Hopper Time

GOODBYE HOOT OWL 

Hello Ants & Hoppers

float 'em or sink 'em

NPS / Jacob W. Frank

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.. Pack a lunch and plan to stay for some time.  Yellowstone National Park has lifted the "Hoot Owl" restrictions on fishing the waters of the park. Read about it HERE.

.. Full Report from the darkest corners of the local pubs = tomorrow !!

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WALLPAPER: WITH BUTTERMILK

Fish Early

 WATERS CLOSED IN AFTERNOON

Heat Plus Drought

or - just don't !!

DRY AND HOT AND LOW

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.. As of today river and stream fishing will be prohibited from 2 p.m. until sunrise. Heat, low water, and fishing pressure has prompted the NPS to restrict fishing and protect our fish.

See: PARK NEWS RELEASE, (LINK.)

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WALLPAPER: PORK CHOP, CARAMELIZED PEARS, SPINACH

Long Days

OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND

Still Water Or Fast Water

deep water too

WALLPAPER: OFF ROAD GALLATIN POOL

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.. The crowds are still here and cranky. It may be a post lock-down exuberance. Even fly fishers are grumpy. We avoid them like a swarm of mosquitoes.

SOMETHING YELLOW

.. On the Gallatin River there is gentility not seen in the rest of the neighborhood. Good catching and good parking seems to be the order of the day - we're surprised. The usual suspects are galling fish and entertaining fishers. It's a simple formula: a few Stoneflies, some Yellow Sallies, the Spruce Moths are starting, and even Ants or Caddis Flies will work. Be a gentleman about your work Get up at the crack of late. Enjoy a lazy breakfast and then cruise the river for a chance at a good parking spot. The bugs start around noon - or so.

THESE

.. Hebgen Reservoir offers all day catching opportunities. On those rare still morning the Callabaetis are popping = gulpers galore for the sharp of eye and casting precision. Should the wind show up early, please remember that the bugs are still emerging and the fish are still rising, ( just hard to see and cast with precision.) Move close to the weed beds and fish with a dry and dropper = high rate of success.

GETS DOWN

.. The edges of the weeds, or holes in the weed beds will gather up fish below the surface. Leeches, Dark Streamers or Double Nymph rigs with a big and little one will surprise both fish and fisher. Your favorite dark and light nymphs will pair nicely in this situation. The dark on top and the light about 18" below it. Kind of like Crappie or White Bass fishing.

SOFT HACKLE

.. Both the Firehole River and the Madison River have been warming up and slowing down. The most successful catchers have gone below with the tried and true Soft Hackles or Stiff Hackles. There are a few deep spots that provide classical rises to emergent  bugs and floatsome. Try to find one early and in the shade. Dodge elbows and be polite. Should you choose to fish for an extended period of time it might be useful to take a flask and a sandwich. Small pocket binoculars are useful for probing the shadows if you are serious. The noses are of the stealth variety.

.. There are certainly other places that the neighbors are fishing -- but we will hold those for a day or two.

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WALLPAPER: STEAK 'N' TATER

FISH NOW

ENJOY RECORD CROWDS

Be Kind In Line

watch your elbows

ENJOY - CELEBRATE

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.. Don't rush. Early or late is best. Grab the first parking place you see. Cover lots of water. Fish with a buddy. Fishing is much more important than catching. Eat good grits in moderation. Imbibe sensibly.

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WALLPAPER: POACHED SHRIMP

Side Road

 NO FISH HERE

Fish Going In

fish going out

JUST A BIT OF FORGOTTEN MONTANA

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.. Just a brief note: it's nuts in the park. Post pandemic visitation has brought out the crazy folks. Just a reminder: Yellowstone National Park is not a petting zoo and you do not need to stop and admire every ground squirrel, (live or dead.)

.. Bring your "A" game and cover lots of water, The fish are there and surprisingly active. Some are even looking up early in the day.

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WALLPAPER:  PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

For Your Service

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.. Fishing opens in Yellowstone National Park on May 28, 2021. That's today! The opening day fly box should include a wide assortment of subsurface offerings and a few very small floaters. Fish the seams, the riffles, and undercut banks.

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WALLPAPER:  TAQUITOS FANTASTICO

Trout Be Gone !!

WILDERNESS INVASION

The Damn Rainbows

we'll fix it

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.. In a continuing effort to remove invasive Rainbow Trout from the Slough Creek/Lamar River/ Yellowstone River system the current environmental assessment shows the way.

.. Above it's barrier falls Buffalo Creek was naturally fishless. Rainbow Trout were planted in Hidden Lake in 1935. They migrated downstream in the Buffalo River to Slough Creek and commenced to hybridize with the native Cutthroat Trout.

