This Day

THE FIRST OF MAY

Is It For Summer Or . . .

the common worker ?

THE CORRECT WAY TO DO IT   . . . courtesy EarthSky

-------  

THE MAY QUEEN

.. When thinking of May 1st,  the Pagan Holiday Beltane comes to mind along with the annual international celebration of workers. The day has a convoluted meaning in the mind of contemporary populations.
.. Usually folks just name the day and go on about their business. Celebrations are small and, scattered around the world. That's sad. This is a day for the world to rise together in celebration. It is an ancient recognition of the "warm season" beginning.
.. It was once the rallying cry of the IWW. (international workers of the world - wobblies.) It is famously the day for imperial Russia, (and the Soviet Union and contemporary Russia,) to parade the power of the state.
.. Up here, at this time, it is seldom mentioned. Today it is passed over in the gloom of Covid-19 and the relief that we have survived one more day. In real terms it is now a day of relief. The evolution of meaning for the day and it's celebration provides an interesting story of who we are and, how we became this way.

RESOURCES

Wikipedia,
Travalanche,
Goodnews,
Washington Post,
Parting The Mists,
EarthSky,
Playmakers,
London May Day,
Russian May Day,

-----  

TRICOS SOON ?

.. If they think about it the contemporary fly fisher may associate May, (the month,) with their favorite bait. Sunk or floated the mayfly is an important enticement for trout, (and other fish as well.)
.. The piscatorial use first came about around 1645-1655 as two words may+fly. The term was used because the thinking was that these little bugs were most prevalent in the month of May. QED.

A VERY TWISTED BAETID

.. Many of the neighbors have disappeared into the hidden parts of the South Fork of the Madison River. They brave willow thickets and Grizzle Bears for a chance of tangling with a spawned out monster.
.. We are sheltering in place and tending the strawberry bed. It suffered more this year than previously. We attribute this to the ice that formed at ground level during our gentle winter. A little love and some gentle massage will bring us strawberries by the end of June.
.. Our village is waking up slowly. The kids are out - a good sign. There are residents and some neighbors with commercial face masks. There are some neighbors wearing bandanas - outlaw fashion. There are even a few cars parked by eager shop owners - hoping the park will open soon - are all foreign visitors still banned from entry?

------- 

WALLPAPER:  SHRIMP AND TATERTOTS

OH DAMN !

NEIGHBORS PISSED

Sudden Growth

moving toward highway

BACON RIND FIRE AREA MAP

-------  

.. We have fires every year. It's a fact of life since we live in the lodgepole desert. They are caused by lightning and by humans. They come and they go. We're accustomed to them.
.. The lightning caused Bacon Rind Fire has been sputtering for about a month now with very little attention.
.. Over the last few days and, with the intemperate - unusually high temperatures it has rapidly flared up and moved from the sagebrush flanks of the valley and into the  lodgepole pine forest.
.. The fire is currently sized at near 2,000 acres and:

". . . has been spreading by group torching, short crown runs, and long-range spotting. The fire is continually flanking and backing towards Hwy 191.
     Fire growth was seen to the south towards Bacon Rind drainage on 8/15. There were no delays on Highway 191 yesterday. Fire growth is expected to continue today as temperatures continue to increase."

GROUP TREE TORCHING

.. Both the USFS and the NPS have issued closures. So far Highway 191 has remained open with some delays and pilot car traffic allowed.
.. Yellowstone National Park has closed most of the northwest corner of the park's back country trails.
.. Currently some Gallatin River access is allowed. Check the resources below for updated access and closure information.
.. This is the time of year when we fish the Gallatin River, Fan Creek, and Bacon Rind Creek. Access to many of the catching areas is restricted  --  double damn.
.. With the increased wind and continuing heat wave we should anticipate that this fire will continue to spot and grow.

DON'T FISH HERE

RESOURCES:

>> INCIWEB  INCIDENT PAGE,
>> FIRE CLOSURES WEB PAGE,
>> YELLOWSTONE CLOSURES,
>> FOREST CLOSURES.

