.. Quake Lake and Hebgen Tailwater fish are responding to streamers. Large fish are beginning to pod up at both the inlet & outlet of Quake lake. Woolly Buggers, Dark Spruce, and pink Montana Duster's. Fishing has been excellent in the late afternoon right up to dark - no artificial lights please! .. The 'narrows' at Hebgen Lake and the Madison Arm Estuary have pods of large fish waiting for the starting gun to rush upstream to the spawning gravels. Use the same flies here. The South Fork Estuary is devoid of the large fish - they are about 6 weeks away in this area. .. The Madison River has a few early submarines at the Barns Holes. See yesterday's post for details. As the weather becomes more like fall there will be more fish entering the system. .. The flows on the Gallatin River are still low and the fish are concentrated in hides and holes. If you fish early it may be necessary to tease them into striking. Use a double Wooly Worn combination - black and yellow or red and yellow, size 10 -14. A few afternoon Caddis are around and the fish will rise to the naturals. Use a double-bobber rig, A hopper followed by your favorite Caddis or an attractor will work. Keep both of them floating high. .. Cache Creek is loaded with 18" - 22" fish. Streamers are the ticket here. If you catch it on a warm still afternoon, (with a gentle drizzle,) Drakes on top or Caddis nymphs below should be just the thing to gather up a few monsters. Tomorrow or Friday should be ripe. .. Shameless commercial plug.
FOR SALE: Fishing retreat with glorious history and a few ghosts - click here. .. Does "N" really stand for knowledge? Check out the recent posts at Mostly Right, Usually.
============ URGENT NEWS
.. The bears are out in force this Fall. The berry crop has mostly failed, there are a few nuts and seeds, the fish are slow to run, and the tourist numbers are up in Yellowstone. Bear attacks are up and even the safety officer for Yellowstone National Park has been attacked and mauled. Get and carry bear spray. Get the big can. Sing ribald songs and keep your eyes open. This is no joke!
.. The blogs, observers, fishers, and feather merchants have awakened during the last ten days as a cool weather pattern has invaded Yellowstone country. The fish are a bit more frisky too. .. Visit George Anderson's Yellowstone Angler to find out about the top secret fly that they are using in the Paradise Valley this Fall. .. The Frequent showers that have cooled our waters have made local information a must as some color invades the streams. If you're near the north entrance of Yellowstone visit Parks' Fly Shop for up-to-date river conditions. Ask about fishing with "Big Uglies." .. The most persistent heavy rains have been in the southern part of the park and the folks at Jack Dennis' Outdoor Shop are just now getting back into the swing of things. Catching has really picked up and the lakes are still good. .. The "itty-bitty" hatch is in full swing in the Hebgen Tailwater. A size 14 - 18 hook wrapped in frayed thread is the fly of choice for the neighbors. Small nymph patterns will work if you can't tie an itty bitty. The big fish are responding to woolly buggers in size 4 - 6, and the perennial favorite Dark Spruce fly is getting its share of attention. .. The Madison River in the park is responding to the cool weather with a sprinkling of large lake-run fish. Right now they are concentrated around the Highway 191 bridge just outside of Yellowstone, and at Baker's Hole Campground astraddle the park line. Worm fishers are nailing 20" - 24" fish on "Double Gobs:" - there must be a creative fly tier that can duplicate this kind of attraction. Dick, over at Bud Lily's reports wakes the size of Tsunami's at the Barns Holes - but no takers yet! There is still a sparse Trico spinner fall in the late morning, and a few sluggish hoppers and beetles. Caddis are few but concentrated. The wader friendly lodgings in West Yellowstone are nearly all booked and the Fall Parade into the west entrance is in full swing - it's probably a couple of weeks early, but it's that way every year. .. The mass descent on the Firehole River has also begun. We're not going there because we feel that the fish were battered enough by "Mother" - but there have been good reports ever since the