Wonder Weekend

THE PRESIDENT SCORES AT G7

A FRIEND IN NEED

MOUNT TRUMPMORE

  NO CANADA 

YUM !!

BIT OF A GOURMAND ?

Certainly Not A Gourmet !

pleasure derived from eating

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.. There was a football game: somebody won. There was an ice fishing tournament: somebody won. There was a neighborhood BBQ: we all pigged out.
.. Super Sunday in the neighborhood means a BBQ - weather be damned. It was 15° F and dead still. Last night it got to -11° F. The high pressure has settled in and the snow is afraid of the cold.
.. Depending on the annual host; it's steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, pork chops, or "all-day-brisket." This year it was chicken. Simple fare and plenty of it.
.. It's an easy recipe: drench, (you can think marinade,) the chicken halves in several gallons of "Yellowstone Brown Ale BBQ Sauce," overnight in the refrigerator. Then jab it with a fork and let it sit at room temperature for 3 or 4 hours. Keep it moist and keep turning it. Giant punch bowls serve for the containers. Then just BBQ the chicken over coals for about 45 minutes to one hour per side, (low heat in a covered grill is preferred.)
.. Serve with home-made potato or macaroni salad and freshly sliced tomatoes. Grind some dill seeds and sprinkle to taste over everything. Everybody should get at least 1½ chickens; fingers is O.K.
.. The key ingredient is the sauce. You can cook it up yourself if you can't find it in your local super market. It contains Moose Drool Brown Ale, Garlic, Onions, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Tomatoes. Everything is run through a blender, (or food processor,) and salt and peppered to taste. Simmer for a few hours to thicken. Make it thick and let it sit for a week before using.

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Apropos Of Nothing

MIDWINTER ESCAPE

The Lowlands Beckon

we respond

Headed into the promised land.
Few folks fish up'ere in the winter.

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.. It's a fur piece of road between here and there. It's a bit of burned hydrocarbons and furry eyeballs to get there and back over a three-day weekend. In the winter with snow in the air and ice on the roads it's a bit over seven hours of safe and sane driving. That uses up most of one day.
.. Getting situated and scoping out the possibilities and contingencies finishes off the first day and demands a bit of well-won sustenance. So that's what we did.

Three Fly Arsenal.

.. Up at dawn to a great breakfast at Pourman's Cafe - chorizo con huevos and other gut bombs to get through a long day. Then to the river road.
.. It's possible to fish downtown but it's better up the road a piece. So we get going to a place where the neighbors know us and the water is clear and the snow ain't too deep.
.. There's ruts and mud and ice and mud and ruts and ice. We knock on the door and accept the invitation for coffee. We're on the water by 9:00 AM.
.. Just three flies are ever necessary here, (well four, if you count the size 8 elk hair caddis that serves as an indicator.) The fish are willing and hungry all year long. The water, in winter, is never colder than about 40° F. Sometimes it gets to over 50° F in the shallow and sunny spots.

The Place.

.. We fish all day and even take a few. Big rainbows of 14" with shoulders like Gibraltar. They look like lake fish with their small heads and substantial girth. The air is cold. It freezes our guides, and hands, and ears, and warms our epitome.
.. Dark comes a little later down in the lowlands. It still comes too early and we're back in town by 7:30 PM. At our age it means an early dinner and bed. We do it.
.. We get up on day three and have the same breakfast. We fish a bit closer to the highway and downstream from town for a few hours. Then back in the trusty horse and gas up.
.. It'll be dark as we enter the mountains at 4-corners. That's O.K., we know the road and it's treachery very well. We look forward to the vacant wheat fields and the company of monster trucks and the neighbors' pickumups.
.. Home at 9:00 PM. Crash shortly after eating a couple of racks of Baby-Back ribs from the deli, (got there just as they were locking up - perfect timing.)
.. We'll sleep-in tomorrow.  Don't have to be at the salt mine until 2:00 PM. Our stomach growls as we snooze on the couch - typing this is exhausting.

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Heading home. A view for Mark in Texas.

"DRY FLIES" for the mud

QUICK AND DIRTY

Throw The Rejects

light colors work best

THERE'S A FLY IN MY EYE

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The road to high water success

.. Gawd that's an ugly fly. Wasted a hook on that poor effort! Fingers get fatter and tremble more with age. Give those things to the trash. Put 'em in the reject jar. And so it goes.
.. During every fly tying session there's a fly or two, (in our case many more,) that don't quite make the grade. The proportions are wrong, there are too many fibers in the tail, the hackle is poor, the head is ugly, etc. etc.
.. Most of us either salvage the hooks and do it again, (hopefully better,) or put them in the "reject jar." These flies are just plain ugly. Well, a couple of the crusty neighbors have devised a way to use the rejected flies. In fact two of the old farts actually claim to tie ugly flies on purpose. We nod, smile, and for the sake of civility pretend to believe them.

