Of Wikis And Caddis

CLICK OVER AND CONTRIBUTE

just the facts ma'am
(P.S. hoppers seen in Gibbon Meadows)

.. The recent expansion of the fly fishing sections at Wikepedia continues. Recent additions to Angling In Yellowstone National Park, and Fly Fishing have begun to shape the whole section and topic. When this flurry of activity is over the die will be cast for the scope and content of the subject.
.. Wikipedia has grown to enormous proportions and is becoming a "go-to" source for both casual and serious research. It's still a bit cumbersome too, but it is a useful early tool in research and general information gathering.
.. The Wiki-Spawn are proliferating and now include Wikiversity, wikiHow, Wikihowto. Cross references and cross fertilization is beginning to be fully incorporated in the various articles on many topics and subjects.
.. There is currently no entry for fly fishing in Wikiversity, wikiHow has dozens of fishing related articles including how to fish for river trout and how to tie a blood knot, Wikihowto has no articles on fly fishing.
.. Here's how you can help. The Fly Fishing article in Wikipedia has an editorial box, (masthead image,) noting the specificity of some aspects of the article, along with a caution that technique and methods might be better suited to other wikis.
.. Jump right in and add your two cents worth. If you don't, your expertise and information may be lost to the ages, (we notice that the East Gallatin River entry is particularly sparse.) Or just ignore it all and go fishing.

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.. Now is the time to tie up some 'Hopper-Dropper' leaders. The hoppers are going to be here very soon and the action promises to be violent this season.
.. There are a few hoppers at the little riffle above the picnic area in [no] Elk Park on the Gibbon River. There are a few in the meanders at National Park Meadows on the Madison and Gibbon Rivers. None have been seen at Grasshopper Bank - but then, again, we didn't stop to look.
.. We have a trusted report that there are hoppers at Roosevelt, and that the elk on the flats south of Gardiner have been seen kicking at mysterious yellow dots.
.. Take your fluttering caddis for a walk on the Firehole River after dinner. Stay until dark-thirty and fish the back eddies and undercut banks. Keep the 'skeeters away with an occasional respite and your favorite bug repellent.
.. There is still very good fishing on Nez Perce Creek. Don't tell anyone that you heard about it here. Simple attractors and a few soft hackles will be all you need. We fished there all day and into the night with just Feather Dusters and Stiff Hackles, (floated and sunk both of them and they worked just fine.) Caught a fish or two. Saw a bear. Saw a bison. Saw two day hikers. Visited with a blood sucking mosquito.
.. All bugs present and accounted for on the Gallatin River. All fish eating well. No hopper reports here yet, but that doesn't mean you can't practice with them. PMD's, Golden Stone Flies, and a glorious evening caddis hatch adorn this river.
.. Somehow the word has spread and the parking places are scarce. Try a Casual Dress, Yellowstone Sally, or Hellifiknow in sizes 12 and smaller. You can float or sink them to your heart's desire.
.. Jason Neuswanger over at the Trout Nut has some fine pictures of caddis in all stages. It's no wonder there are so many successful imitations. His Hydropsychidae page is full of both pictures and fishing information
.. Soda Butte Creek is ripe. Morning will be the finest time if you dislike mosquitoes. Fish the little riffles and pocket water in the small canyon just above the confluence meadows. Nymphs, to start with, is the way to go; followed by your favorite PMD or Gray Drake imitations. Floating a sparsely dressed soft hackle can do it all.
.. Evning will bring on the caddis and a trip down the road to Slough Creek can produce some amazing results with just about any well presented imitation.
.. An excellent pattern for almost the whole caddis hatch is the Iris Caddis. This pattern originated right here in West Yellowstone. It is a development of the folks at Blue Ribbon Flies and is usually fished as a floater. It is just as effective when drowned. The original can be seen HERE. A modern version can be seen HERE. Tie a bunch of these and use them behind a floating hopper and you may get tired of catching.

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.. Those busy beavers over at Parks Fly Shop have published a useful article entitled A Month By Month Rundown Of The Fishing In Yellowstone Country. This brings their information articles to four. We look forward to the coming chapters.
.. The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) has updated and expanded their site. This foundation is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It has excellent introductory articles for family fishing and boating fun. The fishing information is generalized enough for the novice and specific enough for the advanced angler. Regional and state information is excellent, and very useful if you travel to an unfamiliar region of the country. Check out the Fishing Section, and the State Information. There's even some statewide fishing reports that are references to commercial sites and are sort of timely and mostly accurate.
.. Fly Fishing Yellowstone Park continues to grow and expand. The recently added stream directory and the Yellowstone Hatches sidebar are very useful introductory tools. We anticipate additional hatch charts, too.
.. We would be remiss in our late night typing should we fail to mention the beautiful sheepshead fish pictured over at the Horse's Mouth. Such wondrous form and proportions are seldom seen in this part of the world. It must be the salt water that enhances such striking beauty.