cooling began. A couple of good-results-reports are available for those of you that need to take a Firehole River Fish: Madison River Outfitters & Best Fly Fishing Yellowstone, (1 - 2.) .. The Gallatin River is just very good after weeks of very very good. Use a hopper-dropper combo for prospecting and cover a lot of ground. The fish are beginning to pod-up in the holes. This cold water fishery has escaped much of the heat of the summer but the flows are low and the good places are becoming crowded, (by both fish and fishers.) .. The Upper Gibbon River, (above the Norris Campground,) and Solfaterra Creek are in fine form. Both fishing and catching are are excellent. The recruitment in this area has been excellent, and the 2-3 year-olds are fiesty and eager - not giant yet but fiesty and eager. .. Slough Creek is in it's spectacular phase. There are still terrestrials for fun, Baetis in the sun, Drakes in overcast - it couldn't be better. If you can tell the difference between a rainbow and a cutthroat the park suggests that you kill the rainbow. The Cutts are disappearing at a rapid clip all through the region. .. Pebble Creek is low but still attracting some Soda Butte Creek fish. Watch the area in the meadow below the road for a few very large and spooky fish. This is just plain fun. Use a small attractor such as a size 14 Royal Humpy, or just for kicks try a Black Humpy - you'll get at least one cast to take these basking fish. .. Fall in California is still seeing 100 degree temperatures according to the intrepid desert fishermen at the Trout Underground. .. The "Six Word Contest" at Fishing Jones has a winner. Congratulations to Ian Rueter of R&R Fly Fishing. His winning essay???? -> "I'll tie the knot next time."
.. It's not fall yet but it sure looks like it. Widespread showers for three days have cooled the streams and colored them as well. .. The worm guys have picked up the first big fish from Hebgen Lake moving into the Madison River. 22" fish have been taken at the Highway 191 pools. Next it's Baker's Hole, then The Barns. .. After a summer of slumber, Duck Creek has awakened with a vengeance. Follow the trail for about a mile, avoid the lower pools, escape the willows, stay on the high bench to the lone tree - you know where. Attractors and Woolly Buggers wil reward the walk. .. If you find the telephone poles you're about 1/4 of the way there. Don't let the thin water fool you - it should scare you.
Big Fish At Tower BIG CHANGES FOR MONTANA FISHING !!
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.. We've got just enought time to let you know that the sparse run of Kokanee on the Henry's Fork is concentrated around Coffee Pot. They won't last long. Get there quick. .. If you miss them, there is a good bunch of fish at the Tower - Yellowstone confluence. Hoppers and Cahills. More tomorrow.
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.. Read about a flock of proposed regulation changes in the Bozeman Chronicle. Affected rivers include: Yellowstone, Ruby, Madison, Darlington Ditch, Big Hole. Some Reservoirs are also included. The proposed changes would be in force for the 2008 - 11 fishing seasons.
AMERICA AWAITS THE ANSWER -- a bit of a fishing report too --
.. It's probably not too much of an exaggeration to say that most fly fishers know about the extensive fires in Yellowstone and Montana this year. The concern is obvious - watershed quality, mud from runoff, loss of shade, and near-term reduced fishing opportunities. Marshall Cutchin at MidCurrent points us to the NewWestsummary of the wildfires. .. What most fly fishers probably don't know is the cavalier attitude of one Montana legislator toward the destruction of private homes and families. .. Because of the extent of the fires, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer has called a special session of the Montana Legislature to obtain more fire fighting resources. .. As reported by David Sirota:
Senior Montana Republican lawmaker John Sinrud - who heads the state House's appropriations committee - used a legislative hearing this week to attack Gov. Brian Schweitzer's (D) administration for - get ready for this - trying to prevent homes and buildings from being burnt down. At the hearing, he asks "Why not just let [buildings] burn?"