-----  

.. Happily there is no closure anticipated for Notellum Creek, nor any for the Notellum Beaver Ponds.  We're headed there with a fresh canister of bear spray. Left the neighbors to tend the ribs!

-------  

WALLPAPER:  GREAT BEGINNINGS

It's That Time

VISIT NEXT WEEK

Fish Early

fish late

IT'S A SCORCHER

-------  

..  Briefly: west side rivers at the tipping point, Lamar River system is giving up fish, mid day is very hot, critters that can move have moved up, fire danger is very high.

FIRE WEATHER WATCH

Alert:	...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING... * IMPACTS: Low humidities, hot temperatures, wind shift with a cold front, and dry thunderstorms with gusty and erratic outflow winds will create erratic fire behavior and new fire starts. * AFFECTED AREA: In South Central MT...Fire Weather Zones 123...124...125...126... 127...128 and 129. * COUNTIES AFFECTED: In Central MT...Golden Valley...Musselshell...Wheatland. In South Central MT...Big Horn...Carbon...Park...Stillwater Sweet Grass...Yellowstone. In Southwest MT...Gallatin. * TEMPERATURES: 95 to 105. * HUMIDITY: 5 to 15 percent. * THUNDERSTORMS: Isolated dry thunderstorms possible Saturday afternoon and evening. Thunderstorm activity and the potential for strong erratic winds will increase Sunday afternoon and evening. * WINDS: South 10 to 20 mph. Higher gusts near thunderstorms.
Instructions:	A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings.
Target Area:	Beartooth Ranger District Custer National Forest Crow Indian Reservation, Big Horn Canyon Rec Area Gallatin National Forest Golden Valley County, Musselshell County Stillwater County Wheatland County, Sweet Grass County Yellowstone County

 -----

.. Shade is our friend. Shade is the friend of fish right now. Keep this in mind and both fishers and fish will get through this historic heat wave.

-------  

WALLPAPER:  SMOTHERED WAFFLE

AWOL

FOR GROUP

5 times 5 At 100

mirage no problem

*HUNTER CLASS BENCHREST RIFLE

*EXPENSIVE AND UNSUNG GLASS

-------  

.. Gone and, we're easily forgotten. Brief road trip to Cody, Wyoming. Better than fair success.

NOT TOO BAD

.. The shooting complex at Cody, Wyoming is a world class facility that can accommodate all forms of the shooting sports.
.. From SASS, to casual, to Hunter Class, to Varmint Class, to Rail Guns, to 1,000 Yard competition, to Police and Combat training, to skeet, to trap, to across the course, to sporting clays,  --  it's all there.
.. We do this less and less as our fishing is closer and less fiddly. When the weather gods lay down the winds and, the cool air allows for clear views, it's possible for even us to do well.
.. We did!

.. [[ *Hunter class benchrest rifle with fixed power 6x42 IOR Valdata scope [with glass from Schott Glass Werkes of Germany.] Trued Remington action in .308 Winchester caliber.  Krieger stainless steel barrel. Jewell 2oz. trigger, Big spring true firing pin, Aluminum rail, Magnesium rings, Macmillan Edge ultralight stock. Weight is nine pounds, fourteen ounces.]]

-----  

.. The last week of warmer than seasonal weather has slowed the catching only slightly.

EASILY CATCHES FISH

.. A few daily temperature records were set and the neighbors have exercised both their sweat glands and vocabularies.
.. Looks, now, to be settling into seasonal temperatures and the fishing is too.
.. Ants are up. Hopper nymphs are molting. Beetles are roaming. Millers are flitting. Bitsie Beasties are hatching. Caddis are prolific. Even the Madison River is highly productive in unusual and accessible places.
.. We're awake way too early and planning more road time. Such is the sleep rhythm of the mature.

-------  

WALLPAPER:  RIB EYE DONE RIGHT

Is Summer Over ?

CAN IT BE ?

Is It Official ?

do the fish know it ?

WALLPAPER:  GREEN GRASS GONE

-------

.. Some of us have not mastered the art of conversing with our thumbs.
.. Some of us have failed to mark time in conventional manners.

