Fish Weir Verifies Run

THEY'RE HERE !

Hebgen Lake Alive
madison & firehole hot

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.. As announced by the USFS last month (PDF), the floating fish weir on the Madison River is in operation and researchers are continuing to evaluate the condition of the fishery in the Hebgen Basin.
..The weir, located between Baker's Hole & the Highway 191 Bridge, is checked daily and each trapped fish is measured, weighed, examined for signs of disease, and released. Rainbow trout are also tagged with a uniquely numbered tag.
.. Anglers are asked to refrain from targeting fish that may be concentrated immediately upstream and downstream of the weir.
.. Any anglers who catch tagged rainbow trout should report the tag color, number, date captured, and location of capture to the Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks (406)682-7807. For more information contact the Hebgen Lake Ranger District at (406) 823-6961 or Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks at (406) 682-7807.
.. Hebgen Lake is providing excellent catching of both Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout. Hot spots include: Rainbow Point, The Narrows, Madison Arm Estuary, The Dam, and the whole North Shore. Most of the neighbors are reporting fish in the 14" - 22" range on the local fly called a "Gob O' Worms."
.. Intrepid fly fishers are taking fish on Dark Spruce Flies, Yellowstone Spruce Flies, Woolly Buggers, and Hornberg's. The last couple of warm days produced a midge hatch and those that like to torture themselves have been using size 18 - 22 midge clusters in the late evening.
.. With the low water it's easier to find the old river channel if you are in a tube. A dark olive Woolly Bugger, San Juan Worn, or Chamois Leech can be presented deep if you'd enjoy being towed around the lake by a fish.
.. At least one other good thing has come from the low water - no willows or grass to foul your backcast. Big rods and long casts seem to be in order and the success rate is high - especially for the patient fisher that knows how to strip slowly. If you need instruction - ask your wife.
.. Quake Lake, near the boat launch ramp and the confluence with Beaver Creek is also producing some excellent catches on the same flies as noted for Hebgen Lake.
.. The Hebgen Tailwater has come alive with precocious males, and fishing with nymphs is excellent for all runs between the lakes. The fish are not very selective right now and your favorite nymph in size 12 - 18 should attract good dances all day. With the blustery weather approaching we expect that a two-size, two-type, dropper rig should work wonders in the drizzle and snow of the weekend.
.. The Madison River in Yellowstone Park is becoming more crowded by the day. Both fish and fishers have begun the fall run in earnest, and the parking spots, (for both,) are filling up rapidly.

.. Wader friendly lodging is scarce, and Ernie's Deli has changed their hours. This is the time to be enjoying the west side of the park.
.. The spawners are still moving and resting in holes and undercut banks. The proliferation of fish has brought out a proliferation of soft hackle patterns of various sizes and colors.
.. There seems to be no preference at the moment and swinging the floppy little flies is producing good catching from the park line all the way to National Park Meadows.
.. Late afternoon and evening fishers have been treated to multiple hatches of BWO's, Baetis, and that little, nearly black Caddis, that appears this time of year. We use Jason Neuswanger's Deer Hair Caddis for these flies when they appear in the early, and late part of the season. Combined with a Feather Duster or a Montana Duster, this is an excellent dropper rig for the back eddies and slicks on a crisp cool evening.
.. The fish seem to be slow in moving into the lower Gibbon River this season. The low water may have something to do with this. There are fish and it takes some hiking to cover the water necessary to gather them in. Streamers and stiff hackle flies are taking a few in the section around National Park Meadows. If the reluctance of the fish to move persists you can expect elbow to elbow conditions in the confluence area - good catching too, just like in '86, '87, & '88.
.. And, like in 1988, the big plunge pool at the base of Gibbon Falls is getting its share of attention from both the fish and their stalkers. This is a chuck it and chance it proposition right now, with big streamers the ammunition of choice. The riffles, rapids and glides just a 1/2 mile below the falls are collecting fish and only a few fishers. This stretch was good yesterday with a soft hackle below a black woolly Bugger. Swing and carefully mend this combination through the large pocket water and hang on.
.. Good stories and proof to back them up are coming from the Firehole River as the temperatures continue to drop. Multiple hatches are present here too. Midges have made a roaring appearance in the grills of most cars and are being fished by those anglers with the skill and eyesight to make it work. Big fish / Small flies - heaven for some!
.. Have a late breakfast and hit the Firehole River about 10:00 AM for continuing Baetis action. Floating nymphs and emergers seem to be the flies of choice for both the quarry and the fisher folks, (these should be smallish too - 14 - 18 and on the light colored side.) The low water has concentrated the fish in the very apparent channels of the riffle and run sections of the Firehole Canyon.
.. The area just above the falls at Elk Island and the swift water by Dipper Cliff holds good fish that are willing to take a soft hackle or small streamer all day long.

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Coyote, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA from Intrepid Berkeley Explorer on Vimeo.

