High Water Mark

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10,000 Visitors
who could guess
river report
blogging
protect your waters

.. Sometime late this afternoon or evening there will be visitor #10,000 to this site. During that same time frame a view of page #20,500, will happen.
.. That's a big surprise. This little "Family & Friends" weblog was just supposed to take the place of the myriad emails that we exchange with folks that come to visit and fish.
.. The site was opened in January, and the first public post was on April 7, 2006. It's grown and takes just as much time as all the emails, it's less personal, and both more and less rewarding. So there you have it.
.. Fishers from all over the world visit the site. We've included the visit map from last night - Hello Croatia and McMurdo!
.. We know what flies to fish on the Kupa River, but what should we use in Antarctica? Size 22 krill?
.. The visitors to this site must be more web savvy than most, since about 35% of you use Firefox, (the Firefox browser share on the web is only about 10%.) About 8% of the visitors are Mac users, the rest are some form of Internet Explorer.
..The average stay is just over 5 minutes and the average page views is just about 2-1/2.

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.. The best of the fishing in Yellowstone National Park is on it's last legs. From now until the park closes will be the best and worst of the year depending on the weather.
.. We'll continue to post through the winter. It'll be about our trips to Argentina, Chili, and Australia; some fly tying, rod restoration, tackle acquisitions, and sundry notes about Yellowstone National Park.
.. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank the other web sites that posted links to here.
.. Also a big Thank You to Jessie Armitage for working out Blogger glitches and the transition to Blogger Beta. Finally thanks to the neighbors who made a special effort to help us keep this weblog accurate, truthful, and current.

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.. The Gallatin River fished well yesterday. We spent about 7 hours on the short stretch below the confluence meadows and took a couple dozen fish. One fat Cutbow was over 14" as measured against the old Payne, and a Brown was as long, but was on the snaky side. There were a couple of hoppers in the grass but we fished a Big Wing Sparkle Caddis, (size 12,) and a dark olive-green Woolly Worm with a yellow tail, (size 10.) There was a reported Baetis hatch at about mile-post 25 - 26, and we saw pictures of large fish taken on Royal Humpy flies, (size 14.)
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.. We'll only provide a brief mention of the South Fork Of The Madison River. The spawners have started to pod up in the estuary. Prince Nymphs, Woolly Buggers, and Light Spruce Flies are the dance tickets for this wonderful event. As soon as the water gets a bit higher and colder we'll have to put WD-40 on the guides and get down to the willows. That's all we're going to say.
.. If it's big fish you're after try the Madison River between the Talus Slope pull-out and National Park Meadows. Get there at day break and fish a large, (8 - 12,) green or amber soft hackle. Fish it deep and slow as possible. Finally, the river between the Baker's Hole Campground and 7-mile bridge is beginning to get crowded with big fish, and fisher folk too.) Check out this blog post for the surprise of a returning visitor to Fall Fly Fishing in Yellowstone.)
.. There are also sketchy reports for the big fish making it to the Gibbon River in National Park Meadows - nothing substantial. The big pools and bends just above the Tuff Cliffs area should be good within 72 hours. Dredge these waters deep and dark - a Dark Spruce Fly or a Black Woolly Bugger, (size 6 - 10,) should give some satisfaction.

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.. Moldy Chum is always full of good news and tantalizing photos; none more so than the post HERE.
.. Get over to Trout Underground to learn how to vicariously fish the world. And don't forget the Blogger Ho Down.

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.. From PROTECT YOUR WATERS comes this note:

"Yellowstone National Park is our nation's first park and the flagship of our entire national park system. It is also global destination location for many visitors to the U.S. In fact, the entire Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which spans three states and ranges from Bozeman, MT in the north to Jackson Hole, WY in the south and from Island Park, ID in the west to Cody, WY in the east, contains many incredible natural resources. Find out what the government is doing in cooperation with various business interests to conserve the resources of this region. Click on the following hotlink to get the details. Read the full story to get the details." LINK.