CONTEMPORARY MINDSET

.. Some of us refuse to let our left leg atrophy under the convenience of an automatic transmission.
.. A few of us have lived long enough to be able to mark the transition from the election of primarily public servants to the election of primarily greedy power mongers.
.. It seems to have happened around the time of WWII, (and shortly thereafter.)

COULD IT BE ?

.. Some of us still take the time to read a newspaper or two. We're befuddled by the perception that news can be thoroughly explored in sound bites and 140 characters.
.. Occasionally, some of us bump into a print reporter that uses the page to express things that defy condensation. Of the several we've encountered over 15 lustra one has just penned a bit of whimsy that gives pause to thinking about this time of year.
.. Below we quote extensively from Rick Hampson, (LINK-R.)

-----

.. Summer, we‘re told, ends unofficially on Labor Day, officially on the fall equinox (Sept. 22) and psychologically on the night before school starts.

.. Americans don’t agree on summer any more than they agree on politics. But summer’s a state of mind, and you don’t need a calendar to know when it’s over.

TOP UP IN THE SUN

.. Summer’s over when you unpack the beach bag and find the coconut oil has solidified. It’s over when you take the boat out of the water and still pray for Indian summer. It’s over the first time you leave the top up when the sun’s out. The first time you’re once again stuck behind a school bus.

FIRST SNOW ON THE PEAKS

.. You know summer’s over when the first leaf falls and the harvest moon rises, when the mosquitoes stop biting and the dogwood turns red.

.. You can see the end of summer: Geese in chevron flight, Copperheads sunning on the rocks, Snow on the peaks, Crispy nights, Frost on the windshield, and Dead dandelions.

FOOTBALL

.. You can hear the end of summer from the high school football field — the grunts and whistles of pre-season practice, the wobbly notes of the marching band drilling into form.

.. For some of those old enough to remember 16 summers ago, Sept. 11 will always mark the end of the season, and so much else.
.. You can even taste the end of summer – pumpkin coffee, pumpkin Oreos, pumpkin vodka, pumpkin pie and pumpkin beer.

.. But summer’s not really over until the last cricket chirps, the last tomato is picked and the last weed is pulled.

PUMPKIN  PIE

.. It’s not over until the last race at Saratoga. Not until the final out — even if it comes in the World Series in November.

.. On the Gulf Coast, the end of hurricane season — Nov. 30 — is more important than the end of summer, as Harvey has made all too clear.

.. In Jackson Hole, Wyoming it’s the stream of pickups filled with firewood rolling down into town. In West Yellowstone, Montana it's the whispers of big fish leaving Hebgen Reservoir and entering the tributaries for sexual orgies.

.. It’s over in the Willamette Valley of Oregon when the black-eyed-susans lose their petals and the basil turns to black slush.

MORE  FOOTBALL

.. There are people for whom summer always ends early: school administrators, nurses and teachers, whose work begins before the first day of class.
.. Their summer has the rhythm of a weekend. June is a month of Fridays, July is a month of Saturdays, August a month of Sundays.

.. Whenever and wherever it occurs, summer’s end can, for some, come as a relief. For others it's a season of anticipation.

.. For many of us, it’s gotten harder to know when summer ends. Some of the old signposts are useless. People never used to wear white or wear shorts after Labor Day. Now they wear both year round.

.. Another end-of-season marker was the end of summer reruns and the arrival of the TV Guide "Fall Preview" (a fixture since the magazine’s founding in 1953) with the lineup of new shows. Now first runs and reruns are chronologically interchangeable.

FOOTBALL  ??

.. Some signposts have moved forward. The college football season has already kicked off with five games last Saturday, including one (Stanford v. Rice) played in Sydney, Australia, where it’s actually winter.

.. Other signposts have moved back. Once, the change in a vacation area after the tourists left was dramatic and melancholy.
.. In West Yellowstone there was a genuine break in the tourist crowds. The Fall and Winter were gentle respites from the frenetic hustle and bustle and press for tourist dollars.

.. But now the tourists never really leave. The commercially-inspired “shoulder season,’’ with its discounts and festivals has helped to blur the once-distinct summer terminus.
.. We subscribe to the school of thought that allows us the freedom to adjudicate the seasons. “Summer is over, when we say it’s over.’’