.. The current proposal is to remove the invasive species from above the barrier falls to provide a refuge for the native Cutthroat Trout.

.. Yellowstone National Park, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and the National Forest Service are cooperating in this effort. There is a comment email address for response from the public, (fwpregion5pc@mt.gov)

RESOURCES

>> Billings Gazette

>> Draft EA

>> MoldyChum

>> Montana FWP Cutthroat Trout Story

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WALLPAPER: HOT BEEF SANDWICH & MASHED SPUDS

New Book

 COMING SOON

Pre-Order Possible

another stackpole treasure

COMING SOON

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.. Years and years of local experience are contained in this book.

..If you read, if you read about fishing, if you read about fishing the west side of Yellowstone National Park: you need to read this.

.. This title will be released on July 1, 2021.You can pre-order HERE.

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WALLPAPER:  HAM AND EGGS

Mark Your Calendar

 BIG DOIN'S COMIN'

A Death In The Family ?

some new data revealed

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.. Future tourists to Yellowstone National Park may find a forest where Old Faithful is now. Recent data collected by the U.S.G.S. combined with previous data suggests a timeline for the cessation of eruptions in the Upper Geyser Basin, (yes even Old Faithful.)

.. Radiocarbon dates on wood from the geyser mound combined with lengthening eruption intervals point to a cessation of eruptions in the near, (geological,) future. Our current, (and trending climate regime,) is most like the Medieval Climate Anomaly [LINK.] That was a time, about 800 years ago, when the North Atlantic Ocean was warmer than it is now.

All manner of human historic events occurred during that time: Norse discovered Greenland, Norse discovered North America, prolonged droughts affected the Great Basin and the Native Americans living there, Chico Canyon and Pueblo Bonito in the southwest were abandoned, etc.

RESOURCES

>> Live Science,

>> Fox News,

>> Wikipedia,

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WORKS GUUD

.. Very Big fish this year in the Lower Madison River. Avoid the Conga Lines. Cover lots of water. Bundle up. Bring warming libations. Mash a sandwich or two. Don't give up. Use big flies.

.. The dense run of big fish seems to be a bit later this year. Global warming or reduced pressure or just plain magic? Get out there now!

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WALLPAPER:  FOR THE KIDS

.

The Way It Was

15 MINUTES  IN YELLOWSTONE

More Than Lunch

it is the best

...

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WALLPAPER:  RIBEYE  --  YUM !!

Three For Right Now

MAKFLIES IS AT IT AGAIN

Use These Today

find the slow water

.. When the fisher folks just downstream from you are catching six to your one - try these. Nothing fancy. Not too small. Not hard to tie. Just good trout foolery!

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skittering midge

.. We finished grocery shopping early: before the visitors rolled out. Got it all in fridge and stashed for the week. Now, on to Notellum River for the early rising dance partners. We're taking the Skittering Midge for a short walk. Looks to be a warm and lazy day.
.. The neighbors snelled up a couple of dozen flies for us. The eyes went first, then the legs; now there are spots and shakes = glad to be alive! Have a happy Fourth of July🇺🇸.
.. The Yellowstone Park  'elbow brigade' was out in force yesterday. Lots of fancy gear and kit on the water. We wish them well.

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WALLPAPER:  Salsiccia Calabrese, Munster, Rye

Can It Be ?

FOUR FIVE CONQUERORS?

Woke For July 3 ?

exclusive or inclusive ?

A NATIVE AMERICAN SACRILEGE ?

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.. Some interesting facts:
1) Washington and Jefferson both held slaves,
2)  Lincoln, though he led the abolition of slavery, also approved the hanging of 38 Dakota men in Minnesota after a violent conflict with invading white settlers there,
3)  Roosevelt, a good Republican, is reported to have said, "I don't go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians, but I believe nine out of every ten are." He also said, "the most vicious cowboy has more moral principle than the average Indian.” {LINK}
..  For many Native American people, including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Omaha, Arapaho, Kiowa and Kiowa-Apache, the monument is a desecration of the Black Hills, which they consider sacred. Lakota people know the area as Paha Sapa — "the heart of everything that is."
.. So, of course, our president a good Republican,  has scheduled a major event at the monument. We have had our head shaken by this juxtaposition of perceptions in this time of conflict, pandemic and, national unrest.
..  Unlikely as it is, many fly fishers, feather merchants, fishing web sites, and YouTube channels avoid comment on the reality of this moment in history; we are fully cognizant of the sociopolitical atmosphere surrounding us. It is troubling! We cannot avoid comment. Silence is not enough.
.. For this celebration of Independence Day, we're trapped in a little tourist town with 1/4 of the shops closed. Montana is not fully "open" yet. Entitled visitors from around the world are trouping through our village. There are very few face masks present. The grocery store aisles are full of normal appearing folks searching the empty shelves.
.. The surreal aspects of our daily existence are entirely missed by those entitled visitors = fly fishers included. We've lost our part time gig due to closures. We're free to observe from our car, porch, patio, and occasional forays into the grocery store, post office, hardware store and gas station = such an awakening. May this never happen again!