Local Transportation

FISH WEIR NO PROBLEM

Browns In The Slot

rainbows get tags

.. Despite speculation by the non-believers, the fish trap below Baker's Hole on the Madison River is not slowing the run from Hebgen Lake - - Delay, yes - Slow, no. Anglers are reminded to note the number on any tag on a caught rainbow and report it.
.. This has to be short, the Brown Trout hoards are finally in attendance and despite all the elbows, catching is grand.
.. Streamers, Soft Hackles, and a flask are the order of business - - - - report tonight!

A Little Snow & A BWO

ITS WONDERFULLY INCLEMENT

It's Mouse Time Again
low water & slow fish

.. In last year's post about the Fall Fly Box we noted that the mice were coming out of the woodwork and invading trout streams. It's happening again!
.. Last year Mid Current alerted us to the use of mouse flies for catching large trout after dark. This serves to remind us that the fishing day in Yellowstone National Park ends at 10:00 PM.

((NOTE: We've updated the Yellowstone Flies Page with the Fall Fly Box.))

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.. Now from Moldy Chum comes a note - and video - about:

"The Mouse Film"

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.. This is not fable, nor is it fiction. As the temperature cools, and the small rodents scurry to load up on calories for the winter - they occasionally make a misstep and take a dunking. Lucky is the fish that is nearby.

.. Bass fishers have long used the mouse fly for lunkers - with great success. A few of the old-time neighbors hereabouts do too. There are a few "MOUSE MOVIES" available that will give some insight into the art of fishing with giant flies - The mouse in particular!

"The Trout Bum Diaries"

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"The Best Of Kamchatka"

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.. The Madison River is showing its late fall colors and the slow fish are beginning their dance. There are already some fish on redds in National Park Meadows and the big meanders just downstream. Neighbors that fish the spawners are using streamers and aggravating the fish into striking.
.. These spawning pods usually contain a dominant buck and several precocious males that are poking and pestering the hen. Woolly Buggers, Dark Spruce, and Yellowstone Spruce Flies are the ammunition that these folks are using. It works, and it also interrupts the spawning behavior - and makes the fish expend extra energy.
.. The crowd at 9-mile hole has found some of the holes that fish are resting in. Soft Hackles and Stiff Hackles are the fly of choice for these fishers as they stroll along and pound the runs. Caddis green and light cream seem to be the preferred colors for these flies, (sizes 8 - 14.)
.. Deep runs near the Talus Slope and the Barns Holes are a bit shallow this year and it's not surprising to find many fishers standing where they should be fishing - or fishing where they should be standing. Fishers who hang out until dusk or later have been rewarded with a small but widespread hatch of both Caddis and BWO's - late and strange but true. This just adds spice to the continuing good Baetis hatch that many fishers love to frustrate themselves with.
.. The Firehole River is becoming crowded as the fall exuberance is finally happening. The cooling water has brought fish to the channel and the undercut banks. Fishing in Biscuit Basin is good, catching is fair. Although there are very few - to none - of the reliable terrestrials around fish are still taking beetles. A rig with a beetle floater and a Prince Nymph dropper seems to be common in the meadows. Fishers willing to walk to Pocket Basin are finding that a double Hare's Earn Nymph set up will produce fish. The Baetis are thicker on the Firehole than on the Madison. These are the real dinker species, and to add to cold fingers, you'll need to tie on a size 22 - then try to see it. Some of the neighbors use an Elk Hair Caddis as a bobber, others use a mouse.
.. The kind folks at The Horse's Mouth have done it again. The weekend entertainment includes a gorgeous woman, some interesting sailing pictures, and a bit of violence. WET SEXY VIOLENCE - how can you go wrong?

.. We've noted that many of the neighbors are fond of a local fly generally referred to as a "GOB O' WORMS." This is distasteful and even repugnant to some fly fishers. In a valiant effort to combat this scourge, The Trout Underground has discovered a lure that is in keeping with the purest of traditions - click on over and see!

.. From Protect Your Waters comes several news articles this week. The Scottish Wildlife Trust is thinking of reintroducing beavers to the landscape - a native species that has disappeared is now considered an invasive species - hmmmmm!

.. And, they have updated their Impacts Page with information that is state specific, including how the reduction of native species is facilitated by the invaders.
.. Pressconnects.com notes that Rock Snot has invaded the Delaware River System.

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.. Jump on over to Old Reels Dot Com and look around - nifty stuff. They also have a great page with nostalgic Fishing Ladies.

Looking For Big Trout ?

USE BIG FLIES

Size Matters

Jack Dennis To Resign After Championships

NEIGHBOR TO TAKE TIME OFF

Enjoy It Jack !

