeus. The onion sets and other seeds are here and bursting their packets to get in the ground.
.. The neighbors, (those with multiple vehicles,) have rolled out the summer cars and are anticipating the opening of Yellowstone National Park.
.. By the bye: opening day for the West Entrance is April 19, 2019. You can watch the hoards on the West Entrance webcam HERE. The OLD FAITHFUL streaming webcam is RIGHT HERE.

URINE STAINED WOLF

.. For some strange reason the Madison River between Quake Lake and Ennis is surprisingly clear. Even the silt plumes from the West Fork are only lightly stained.
.. Fishers of the lowland river are floating and wading and doing well. With subsurface visibility up to 4' the big nymphs with heavy leaders are choking the gullible trout.

THE SNORTLE

.. This is the time of year that fisher folk begin to think of some salmon flies. They really should be fishing the nymphs. As the water warms and rises the triggers for movement are engaged.
.. Both the Rosy Wolfee and the Snortle have been excellent producers with a deep drift from the boat.

GREEN GOLD MATUKA

.. The wade fishers are still doing well with rapidly , (downstream,) stripped streamers. Aim for the eddy water by large rocks and boulders. A Matuka of your favorite dark olive color is a good bet.

SPARSE DARK SPRUCE

.. Up here there is still a bit of snow on the ground. It has not stopped the energetic neighbors from testing the waters of Quake Lake near the outlet.
.. Gingerly navigate the boulder field to the water's edge. Rig up a short stout leader and sink tip. Big streamers with big nymph followers will jiggle your chain and clicker.

BEAD BELLY WORM

.. San Juan Worms are excellent in the protected current swirls near the shoreline right at the outlet. WATCH YOUR FOOTING!
.. Two of the strong legged neighbors took sleds close to the South Fork Estuary and post holed their way to the water's edge.
.. Snakes of the spawned out variety were encountered. A couple were brought to hand and quickly released. There is still some color left in the fish but not much fight. Wait a couple of weeks for this part of the neighborhood.

-----  

.. The Post Office is crowded with the folks of the dalliance persuasion. Today's postmark is required or your tax filing is deemed late.
.. The coffee is gone. The dishes are done. The errands are run. The couch and a day of binge watching beckon. Just what, will come to us.

-------  

WALLPAPER:  FOLD OR, ROLL YOUR OWN CREPES

Join The Party

WE'RE WATCHING

Atmosphere Lagging

not so snowy

Typical El Niño Pattern - courtesy NOAA

-------  

.. The dance performed by our aqua sphere and atmosphere has gotten the weather guys stuttering.
.. The water in the eastern Pacific Ocean is warm enough to satisfy the criterion for El Niño but the atmosphere is a bit reluctant to join the party.

A Winter Mix Of Rain And Snow

.. The ocean water was quick to the party and was ready as early as last October. The air however, has been slow to participate because of a recalcitrant mother. It looks like mom is about to relent and allow the sweet air daughter to dance.
.. We anticipate an "official" El Niño declaration in the next few days. 
.. Up here we have noticed that the Spring snowfall is lagging behind normal a wee bit. We would hope that we do not get too warm or rains can come at any time.

Prediction = A Beery Winter

.. The high country has an extensive but shallow base of the white stuff. Around here there is still enough snow on the ground for sledheads to have a safe journey on the trails. Wandering off trail in a snowmobile right now could be hazardous to your health. Snags and, sage and, roots and, fencing and, divots are not sufficiently covered yet.
.. It's tough to predict the effects of any El Niño at this point in the weather cycle. Retrodiction is always much easier. We're hoping for enough snow to provide good runoff and consistent stream flow for next year. We'll keep you informed.

-----  

.. The neighbor kids have migrated from the estuaries to the water Between The Lakes.

BIOTS APLENTY

.. Reports of early submarine arrival have trickled into the pubs and dusty aisles of the feather merchants.
.. No redds have yet been spotted in the spawning water and fish are boisterous and seeking their own dance partners.
.. There are even reports of late caddis and mayfly sightings. No cell phone photos though!
.. Stick with  subsurface or film patterns and start tying 'winter rejects' - they seem to work best. Join the party and dance.

-------  

..

WALLPAPER:  CRACKED PEPPER BUTTER GRAVY

Rocks And Rolls

125 YEAR TRADITION

Defining A Tradition

a 'modern' revolution

WALLPAPER:  FEATHER DUSTER

-------  

.. 3/4 of a century may seem short to some and long to others. The modern dry fly movement is just turning 125 years old, (short to some - long to others.) It is, in the modern mind, the "TRADITIONAL" way to fly fish.