A once proud dry fly

.. The flies are used as drowned morsels during the high water phase of our rivers, (right now.)
.. Preparation is critical. The flies are rolled and squashed between the fingers and the hackle is well-mussed up and bent.
.. Sometimes the body rolls and the damn thing looks not unlike so much lint from the umbilicus of an orangutan.
.. No flotant is used and the fly is flung with a hope and a prayer into the fishy places of our high water rivers.
.. Fish eat them. Fish eat them with surprising regularity. Fish eat them with gay abandon and gusto.
.. We're not advocating that you lose your hard won tying skills; no way, no how! But on that rare occasion when you mess up a fly we suggest that it may be a diamond in the rough. Choose it, use it, lose it - so what? It just may catch a fish that couldn't see the pretty fly.

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.. With the Firehole River going more than 400 cfs above it's previous record for this day we suggest that a mud fly is appropriate.
.. Don't even think about the Gibbon River it's now way out of bank and flowing at 700 cfs above it's previous record for today.
.. Even the Madison River is flowing at 100 cfs above it's previous record for today. These record flows are going to curtail catching by all but the most savvy, (or lucky,) anglers.
.. Mud flies are in. They work if you can find where the fish are hiding from the current and the dark brown water.

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UGLY GRAPHS BELOW

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VIEW OVER A GREAT FISHING HOLE

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The Rotten Pot

JUST SOME POTPOURRI

A Few Blogs & The Haps

small fishing report too

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.. Ol' TC at the TROUT UNDERGROUND has a nifty way to suck you into reading previous blog posts. The two current posts are in large type at the top of the content section, then a mountain of earlier posts are down below in small type. He's obviously trying to entice young readers into the fold. The aged and mature variety couldn't read the small stuff even if they could remember where in hell the trifocals are. Click on over and check it out, if you can hit this [LINK].

.. If you really want to catch fish instead of just fishing click on over to FISHING JONES for a bag full of guaranteed poop. It'll grab you where it hurts.

.. The fish are beginning to look up more than down over in Rooster's Neighborhood. Check out ROOSTER'S RAMBLINGS - the new site.

.. From Montana to New York is a mighty big transplantation. The NEW HEATHENS are making it work and haven't forgotten their roots. They are back east after a concert in Helena. Caught some nice trout in Nevada too.

.. FISHING FURY continues it's rapid evolution and expansion. Now you can enter their first ever contributor contest - Schwag and Rewards await the successful entrant.

.. A note from WILL FISH FOR WORK comments on the condition of the hopper population. Shows a couple of videos for tying the little pogo sticks if you have them in your neighborhood. We have some but not the hoards that are happening on the Great Plains.

.. The new design and page layout for ROSE RIVER FARMS is very nice, indeed. This jewel of a fishing destination, with picture-postcard-rainbows, will grab you by your epitome -- and it's just an hour and a half from Tyson's Corner, (D.C. area for them that know!) The second CASTING FOR RECOVERY event will be held at the farm on October 23, 2010. For information contact: margaret.konkel@yahoo.com, space is limited.

.. John Montana has gathered up some fine carp and great memories from his recent excursion. First-timers beware; it's addicting! [LINK]

.. For those of you that are enjoying the challenge and simple beauty of Tenkara techniques,Yoshikazu Fujioka has added some new flies to his website. There are three pages full, all keyed to locations that he has fished. [LINK]

.. Hilary is now a stripper! Egad, just look what Montana can do to a nice girl. What would mom say? [LINK]

.. Mark Powell, from his new location and blog, lets us know about the state of Salmon and the current boom in the endangered species. [LINK]

.. Should you be able to afford PHOTOSHOP and the computer to run it, and should you need to enhance your fish - or other photographs - check the tutorial at SIMPLYPSD. An interesting way to spend two hours. [LINK]

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.. The FFF Fair & Trade Show is in West Yellowstone. Affluent fisher folks from around the world are in town and busy learning, spending, and hobnobbing.

.. Music In The Park is happening this evening in the city park in WEST YELLOWSTONE. It's free so bring your blankets and a BBQ grill. The rain should be over by show time at 6:30 PM - or thereabouts. [LINK]

.. September 25, 2010 brings a couple of events to Yellowstone National Park.
1} Public Lands Day = free admission to Yellowstone,
2}  the West Yellowstone - Old Faithful Bicycle Tour.
==> Now there's a pair to draw to.

.. September 4-6, 2010; ANNUAL KNOTHEAD JAMBOREE - square dance festival in West Yellowstone, Montana.

.. September 16-18, 2010; Cessna 190/195 Club Fly-In at West Yellowstone Airport. Little airplanes, high altitude: fun.