.. The comment was caught on tape and posted on You Tube. Here it is for your viewing pleasure and it gives a bit of insight into Montana Politics. .. This is just one more example of Montana's earthy kind of politics and the problems facing the current governor. Last April, Michale Lang (R) bombed Governor Schwietzer (D), and it too was caught on tape and posted to You Tube. It's just another example of the typical vocabulary that our state legislators use in doing the people's business here in Montana.
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.. The cooler weather and frequent widespread rain showers have awakened fish and fishers in the park and surrounding area. It's beginning to look like Fall in the region. Bits of yellow are appearing in the green cover and the grasses, despite the moisture, are turning brown. .. Fishing in the southwest corner of Yellowstone is picking up despite the low flow and lack of the usual hoards of mosquitoes. Fall fishing is in full swing on the Falls River, Bechler River and Boundary Creek. The fishing pressure this year has been light in the 'cascade corner' as the die hards continue to try to coax fish from the Henry's Fork. Hatches that are anticipated this time of year have not matured yet. Happily the fish are taking terrestrials with a zest usually reserved for Salmon Flies. Small hoppers and beetles are working very well. Success is enhanced with a hopper-dropper combination. Use a prince, hare's ear or feather duster in sizes 12 - 16 for the subsurface fly and a foam ant or hopper as the bobber. If you're luck the first of the Fall Caddis are beginning to appear in the afternoon. Watch for the birds and find the fish - these hatches are very localized at this time. .. The Hebgen Tailwater area, (between the lakes,) is flowing consistently near 800 cfs and is fishing well. The hatches are sporadic but concentrated, varied, and locally heavy - (probably a result of the recent fluctuations.) As a result, the fish are taking attractors along with hatch-matching surface flies. This is opportunistic behavior at its best. Your favorite Humpy, Coachman, or Soft Hackle, (yup!) can be floated with good results. Size 12 to - as small as 20 may be necessary during a mid-day midge hatch. Good fish to 18" will come up to a proper presentation. Bigger fish may require nymphs in green and brown sizes 12 - 16 should do fine. Some of the neighbors are swinging a Thunder Creek variant in the deep runs and picking up monster fish. Most fishers, however are drowning terrestrials or using traditional streamers for the submarines. .. Hebgen Lakegulpers are being very persistent as the water in the constantly changing shallows yields good hatches of Callibaetis. Hoppers in the foam also seem to be attracting the cruising pods. Most of the neighbors use a dropper rig with a small 14 - 18 nymph below the surface imitation. Tubes and boats are still best but you can find shore fishing near Yellowstone Holiday and the docks at Hebgen Lake Campground. The slime is less thick this week. The hatches seem a bit later; about 10:30 should be your starting time. .. Quake Lake has seen increased pressure because of the good morning Callibaetis hatches. Persistence and patience are the key to this fishery. The big fish are spooky and perfect casts are required. The stick-ups near the road can be a fruitful area if you are very still and have good polarized glasses. Use the same rig as you would at Hebgen Lake. .. Fishing on the Madison River in Yellowstone remains a morning proposition despite the lifting of the closure. Things should pop in a couple of weeks and we just stop for a short time on the way to the upper Gibbon River. Give the afternoons a rest and wait until the big fish show. .. The Gibbon River Meadows have been exceedingly tough but exceedingly rewarding this week. Long walks, grizzly bears, anxious bison, and spooky elk have made fishing a safari adventure. The big fish are responding to small ants on the surface and even smaller nymphs in the shadows and undercut banks. A well placed soft hackle in size 16 will gather in these fish - provided the leader is long, the tippet fine, and the drift perfect, (and you're very sneaky.) .. Color phases on the Gallatin River have followed the showers, making the river, periodically, an 'iffy' proposition. When it's hot it's hot and when it's not, it's not. The hoppers, ants and beetles have been the mainstay of fishers during the last week. The riffles and bends near the northern border of the park have shown good fishing to streamers and golden