Wrap It Up

THE LATE SEASON

Runner Region

some keep score

WALLPAPER:  ACCESS FOR CATCHING

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.. During the terminal weeks of fishing and catching in Yellowstone National Park one bit of the Madison River is very busy.
.. Runner fever infects even the most surly of fishers from near and far. Body temperatures rise. Blood runs rapidly. Dances on tiptoes break out frequently. Wild gesticulations of arms, legs, heads, and bodies abound.
.. One of our neighbors, (poor fellow,) is afflicted each year. He even keeps score and has a detailed log of his catches. We have convinced him to allow us to post his follies for this last year.
.. We promised to do it after the park closed to fishing and to visitors.

ACCESS POINTS

.. Here it is with his stipulations, (map above.) Only general areas are shown for the numbers of runners taken, (white numbers.)
.. No specific river locations are shown in detail. Access points that he uses are shown with a cartoon "A."

BAKER'S HOLE BUGGER

.. This note is not meant to show the density of the runners. It is not meant to show the most productive areas for catching. It is just a visual chronicle of a single neighbor and his catches of runners this last year.

SKINNYTUKA

.. He, (like us,) avoids elbows on the water.
.. He is plugged into both the establishment fisher network and the neighborhood jungle drums, (unlike us.)
.. He fishes nearly every day, (before, during, and after work.) Shame on him.

WOOLLY BUGGER

.. Young and strong as he is, he avoids the most difficult of access points to the water.
.. Even as a youngster he has discovered that that not all the latest and greatest flies are winners.
.. His most successful flies are the Woolly Bugger, the Skinnytuka, Baker's Hole Bugger, and King Prince Nymph.

KING PRINCE

.. We know that more than 75 fish of heroic size in three or four weeks does stretch credulity. We believe it.

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.. So, it's late and today we may be able to skulk along the shore of the South Fork of the Madison River.
.. There are both big, sex crazed fish from Hebgen Reservoir and, some nice spunky residents to be visited.
.. The willows are thick, the snow is coming down, the visitors are few and, neighborhood elbows nearly missing.

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WALLPAPER:  STRAWBERRIES SWIM IN SYRUP

The Bite

GATE FEES UP ?

Public Comment

add your voice

WALLPAPER:  SOFTLY FAITHFUL

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.. A proposed fee increase for many popular parks in the National Park System has been announced by the National Park Service.
.. 17 parks will could enjoy an increased entrance fee during the five month "peak season."
.. During a five-month peak-season at each of the 17 parks, the entrance fee would be $70 per vehicle, $50 per motorcycle, and $30 per person. All of the funds would be used to improve facilities, infrastructure, and visitor services, with an emphasis on deferred maintenance projects.

 The peak season for each park is defined as the busiest contiguous five month period and would be as follows:

- May 1-September 30 for Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Denali National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Olympic National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Zion National Park
- June 1-October 31 for Acadia National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Shenandoah National Park
- January 1-May 31 for Joshua Tree National Park

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RESOURCES:

Chicago Tribune,
Los Angeles Times,
USA Today,
NPS Information Page,
Public Comment Page.

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.. Finally the whispers have taken over the conversations in the pubs. Runners on the Madison River are thick as mosquitoes in the Bechler Region.

{{As an aside: There are some nice fish coming out of the Bechler River and the road is still open and dusty.}} 

YELLOWISH WOOLLY BUGGER

.. Yellow Woolly Buggers seem to be in the ascendancy for gulling and galling the submarines.
.. They are really just a matter of personal preference since the fish are lit up and ready to kill any intruder that looks either threatening or like food. 
.. Crowds of fishers left during our recent snow and brief cooling. With today's sunshine and more temperate weather all the usual suspects are at all the usual  places and doing some exciting catching.  

BLUEBIRD SKY AND SOME WARMTH

.. We thought that the run was light this year BUT, it was just a smidgen late. Shows what we know! There are very many fish from Hebgen Reservoir throughout the Madison / Gardiner River system - - - below the falls on each river.

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.. Some of the more energetic and fit neighbor kids are scoring big fish on the Firehole River in the "Spawn Canyon" above Old Faithful and below Kepler Cascades.

WHERE THE BIG FISH ARE

.. Although this bit of the river is seldom fished it is not a secret by any means. Fishing on the river above the Grand Loop Highway bridge is legal. It's just a major nuisance to leave the river after fishing it.
.. As they say in the pubs: "It is 100 yards in and five miles out." The parking is tough and the hike out of the canyon is a real grunt. It can be treacherous going down too  -- unless you are very careful.
..Every now and again a fisher brags about a 24" monster fish taken from the Firehole River. The best and most honest protestations in defense of the fish story are seldom believed. However, there are big fish in the river if you know where to find them. In the Fall of the year they are concentrated in this little canyon. Try it now.

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NO SNOW FOR HALLOWEEN ?

.. The next six or seven days, (save one,) will show a return to 'tourist weather.' Feather merchants are ecstatic and the guides are dancing cross legged. There are bugs in the air, fish in the water and fishers packed elbow to elbow -- game on go to it!
.. We're up early to build a couple of lunches and fill a few Thermos bottles with some black swill. Perhaps some amber liquid in a small flask too. Off we go.

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WALLPAPER:  GERMAN'S SWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE