Springtime Caprice

THE NORMAL STUFF

50° F Today - Gone Tomorrow

fish now

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.. Here comes the Springtime roller coaster. We're ready and may go "down canyon" just to see how the other half copes with the NWS Warning:

Winter Storm Watch in effect from:

Thursday evening through

Friday evening...

The National Weather Service in Great Falls has issued a Winter
Storm Watch... which is in effect from Thursday evening through
Friday evening.


* Timing and main impact: light snow is expected to develop over
the mountains of southwest Montana by Thursday morning then
spread to the mountains of central Montana later Thursday. Snow
will increase in intensity Thursday night and develop over the
lower elevations. The heaviest snow is expected Friday before
diminishing Friday night. Poor visibilities will hamper travel.

* Snow accumulations: for the mountains 8 to 16 inches are
possible. Several inches of snow are expected for the valleys
and plains though higher amounts are possible.

* Winds and visibility: southwest to west winds 10 to 20 mph are
expected over southwest Montana by Friday while northwest winds
10 to 20 mph are expected over central Montana. Visibilities
could be below a half-mile over the mountains and at times over
the plains and valleys.

* Other impacts: roads could become snow covered and slippery.
Heavy wet snow could cause damage to trees and possible power
outages. Young unprotected livestock could become stressed.

* Locations affected include: West Yellowstone... White Sulphur Springs...
Battle Ridge Pass... Bozeman... Bozeman Pass... Targhee Pass... Stanford... Lewistown... Lewistown Divide...
Boulder... Boulder Hill... Elk Park Pass... Homestake pass...
Whitehall... Big Hole Pass... Chief Joseph Pass... Dillon...
Monida Pass... Great Falls... Kings Hill Pass... Townsend...
Ennis... Norris Hill... Raynolds Pass... Twin Bridges.


Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A Winter Storm Watch means there is a potential for significant
snow... sleet... or ice accumulations that may impact travel.
Continue to monitor the latest forecasts.

Pour la Pêche Du Jour

THE FLY OF THE HOUR

For All Open Water

swift or still

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.. The neighbors are smarter than we are. They are also way smarter than the trout in our neighborhood. They are even a wee tad more intelligent than the itinerant guides and feather merchants that will soon show up for their share of the pie, (just a few weeks from now.)
.. As we speak read write this, the catchers of fish are using one fly; to the near-exclusion of all others.
.. It's a simple fly. It's easy to tie. It has no fancy name. It's not in any catalog. AND, it's catching fish in all the open water around the neighborhood.
.. You won't see it in any fly shops: it uses no exotic bits of fluff, it is a standard nymph form, it is not "innovative," it's not designed to catch fishers, and it is very pedestrian in appearance - bless it's metallic soul.
.. Unless you see it here, you will never know about this fly. There is no drum and bugle corps touting it as the wonder of the moment. There are no high priced celebrities endorsing it as a miracle of invention for the exotic fish of the exotic waters nearby.
.. It is tied in just about all sizes. The larger ones are cast with ultralight spinning rigs and 4# test line. [[40' of fresh 4# test mono is an exceptionally good shock absorber.]]
.. The little ones are chucked to the edge of the ice and pulled into the water and sink slowly to the gaping maws of submerged trout.
.. The others are greased and floated like a dry fly. Some are fished just like a nymph ought to be fished. Such a delightful bit of fish foolery.
.. Right now, in the runs, and riffles, and pools, and glides, and cavitation sinks, between the lakes on the Madison River it is a "KILLER FLY."
.. In the legal bits of the extended tongues of various estuarine waters poking into Hebgen Lake, it is a "MURDEROUS FLY."
.. At both the inlet and outlet of Earthquake Lake it is a "DEVASTATING FLY."  It is even in competition with the garden hackle for take rates. Now that's an endorsement for ya'.

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A Touch Of Spring

BEARS WAKING UP

Bicycles On Roads

angling fees raised

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.. The Public Affairs Office at Yellowstone National Park has been more active, lately, than usual. That's a sure sign that they're waking up along with the bears.
.. The following news releases and information sources may be germane to your early Spring visitation.

1] Bears are awake, hungry, and dangerous, LINK,
2] Seasonal bear closures, LINK,
3] Bicycle travel prior to motorized travel, LINK,
4] Angling fees raised, LINK,
5] General Information page, LINK,
6] Child porn case prosecuted, LINK,
7] Yellowstone tweets, LINK,
8]  News releases, LINK,
9] Current road conditions, LINK.

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..  Since the instigation of a fee structure for fishing in 1993, charges for fishing in Yellowstone National Park have continually escalated to keep pace with inflation and caprice as time has passed.
.. The current $5.00 increase is justified as a way to raise additional funds to ". . . help enhance the park's fisheries management program and to begin implementing conservation actions that were outlined in the 2011 Native Fish Conservation Plan."
.. We support the Native Fish Conservation Plan; but, taxing only fisher folk is a terribly inefficient way to raise a bit of cash. How much money will be raised by the $5.00 increase, ($200,000/year?)
.. If the thrust of the plan is ". . . primarily focused on the recovery of the Yellowstone Lake Ecosystem through the restoration of the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout."  then, the burden of ecosystem management should be shared by all visitors.
.. A simple $1.00 tax, (call it surcharge if you like,) on entrance fees, for the duration of the project, would raise a lot more cash and spread the burden to all visitors who enjoy the Yellowstone Lake Ecosystem. How much money would be raised by this method of taxation, ($1,000,000/year - $2,000,000/year?)
.. How about a boating tax? Back country tax? Sales tax increase for the duration of the project? Concessionaire levy? Donation boxes? Just who does benefit from the Yellowstone Lake Ecosystem?
.. We doubt that fishing permit fees will be reduced when the project is completed: what a silly thought! Such duplicity is a standard bit of linguistic legerdemain that is used when justifying  actions detrimental to one group and to the advantage of another group. Such is life!

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HOMECOMING

..
Read the back story HERE.
Legal reaction HERE.

Just The Thing

A BIT MORE SNOW

On Top Of Slush

on top of rotten snow

OPEN WATER AT LAST

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.. Mom is doing her best to slide gently into Spring. We are treated to heavy wet snow, rain, sleet, sun, thunder, warm and cold temperatures - sometimes all in the same hour. Just the way it always is.
.. Visitors, (very few, now that Yellowstone National Park is closed,) comment on the variety of weather in the most colorful of verbiage. The neighbors smile, shake their heads, and wonder how it is that lowlanders think that water gets into rivers.
.. Took a quick jaunt down to _____ Creek. It's a scrumptious sight for eyes too long glazed by frozen water. It's being fished at it's estuary and lo, the fish managed to survive the winter once again. We watched. laughed, kibitzed, cajoled, and encouraged the kids that did us a turn and took us along.
.. The capricious Springtime mix of precipitation is being called for during the next couple of weeks. It's a good thing: keeps the idiots gentry down low. We'll be there soon to see how it's done. Rumor is; that the Missouri River is getting hot early. The pre-runoff season is upon us.
.. More to come from the lowlands.

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We're Loving It

GRAY, DRIZZLE, PAVEMENT

HUZZAH !!! - The Big Melt

gotta go now

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.. The streets are really and truly paved in West Yellowstone, Montana. For just over four months a 10" - 14" snow pack has been maintained on our streets. It has been groomed and manicured by our dedicated town road crews. This facilitates travel through the village by snow machines.
.. When the bottom falls out & the slush becomes an obstacle course of frozen tank-traps at night, the city crews spend 18-hour days removing the tons of melting snow to keep the roads safe. Those folks now have the majority of the streets down to the pavement - bless 'em all!
.. Rumors have just hit our ears of sizable and gallant  fighting trout in the heavily pounded stretch of water between the lakes. We're about to don our elbow pads and wade into the silliness. The rumors demanded our attention especially since they contained a cherished bit of wisdom: "FISH NYMPHS!!"  We'll let you know.

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Native Fish Get Boost

$1,000,000 = $2,000,000

Grant Matched By NPS

just a start

SEE THE LAKE TROUT?  SEE THE CUTTHROAT?  YUM, YUM !!

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..The Yellowstone Park NATIVE FISH CONSERVATION PROGRAM has been given a boost by the finalization of the $1,000,000 grant from the Yellowstone Park Foundation.

.. Last December we noted that Yellowstone Park was embarking on a comprehensive program to protect and preserve native fish stocks. That program is now underway with the infusion of funds and the implementation of the plan.
.. The recognition that the native fish and their abundance and distribution and behavior constitute a vital link in the ecology of the park has led to this action. As a food source for grizzly bears, birds, coyotes, otters, and other animals the native species are vital to the health of the ecosystem.
.. This effort is designed to address all aspects of the concerns about the dwindling populations of native fish and will guide management for the next two decades and beyond.
.. A major concern, of course, is the impact of Lake Trout on the native cutthroat population. Efforts to ameliorate this impact will include stepped-up gill netting efforts, research, and plans to create a resiliency in the native fish population.
.. It will probably take six years to accomplish the major goals of the project. During this time future strategies and management plans will also be developed to insure that the native fish population can be successfully managed in the face of:
** Predation by non-native fish such as Lake Trout and Brown Trout,
** Hybridization with non native Rainbow Trout,
** Drought, climate change and fishing pressure.
.. The top priority of this action is to decrease the number of Lake Trout in Yellowstone Lake.
.. Additionally the project aims to:
+ Restore Yellowstone cutthroat trout to waters within the northern portion of the park;
+ Develop a westslope cutthroat trout brood source;
+ Continue long-term restoration efforts of westslope cutthroat trout; and
+ Begin to restore Arctic grayling within the Gallatin and Madison drainages.
.. Information Resources:
-- Yellowstone Park Foundation Announcement,
-- Yellowstone Park Information Document (PDF),
-- FONSI Native Fish Conservation Plan (PDF),
-- Native Fish Conservation Plan EA (PDF),
-- Native Fish Conservation Plan EA;  Chapters 1-5 (PDF),
-- Native Fish Conservation Plan EA; Appendices A-F (PDF),
-- Native Fish Conservation Plan EA; Appendix G (PDF).

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