stone fly nymphs. As the weather cools and the rains spread out this river promises to continue to produce good catching. .. Forget the famous parts of the Firehole River for another couple of weeks. If your psyche demands a Firehole fish, fish above Old Faithful along the trail to Lone Star Geyser. Small fish in great quantities with little pressure await you here - and, it is the Firehole River. .. Cache Creek, the Lamar River, Slough Creek, and Soda Butte Creek are probably the best fishing in Yellowstone right now. Because of the varied locations of the headwaters of these creeks there is usually clear water in the northeast portion of Yellowstone. Green Drakes have been spotted and there are folks that plan their whole lives around this hatch. Keep an eye on Park's Fly Shop fishing report for the progress of these flies. Be prepared to move at a moment's notice. right now there are a few appearances near Pebble Creek on the Soda Butte front and on Cache Creek and the Lamar River above Cache Creek. .. For excellent Fall fishing consider camping on the Lamar, Cache Creek or Slough Creek. Yellowstone campsites that are prime and nearly full are: Heart Lake, 1G2, Hellroaring Barn, We4, Cougar Cabin, Slough Creek, Union Falls. Check the sidebar for outfitters to get you there. .. It's time to ignore the Trout Underground as Tom is planning an imbiberation at the Fly Fishing Retailer Show. We anticipate glowing reports about useless trinkets designed to keep the ailing industry afloat, (baited Breath - as it were) - no more the string and pin approach. Countdown clock - 14 days. .. Moldy Chum has finally acknowledged the virtue of nymphs. Back door, Backhand, Backwards; but still acknowledged. .. Wayward Fly Fishing has given us a bit of insight into the breadth of the abnormality of the site with their sayings for fly fishing fortune cookies. Check the August 15th post. We like: "You will win the lottery tomorrow; then you'll catch no more fish." .. Sad But True! The Horse's Mouth is going on vacation. Happily they left us with some great videos about dogs surfing. They also gave us another unforgettable image . . . click on this image for the original, it's much better. .. Unabashed commercial plug for a neighbor. Visit MIKE'S WORK for some enduring images of Yellowstone. We can hardly wait for winter!
.. Fishing in all the usual places is picking up. See our post Just A Bit Cooler for recent observations. Warmth is forecast for the next few days, we're off to Slough Creek and Boundary Creek. Report forthcoming. .. Avoid Yellowstone roads this weekend and get your wader friendly lodgings in order for late September fishing.
.. The Gallatin City-County Health Department has issued an "ALGAE ALERT" for Hebgen Lake. They recommend that the public and their pets avoid swimming in the lake and that pets and people avoid drinking the water. .. For more information call (406) 582-3120. Check the toxic algae fact sheet at Montana Department of Environmental Quality. .. If you wear rubber pants and don't kiss too many fish you can still take advantage of the great gulper fishing.
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.. P.S. check the New West article about the great fishing on Flathead Lake.
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.. There's an interesting piece about restoring Cutthroat Trout in the Billings Gazette. Noxious Brook Trout?
.. Quake Lake and Hebgen Tailwater fish are responding to streamers. Large fish are beginning to pod up at both the inlet & outlet of Quake lake. Woolly Buggers, Dark Spruce, and pink Montana Duster's. Fishing has been excellent in the late afternoon right up to dark - no artificial lights please!
.. The Madison River has a few early submarines at the Barns Holes. See yesterday's post for details. As the weather becomes more like fall there will be more fish entering the system.
.. Cache Creek is loaded with 18" - 22" fish. Streamers are the ticket here. If you catch it on a warm still afternoon, (with a gentle drizzle,) Drakes on top or Caddis nymphs below should be just the thing to gather up a few monsters. Tomorrow or Friday should be ripe.
.. Shameless commercial plug.
The berry crop has mostly failed, there are a few nuts and seeds, the fish are slow to run, and the tourist numbers are up in Yellowstone. Bear attacks are up and even the safety officer for Yellowstone National Park has been attacked and mauled. Get and carry bear spray. Get the big can. Sing ribald songs and keep your eyes open. This is no joke!
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