The Heat Is On

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ON FIRE

FIREHOLE JUST AS HOT

Fish It Now

.. Finally, after some bit of color and high flows, the Firehole River is in great shape. There are bugs galore. There are fish galore. There are fishers galore. And the FFF is in West Yellowstone with sages of all stripes parading the streets instead of fishing.
.. Still high, the Firehole River is clear and the fish are looking up. Hatches of PMD's are getting more dense by the day, and persist into the evening Caddis hatches. It has been better, but not much.
.. The river is providing something for everyone right now. There is a good spinner fall, and the "before coffee crew" are scoring very well with light colored soft hackles, (size 16 - or so,) floated in the eddy's of the quiet stretches.
.. Another fly that is useful in the morning is the Yellowstone Morning Glory. Fish it in the film and hang on. This fly is best in mid-morning: that time between the beginning of the hatch and when you give up on the spinners.
.. By the time brunch is on -- 11:00 or so, the same soft hackle and Morning Glory can be drowned and serve as an emerger. If the hatch is up to snuff and a few clouds obscure the sun it's time for a bit of fluff on top. Many of the neighbors use a CDC dun, in size 16 - 18.
.. Should you pause for a late lunch at 4:30 or 5:00 you won't miss a thing and the caddis will start with the tail end of the PMD's. The Dark Peacock Herl caddis is doing fine, as is the Deer Hair Caddis that we borrowed from Jason Neuswanger over at the Trout Nut. Instructions and recipe for the dark caddis can be found at the Flyfishingconnection, (Recipe.)
.. Nymphing is an all day proposition because of the overlapping hatches and a two fly rig is very productive. We're using a Feather Duster up top with a Prince Nymph at the point. Sizes in the 14 - 18 range are fine.
-- The prospects for catching will increase with overcast days and the bug density is very high right now. There are even some BIG and little stoneflies for those fishers of a dredging bent. Silli-Legs seem to be the most prevalent fly on the river right now. We've used them in yellow and deep orange and done well. The rocky and riffled sections have held some good fish, (to 18"+) in very gratifying numbers over the past few days.
.. With little, (other than the afternoon showers,) precipitation forecast for a week or so, it looks like the Firehole season is upon us.
.. The most elbows are seen in Biscuit Basin, at the south and north ends of the Freight Road, and the riffles and runs in the Midway Basin area. A little walk will bring you to less crowded water such as the nooks and crannies of Pocket Basin.
.. Nez Perce Creek is barely fishable and still full of bears. This is truly adventurous water.
.. The Madison River has maintained its depth but clarity has greatly improved over the last week. Many have called the death of the stonefly hatch, but they are still hatching and they are still productive as lures. The big nymphs and surface flies such as Marcella's Trout Fly, and yellow Woolly Worms are wonderfully plebeian and magnificently effective. In fact, for those that want to catch some of the larger fish these two flies are all that's needed. Silli-Legs in various combination's of colors are also being used by the neighbors with good success.
.. The Gibbon River canyon is still a bit frothy and surprisingly swift. Color is down to a nice shade of pink and visibility is at about 3 or 4 feet. Just about any nymph is a good bet. We like: Yellow Feather Duster, Bead Head Prince, and Green Soft Hackle flies. The little meadows above the Norris Campground are holding small Brown Trout, (to 12",) along with the standard assortment of Brookies and rumors of the occasional Grayling. We missed our iridescent ghost last year and have vowed not to be so humiliated this year.
.. The snow is off the trail to Grebe Lake and all that's left is mud and more mud. Take a brief walk, (about 3 miles in,) and catch the most willing fish in Yellowstone. There are grayling and other dancers just starving for your two-fly rig. A floated soft hackle or elk hair caddis with a small Yellowstone Badger should fill your ego to gigantic proportions. That should provide the energy to get back out. Requirements are: BUG SPRAY, BEAR SPRAY, MOOSE ALERTEDNESS!

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.. Catching should slow down a bit for the rest of this weekend, but the clouds and afternoon showers will be returning for next week. The snow pack will keep the flows up a bit; and should keep the water temperatures in the best range for a few more weeks. The Firehole River is still about 200 cfs above its seasonal average but the clarity is very good. Temperatures are within seasonal norms and showing their typical diurnal/nocturnal swings.
.. The Gibbon River is still the major contributor of color to the Madison River. It's running about 250 cfs above its averages and given the flows is surprisingly clear.
.. The combined discharge rates of the Gibbon River and the Firehole River have kept the Madison River at about 400 cfs above its 81 year seasonal norms. It's amazing that it's fishable at all; let alone as good as it is. It will get better next week as temperatures and clouds contribute to its catch-ability.

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.. Well, the folks in Missoula are trembling as the ancient Chandler Toyota gasps its way toward paradise. Tune in to the Underground Adventure and see what kind of California Shenanigans invade the serene mountains of Montana.
.. An update of the California fires can be found at The Horse's Mouth. They also have an awfully nice image of the purrrfect pout.
.. Jason over at the Troutnut has added some superlative images of both bugs and water. There are some new wallpapers too. give it a click the next time you're interested in a bit of learned esoterica.

Absolutely Beautiful

GO VISIT JASON

.. While perusing Jason Neuswanger's Trout Nut site we were overwhelmed by the beauty of one of our favorite fishes. The picture of the day is an Alaskan Grayling. Just the right size and with all the subtle colors and iridescence captured by the photographer. Stunning.
.. Click HERE for the gorgeous and giant image.
.. Thanks Jason!