BOULDER — On the eve of this week’s National Fly Fishing Championship, U.S. team head coach Jack Dennis announced he will be stepping down after the 2008 World Championships next March in New Zealand.
“It’s about a year earlier than I had planned, but my wife was sick last year and I had two retirements at the store, so I’ll spend less time on the road and more time around home,” Dennis said Monday from his home in Jackson, Wyo.
FROM: GJSentinal.com

.. Visit Jack's Online Store
.. Visit Fly Fishing Team USA
.. Visit Fly Fishing Championships Site

Help Save Montana

DO YOUR BIT FOR THE PLANET

Own A Piece Of Montana

invite friends

fly fishing included

.. In celebrating their 100th anniversary, Nieman Marcus is offering a bit of paradise for Christmas - PARADISE VALLEY, that is.
.. For just $100,000, (. . . starting at . . .) you get 10 acres in a spiffy PUD that is reserved for the future - and yourself, and your offspring, for all eternity. Just the sort of thing that Underground Guru Tom Chandler is looking for as a retirement package. The views, the location, the fishing, - - - - the famous neighbors!!!
.. Here's the scoop for those of you that want to be Tom's neighbor in paradise during your golden years. Buy it all for just $2,300,000.00.

AMEYA PRESERVE LAND AND EVENT PACKAGE

The mountains of Paradise Valley frame 11,000 unspoiled acres in the Yellowstone ecosystem of Montana. Get away to the Ameya Preserve once, and you'll never want to go back home. Along with keeping the entire natural treasure safe for future generations, you get direct ownership of 10 acres of heaven. Your homesite comes with a private gourmet dinner directed by Chef Alice Waters. Your dinner guests: a collection of artists, authors and scientists. Your dining music? Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, or maestro Peter Oundjian. Did we mention the dinosaur digs, the fly-fishing, the space observatory?

.. By the way: "Paradise Valley nestles between Livingston and Gardiner, Montana, at an elevation of 4400 feet. It is bordered by the 11,000 foot snow-capped peaks of the Absaroka/Beartooth Mountain Range on the East and the towering Gallatin Mountain Range on the West. To the North lie the Crazy Mountains, and to the Northwest-the Bridgers.
.. The Yellowstone River, the longest free-flowing river in The United States, is a world-class blue ribbon trout stream, teaming with trophy-size Cutthroats, Browns and Rainbows. It flows North through Paradise Valley from its source, Yellowstone Lake, in famed Yellowstone National Park. "(nice touch - from Deer Haven Ranch.)

We'll take two.

Just a Little Weather

HERE COMES FALL

AND, Here Comes The Weather

the swamis agree:
Fall Prescription = Soft Hackles, BWO, Streamers, and Nymphs
Be Careful Where You Sit

.. Auspicious weather is in the forecast. The stars are aligned and the best minds agree: this is the week to fish !!!
.. As can be seen by the weather forecast from both NOAA and The Weather Channel the fishing weather has arrived. BEAUTIFUL!
.. The Madison River is lightly colored, running cool and low, and crowded with fish and fishers. The Wader Friendly Lodgings are full and even the Holiday Inn has wet waders sneaking in the back door. The pubs have fortified their stocks of Moose Drool, Trout Slayer, Powder Hound, and "Jack." The feather merchants have girded their loins with the figurative chain mail and all is well with the universe. All the signs point to fishing frenzy during the next week to ten days.
.. The Firehole River has slowed even more, and cool rains have brought bugs galore to the riffled reaches in the canyon. The meadows are beginning to color with the dry foliage of the season and are firm to tread.
.. The Gibbon River has fish throughout its turbid length, with concentrations in the sterile meanders of National Park Meadow and the mile of riffles and runs below Gibbon Falls.
.. As the weather cools fishers will find fish eager to dance if given the chance. Invitations must be courteous, correct and proper. Room on the dance floor is still ample and the various approaches are all receiving nods from the fish.
.. An excellent pair of reports can be found at the MRO site: For Yellowstone & For The Neighborhood. Go to Jack Dennis' report for some scrumptious tips on the Macs and a bit of low flow Tango on the Snake River.
.. If you're up in the northern part of Yellowstone National Park visit Parks' Fly Shop - or at least their fishing report.
.. For an overall report check out Best Fly Fishing Yellowstone.com.
.. Dancing on the Gallatin River, in Yellowstone has slowed: not for lack of fish but for lack of partners as the hoards stream into the glory waters of the west side of the park. Now is the time to fish the confluence meadows and the lower reaches of Fan Creek. There are safe places to park, attractors work well on the surface and small streamers (or large soft hackles,) on a gentle drift are successful under the banks - keep your casts short and move gently - the dances can be exhilarating. Be alert and cautious as you venture toward the Fan Creek Meadows - there are a couple of wolf-killed elk carcases, and the bears and coyotes are enjoying a feast.
.. All the streams mentioned above are showing a bit of BWO activity. a good combination is a pair of floaters. We've been using a Thorax BWO from a pattern by the Front Range Anglers and a dropper using the Zelon BWO Cripple from a pattern by the Montana Fly Company.

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BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU SIT

.. Should you choose to release this little lovely check out the catch and release mortality study in Science Daily. Woozy fish could be the result.

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