CLASSIC LEADWING COACHMAN

.. Prior to the adoption of floating flies, (for centuries and even millennia,) the traditional and, accepted way was to fish with a sub surface fly.
.. As with all flies and with all tiers the flies evolved and became standardized as the classic wet fly.

CLARET AND GOLD WASP

.. These classic flies, (salmon size or trout size,) have a simple body, sparse hackle, and an erect wing, (like the dorsal fin of a grayling.)
.. Almost immediately after the standardizing of this morphology variation crept into the recipes.

SCARLET IBIS

.. Soon the shorthand vernacular of fly fishing took over and called everything that was sunken a wet fly.
.. About the time of fly standardization came the interest in sub surface trout food.
.. Patterns began to be imitative of what was found in the belly's of trout and what lived under rocks.

FROM A TROUT'S BELLY

.. Nymph patterns became popular. These proliferated as information and imagination took hold.
.. Some of these patterns were highly imitative and others were extraordinarily impressionistic.
.. About the time that the subsurface tradition had evolved into the accepted, and standardized way to take a trout, along came the floating fly techniques. At first it was just any fly on the surface of the water. 

QUILL BODY CATSKILL DRY FLY

.. Again, information and, innovation and, imagination  served to contribute to the patterns of floating flies.
.. The modern dry fly is now considered traditional and classic.
.. The art of the dry fly has become a bit of voodoo hocus pocus in the modern fly fishing fraternity. It is the 'holy grail' for many fishers.
.. That's a whole different story.

-----  

PRINCE NYMPH

.. Recently there has been an interesting resurgence in fishing sunken flies.
.. The wet fly and, particularly the nymph, is gaining in popularity: for many reasons, we suppose.
.. Properly fished the nymph will catch more fish than any other sort of fly. There is also a mystery about the 'take' of a nymph. Is it the bottom? Is it a fish? 

BOB'S ROCK WORM

.. Without the advantage of seeing the take there is much finesse, technique and, luck involved in galling a fish with a subsurface fly.
.. Happily, fish will gobble the flies with amazing gusto and regularity, (and spit them out rapidly as well.)
.. There are only a few tips that need be elucidated to ensure that success is achieved in nymph, (or other subsurface,)  fly fishing.

CASUAL DRESS

.. First off it is important to look under rocks. That's where the year round food supply is.
.. Big ones, little ones, cased ones, wiggly ones, crawly ones, and even fixated ones all can be found there. Pick something from your box that is close to what you find.

BLOND FEATHER DUSTER

.. Be sure that your fly line is exceedingly clean and well dressed. It must float high, be easily mended, highly visible,  and of the proper taper to deliver the nymph. Long casts are not necessary; most of the time.

.. Drift is very important. Weight should seldom be used. Line mending is a nearly lost art. The roll cast and water load are nearly forgotten - even with the currently popularity of Spey Techniques.

THE PENGUIN

..  There is really nothing to it. Unlike with a surface fly; techniques for fishing a subsurface fly can be mastered in a long day
.. Bobbers, (strike indicators for the effete,) are not really necessary - even though they can help. Double bobbers are even used. Yarn is nice. Foam works but is environmentally insensitive.

LARGE STONEFLY NYMPH

.. During the last year or eighteen months - or so - buzz in town and in the dark corners of pubs has been heard using subsurface vernacular in animated conversations.
.. Most of our neighbors are accomplished sub surface fishers. Most visitors are either preconditioned to or, sucked in to, floating fly fishing by local counter help. Missing lots of fish on the surface makes it seem hard to catch trout.
.. For some "hard" is the challenge. So be it.

-----  

.. About a year ago Tom Rosenbauer, (from Orvis,) bucked the trending 'Great Spey Revolution' and produced a very informative video about nymph and wet fly fishing. If you would like to catch fish all day long it is well worth your time to view it.

..

-----

.. It's another sunny day and, as they say around here: "We're down to dirt." There are still piles of snow in the corners and lining the streets. Some are 10' tall.

STIMULATOR WITH HAIRCUT

.. The kids are back on their skateboards. We anticipate about five or six days of 50°F temperatures. There may be some drizzle too - the melt will soon be in the creeks and rivers - the color cometh!
.. We have just enough time for a brief nap and then some wandering along the muddy shores of Notellum Creek.

-------  

WALLPAPER:  PHEASANT BACK FEATHERS