.. They also let us know that there may be a movement afoot to concede Utah to Whirling Disease. Protect Your Waters SUMMARY. KCPW NEWS STORY.

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Bloggers Hold Ho

A SMATTERING OF BLOGGERS
Weather Report
River Reports
other stuff




.. At some time, and place, between 'The People's Park' and Poppy-Seed Rolls at the Ashram, a group of California bloggers discovered the great outdoors.
.. As time passed they came up with the idea that a professional blogging association should be formed.
.. This association would gather in pretty places and deliver obscure papers; meet in secret groves; establish standards; issue membership cards, and have a professional logo.
.. Unlike the standard professional meeting, (given the somber bent of these folks,) we suspect that the business sessions will be conducted in a gray-walled room - devoid of windows and libations.
.. Most of these types are also in bed by 7:30 PM, so late night revelry will be mostly missing. They will all be awake in time to have granola for breakfast and beat the sunrise by an hour. They will bound to their "ROOF-RACKED SUBARUS" and drive to high places to greet the day.
.. The idea came to fruition over a rare bottle of V. Sattui Cabernet and is about to take place somewhere in the foggy reaches of Northern California - (the left coast has all the fun.)
.. Here's the scoop: They have decided to call it a HO DOWN, (my, my, - we hope it's shades of John Hartford, and not something else,) and they are on their way to the Druidic Festival now - yes, as you read this some are even gathering.
.. And, Ol' Tom Underground, (a 6' Hobbit,) is going to host the arcane affair at the base of Mt. Shasta - to start with. Sounds like the beginning of an excellent adventure.
.. For more information you can check the following sites:
-- Get Outdoors - Site,
-- Get Outdoors - First Annual,
-- Get Outdoors - Down Is On,
-- Get Outdoors - We Need,
-- Two Heel Drive - . . . and Finally,
-- Here's where it's at, (add noun!).
-- They also need bikers for the Ho Down. They must be hearty, outdoorsy types, with gumption and true grit. We nominate the ones shown here, LINK.

.. Sounds like a good idea - have fun folks.
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.. The weather is AWFUL, and that's good. Last night's cold rain will spark the rivers to life. The dawning failed to reveal the grand storm that was predicted, but it is definitely cooler. The broken clouds, and clean crisp air of this morning say just one thing - "Get Thee To A River."
..The Firehole River is perking up with the deteriorating weather. There was a small but significant Baetis, (is this late?) hatch right at the foot bridge in Biscuit Basin last night. Size 16 - 18 flies is tough for these old eyes and fingers but we managed to take some 12" - 14" trout. The infrequent raindrops were of the horizontal and frozen variety.
.. There are large fish in the channel from the 191 bridge down to Hebgen Lake on the Madison River. We have two trusted reports that 14" - 18" Brown Trout are also being taken at Barns Holes. The exact location was vague, but the parking places are filling up rapidly. Get there early, (got thermos?) and have a variety of streamers. The run is on and the dances are glorious - we're going in about 15 minutes.
.. The confluence meadows of the Gallatin River have seen some good fish move in during the last 72 hours. These fish will be a bit spooky for the next few days, (thin and low - don'tchaknow,) so take some small Yellowstone Spruce Flies and a few San Juan Worms when you crawl through the cold and wet brush.
.. The big plunge pool at the base of Gibbon Falls should begin to produce soon. This is tough stuff, but the Gibbon River hasn't started to fill yet and it's still possible to fish with a modicum of safety. Back in April we posted a note about the "Yellowstone Definition" of Fly Fishing. There's also some hints about fishing this swirling cauldron of fish and water.

.. Some excellent news comes from California. The State Legislature has sent a bill to the Gubanator that deals with ballast water and invasive species. Treatment to kill invasive species would be required of all ships in California waters and ports - yes even the long range fleet from San Diego and Pierpoint Landing. Protect Your Waters has a brief note about this legislation. The Contra Costa Times & Mercury News carried the full story. This is ground breaking stuff and may set an international precedent.

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