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.. It's hard to explain just how good the Gallatin River is fishing. It's not slow, it's on the slow side of great! There are little flies, big flies, terrestrial bugs, hoppers, and bird droppings all being gobbled up by the trout.
.. You still need to cover some ground but the fish are very cooperative. Mid-day catching is astonishingly fine with the recent bulge in the spruce moth population. Hoppers are present in just enough numbers to get you through to the evening caddis.
.. Catching on the Lamar River, (particularly in the short canyon stretch,) has picked up to good! It's still a terrestrial game but the fish in the shadows are willing to dash to the sun for a meal. Beetles and ants are the ticket right now. The big parts of the river will find fish in the dark water - looking up for a good sized Adams or even a Yellow Humpy.Where do those bugs come from?
.. The Gibbon River canyon, (above and below the construction zone,) has slowed just a little, attractors in the late afternoon and hoppers or a sparse hatch in the evening will keep your rod bent. Bears are still around the upper end of the canyon & in the meadows, so carry a large canister of bear spray.
.. The Firehole River had a low temperature spike of 72° F on Monday, and just 70° F this afternoon. It's still just a mite warm for exercising fish on a leash - but the cool evenings are taking their toll on the water temperature, as are cloudy days with drizzle and hail like this one: good for cooling things down.
.. We're making no predictions - BUT, September is just around the corner.

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Straight from Chicago's

CHECKERBOARD LOUNGE

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OUCH

FOR LOVE OF THE FISH

The Color Should By Grand

we await the final unveiling

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.. Via Fishing Jones: trout art from Utah, (a place where water is 'owned' by the private interests, to the tune of about 7,000 river miles, can this really be true?)
.. This 'tat' looks to be one fine fish.
.. The arm belongs to Corey Kruitbosch: fly fisher and photographer extraordinaire. His work has been featured in many national publications; most recently profiled in “The Drake”, “American Angler”, and in the Trout Unlimited Publication “Trout”.
.. Check his blog at Western Fly Fishing. His photo stream at Flickr is also well worth a click.

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.(for original see: Fly Fishing Montana)

Local Recreation

IT'S NOT ALL FISHING

Lazy Weekend

SURF A SPELL

Sleep Some

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.. The "mature of body and leg," will appreciate that on occasion it's rejuvenating to just vegetate! We are being rejuvinated!
.. Strenuous activities include: 12oz. curls, pillow plumping, mouse clicking, web and channel surfing, eye blinking, and an occasional snoring session. It's tax time and avoidance is the best policy!

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.. Ol' easy writer has declared it a snow week - LINK. The Boss is rendered nicely and uniquely by Jeff, (HERE,) and Jason, (HERE.) Energetic fishers can see some super flies being tied by the good folks at Parks' Fly Shop, (HERE.)
.. HDW Mobile is missing in action, (NOT HERE.) Fishing Jones brings us a glorious 90 seconds of fishing art, (HERE.) The Chi Wulff gang is redecorating the office, (HERE.) The Moldy Crew has found a nice place to fish, (HERE.)
.. Murdock continues yeoman service for us all, (HERE.) The guys at Buster need a fish, (HERE.) Blogfish is back in action, (HERE.)

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.. P.S. The maggot supply in town has been replenished and ice augers are being redeployed on Hebgen Lake.

You Won't Believe It

WE'RE SPEECHLESS
..

Just For Tom

ONLY IF YOU CARE
About Audience
About Markets
About Tomorrow
..

.. We didn't know that !!

Inches Up -- Water Down

SNOW PACK
ABOUT AVERAGE

Or Slightly Below

spring will tell the tale
(photo courtesy of North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Winter Tour of Yellowstone)
[[click photo for Yellowstone slide show]]

.. As the mid-winter-warm-up wends its way toward spring we again check the snowpack figures. The numbers are not as depressing as we feared. But, they're not as good as we'd hoped.
.. If the 90 day forecast holds and spring brings what the National Weather Service anticipates we can look forward to the following:

". . . estimated streamflows between April and July suggest that the Gallatin River will be running between 86 to 96 percent of a 30-year average. The Yellowstone is predicted to run at 92 to 104 percent, the Madison River between 78 and 81 percent and the Jefferson River 81 to 101." [LINK]

.. That's not all bad for the anticipated river flows. The Billings Gazette, and The Bozeman Chronicle both have run articles in the recent past. It seems that water is important to us all.
.. The maps below show the snow pack, and the streamflow forecast. It has been, and could be worse. We'll wait another 30 days and see how it turns out. [Click image for source.]

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.. It seems that the Sacramento River salmon are being done in by pumps and water exports. Thanks to the Trout Underground for following this catastrophe.
.. Jeff Kennedy, of Drawing Flies fame, is busy in these down-times and we miss the daily offerings. He's posted another couple of flies, and gotten some good press from Field & Stream.
.. The Montana State Legislature is busy wasting time with your money as it introduces another, (happily defeated,) stupid bill. Read about "Junteenth" and how our legislature spends its time HERE.

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