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CADDIS TO GO

.. Yesterday's mid-day thunder boomers brought some hail and cool rains to the neighborhood. The result was a brief respite from the warm weather and a moderate period of excellent evening catching.

.. The Firehole River will be fishable for the coming weekend. Catchable is another question. Temperature spikes to 70°F are already here. Early morning is best - very late evening is a fair bet as well. Stick with soft hackles in the shadows. Don't spend any effort with surface flies unless the critters are crawling in your ears. If so, they are probably caddis of one sort or another.

.. The Madison River has fared better this year. Catching has succumbed to the "Madison Holy Trinity" = caddis. PMD and, soft hackles. A dozen of each should endear you to the local counter help. Remember that surface flies may be drowned and still catch those pesky trout.

COACHMAN HACKLE

.. Early morning should find you parked in a wide dirt spot on the Gibbon River. Get there early and pound the riffles and dark slicks with large nymphs.
.. By noon time refugees from the other rivers will inundate the road and the parking spots. When it becomes elbow-crazy a small movement can continue your catching,
.. The meadows around the museum of the ranger and, upstream are full of brook trout and the occasional grayling. This is a good place to practice your stealth stalking skills. Just about any fly on  the surface will bring strikes. Good, long drifts, are best. Don't be too quick of wrist. The little fish often miss and come back for seconds.

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.. With a few neighbors and, no dogs, we're headed to a secluded bend on the Notellum River at the edge of the park boundary. A small fire just beyond the park line and a few steaks, (nearly a week's rent,) along with a cool one and great fellowship with young skeptics and old grouches should celebrate our independence.😎😎😎😎

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WALLPAPER:  CANNELLINI SOUP WITH BACON GARNISH

S.3422

FOR ALL OF US

Just Passed The Senate

fix deferred maintenance

BIPARTISAN ACTION

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.. Senate Bill S.3422 just passed the senate and, (barring a presidential veto,) is set to become law.  This is a bill that is about investing in the next generation of Montana outdoors men and women and ensuring our public lands can be enjoyed well into their future.
.. Follow the bill HERE. 

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CLIPPED STIMMI

.. We're getting a week of on-&-off drizzle. The caddis are sparse, the white millers are present, big bugs in the Madison River and Firehole Canyon. Just perfect for the old Seal Dry crew.
.. There is plenty of parking in Yellowstone National Park. There is plenty pf parking for shopping in our village. Wear a face mask and tread gently. 
.. Grocery stores have some empty shelves. Deliveries are on Wednesday!!!

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WALLPAPER:  HAM & SWISS SANDWICH

Fishing Weather

STARTS TODAY

Don't Miss Out

parking and open water

WALLPAPER:  READY AND WAITING

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.. Yellowstone National Park has many lonely fish. It's time to make friends with a few of them. This is an unusual time in national and Yellowstone history.
.. Visitation through the west entrance is is very low and may set modern records for sparse figures. Check out the west entrance webcam HERE. 

TIME FOR THESE

.. Tonight the rain starts and temperatures will be in the 30's. Tomorrow will see some 20's and, drizzle throughout the early morning and heavy cloud cover until evening.
.. Monday will bring us light snow with nitrogen for the garden and, hatches to die for. Tuesday will be gray and low and damp. Perfect fishing weather - Y'all come!
. Of course the neighbors have made some rapid forays to the rivers and streams, They are eager for the upcoming weather. Starting tonight we will recover from yesterday's unseasonably high of 83F.

Here's a few observations from the neighbors:

THE 'GO TO' FLY

>> Firehole River a bit high and fishing good,
>> Big bugs in the Firehole Canyon,
>> Yellow bugs on the muddy Gibbon River, 
>> Madison River is clearing - rain may slow it's progress,
>> Gibbon River in the highest meadows has light color,
>> Gallatin River cold and clear - wait on this one.
>> Madison River around the west boundary has some outrun snakes. 

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.. Daily fishing reports can be found in the webpages of the feather merchants in the left sidebar.
.. Ask the simple questions when seeking information: "Have you fished where you are suggesting that I go?," "When ?" Ask guides and counter help if they support the 'keep 'em wet' philosophy.

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WALLPAPER:  NICELY MARBLED