-----

GULPERS AND GULPEES

.. Around here the green grass is gone, there is a dusting of snow on the high peaks of the Continental Divide, we have cool nights - BUT - it's 80° F.
.. There are still Callibaetis and gulpers in the morning. There are still hoppers in the afternoon. The Firehole River is just good instead of great for catching. The neighbors are enjoying Fan Creek. Some folks are even getting up early and heading to Slough Creek.
.. The feather merchants are still experiencing good sales and visitation. Some are pushing Fall with special events, (LINK-BS.) 

A PAIR TO DRAW TO

.. Although the catch rate is up in the estuaries around Hebgen Reservoir, there are no reports of giant submarines in the tributaries - YET!
.. For us and most of the neighbors it is still Summer. It is rare to see a September as gentle and compliant as this one. The high country is full of capricious weather and we count ourselves lucky that the BBQ is not sputtering with rain or snow on this Labor Day.

TIE IT ON

.. We are looking forward to a week of sunshine, high 70's and fantastic afternoon catching.
.. As the waters on the west side of Yellowstone National Park cool we predict that there will be good pub talk arising over the next 10 days.
.. Fall fever is in the air. Summer is hanging on. The sky is blue and the sun is bright. The worm hasn't turned.
.. We'll keep you informed.

-------

WALLPAPER:  CHICKEN AND SWISS SANDWICH

Preview

THE COMING SUPER MOON

Where Will You Be ??

where will the fish be ??

Near Full: August 9, 2014 - 21:08:19 - West Yellowstone

-------

.. Depending upon where you are tomorrow night and the way that you set your clock, and depending on the cloud cover and local horizon, the moon should rise around seven or eight of the clock.
.. Here in West Yellowstone it's liable to be cloudy at the time of moon rise which is 8:23 PM, (7:23 PM for Luddites.) so we grabbed a quick snap of tonight's view.
.. Of all the super moons this year the one tomorrow night is rare in that it will be overhead coincident with it's absolute perigee.

TROUT MUNCHIES

.. It will look biggest when near the horizon and probably should best be photographed with a few trees or a building or two for accent. The twilight of dusk should provide some exceptional views for those shutter bugs who occasionally fly fish and take hero shots.
.. Native Americans of the upper Midwest and Northeast called this moon the "Sturgeon Moon." A good sign for catching that great fish. Closer to home the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota named this the "Moon When All Things Ripen."
.. The neighbors that fish at night call it all manner of names depending on whether it helps or hurts the catching. Right now it is the blessed hopper moon or the great big beetle moon or the 'gonna' get 'em with a mouse moon.
.. Fishing in Yellowstone National Park is forbidden after sundown, (we certainly do miss the 10:00 PM closure.) There are nearby, happily, bits and pieces of good water that are in the State of Montana - with no closures for light or dark.
-- That's where we'll be tomorrow night.

-------

WALLPAPER: MOUSE FLY WITH RUSTY HOOK (OOPS)

Got Wheels ?

TRY OTTER TROUT LAKE

An Often Forgotten Place

eager fish, otters, and grunts

-------

.. While the Hoppers have inundated the campground at Slough Creek, and while the elbows are thronging to the famous northeast trinity of Slough, Soda, and Lamar, free-spirited elbows are working up a sweat and enjoying three little lakes with grand views and glorious fishing. Pretty good catching too.

..If you can handle a steep trail under a blistering sun we suggest that this is a proper destination for the angler not obsessed with headhunting or running water. Take your camera and a lunch. Take your bear spray and someone else who will enjoy postcard beauty and a few fish along the way.
.. The trail is a 1/2 mile of uphill grunting. Once up the hill from the road you will encounter an undulating landscape that holds the true trinity of the northeast fishery: Trout Lake, Buck Lake, and Shrimp Lake. These little gems are tucked into periglacial depressions and are well worth the hike. Plan to spend a day or two exploring.

.. The hardcore headhunters can spend a full day at Trout Lake in the hopes of hanging onto a 24" Rainbow Trout or several 18" Cutthroat Trout. This is the site of an early fish hatchery in Yellowstone National Park. The fish did well then and do well now. The otters know it well;  and some of the neighbors make a pilgrimage during hopper time, (LIKE RIGHT NOW!)
.. Buck Lake is also worth fishing for the catching. Shrimp Lake is supposedly devoid of fish but there are otters there too - go figure ? ? ? ?
.. For some reason known only to the trout the catching has been a bit harder than in recent memory. The fish are still large, (medium and small too.) The fishers are still happy to have been there. The otters are still fat and photogenic. The hoppers are hopping. The beetles are beetling and the trout are eating.
.. If you plan to lug a float tube up the hill be sure to get a boat permit for the tube. It's a park requirement and the rangers know.

.. For those of us trapped on the west side of the park the mysteries of the northeast corner hold a fascination that can only be assuaged by the expenditure of time and gasoline. A few of us trek to Cooke City and stay with friends for a long fishing weekend. Some of us camp in the wild. The affluent grab a motel and hang out: fishing hard each day. A trip up the hill is always on the schedule.
.. Closer to home, it's important to note that the Gallatin River is providing some excellent evening activity for both fish and fishers. Hoppers, ants, beetles and caddis are all active and providing entertainment for a the neighbors.
.. It's a busy time of the year for the merchants in town. High summer shopping is in full swing. The streets are crowded and the grocery stores become genuine freak shows with a cacophony of children's shrieks, carts clattering, languages sputtering, and clerks smiling through it all. It's worth viewing if you don't need the groceries.
.. We're avoiding it all and fishing a small little no name tributary of the Notellum River. We will spend the upcoming weekend enjoying the mass gathering of cartoon cars at the 44th annual West Yellowstone Rod Run.

-------

..

Brook Trout Playground

A COLD CLEAR CREEK

With Swift Oxygenated Water

and shade for man and beast

Fish Me

The Lamar Five

NO FANCY NAMES HERE

Stuff  'Em In An Altoids® Tin

share them with friends

CUSTOM FLY BOX

-------

.. Oh to have the legs and exuberance of youth. For us, that time is long gone. Some of the neighbor kids still have it all.
.. They travel light and fast. They fish the best water at the best time and in the best way. They are on intimate terms with the lakes, rivers and streams in our neighborhood and in Yellowstone National Park. They cram a month's worth of fishing into each week and a year's worth into each month.
.. For reasons unknown these kids have befriended us and treat us far more kindly than the cliquish establishment fly fraternity. They probably know more and fish more as well. They don't have to impress visitors. They don't have to sell the latest and greatest. They don't have to engage in hyperbole and fantasy by the day or hour. They are out there and doing it.
.. One rule that permeates all of their catching endeavors is expedience and effectiveness. Their gear is good and effective. It is not limited to fly fishing stuff. It is catching oriented, not stylistic. It is pared to the bare minimum.
.. Their flies are designed from what they see on the rivers and creeks. They will occasionally cruise the local feather merchant's aisles. Ideas are gathered from all points of the compass and then shared with each other over a brew or two. Experimentation is rampant. "Keepers" become legend and they eventually become standardized, (more or less.) The flies are tied at the kitchen table after the dishes are done.

.. There are certain groups of flies that are used for specific times and places. These are loosely codified by river drainage and occasionally time of year. The assemblages are simple. They have no formal designations -- neither do the flies -- usually. Occasionally descriptive terms are applied to specific flies that have proven themselves. Terms like: The Footed Monster, The Spaghetti Muddler, The Green Floater, etc. Some are varieties of well known flies. Right now the Red Humpy is in ascendancy.
.. The kids currently are expending enormous amounts of energy and gasoline traveling to the hinterland of the northeast corner of the park. Only a few flies are used. They  can be made to cover all situations. Sizes are situational. They work: only one has a familiar name.
.. The names are: Dark Floater, Light Floater, Winged PT, Spaghetti Muddler, Red Humpy. The kids have allowed me to make some pictures of the Lamar Five. You should not have any trouble matching the names to the faces.

-----

 -------