Aggravating The Runners

THE REAL LAST BEST PLACE

It's 3:30 AM - Yawn

we're going fishing

-------

.. It's only a secret from those who don't live here. It's only on a few maps. It's not in your favorite guide book. You probably can't get here in time. If you do, it's the easiest fishing in Yellowstone National Park.

-------

.

Yesterday's Gone

WAS HERACLITUS A FISHERMAN ?
just what river did he fish ?
The Yellowstone Syndrome
ποταμοῖσι τοῖσιν αὐτοῖσιν ἐμϐαίνουσιν,
ἕτερα καὶ ἕτερα ὕδατα ἐπιρρεῖ

-------

.. Many fly fishing visitors come to Yellowstone National Park armed with the information from famous guide books and fishing tombs that have been proclaimed "classics." These books contain information about "what was" - presented as "what is." Such a sad and disillusioned state of affairs.

.. We, too, read these classics from time to time - but,  from a different perspective than do most fisher folk. We read them as historical documents. We're interested in what was. Each time we step into a river we know what is.
.. Please believe us when we tell you that yesterday's river is history. Last week's river is just a memory. The river of 10, 20, 30, or more years ago is long gone - and the observations, (often told as truth with a capital "T",) about it are mere musings of memories sanctioned by the sages as useful.
.. If the advice given in these guide books was as valid and immutable as pretense would have it; then it could be projected backward in time as well as forward. Such, obviously, is not the case. Much of the advice about tackle, technique, and fish cannot be projected back in time. For many of the rivers in the park there were no fish before we began planting invasive species.

.. Most readers of fishing lore are beguiled by style and accept the accompanying substance as gospel. This is the Yellowstone Syndrome.
.. Verbal presentation is often slick. Personal and professional presentation follows the same mold. If it comes across as congenial and convincing it must be true.
.. There is a gargantuan dose of truth with a capital "T" in fly fishing. Probably because the truth-tellers are affable, congenial, smiling salesmen.
.. We all want the truth. We want it as we want life itself - handed to us on a silver platter. Then we can use it.

.. We don't even have to step in a river to know it's truth. We go armed with the correct rod, reel, leader, tippet, fly, and presentation. We look for the exact rock mentioned on page 27. We enter the river where the big tree overhangs the shallow riffle. We crouch, we scan, we creep, we cast - exactly as we were told in the book. We're then disappointed when the "gleaming, darting, shadow," does not rise to "gently suck the fly from the surface," as we were told it would.
.. Of course it must be our fault. The style and presentation of the expert was so convincing that the substance of what was told to us must be true. Even if it was 30 years ago, (or 30 minutes ago.) Forget about the earthquakes that have thrown boulders the size of Volkswagens into the river. Forget about the high water scours and the low water silts. Forget about the ever changing weed beds, bottom debris, temperature regimes, and newly cut side channels. That very same fish should have been there.

.. Our society thrives on presented expertise. It thrives on appearance. It demands that we believe before we do. So, then, we do. This is the common malady of the Yellowstone Syndrome.
.. We become disappointed because of belief. We're told it's wild - but it's not. We're told it's natural - but it's not. We're told how to catch that fish - but we don't. We're told the truth - but . . . .
.. Ancillary consequences accompany the Yellowstone Syndrome. And they are not limited to Yellowstone. Cautious or exuberant exploration will deliver other truths. Secrets are kept to oneself. Lies are told to protect those secrets.
.. Fraternal cliques form and share both truth and lies. Rumors grow. Sage advice and secrets become proprietary and salable. Whole stretches of rivers are abandoned because of secret truth. Fisher folks don't tell for the strange reason that they think that secrets will protect the river. The most protected rivers and streams are those with the most friends - not the least. Don't tell that truth to a fly fisher.

.. Imagine that a published expert can only think of six places to catch fish in 4 miles of the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park. My my: What day was that? What year? What is the value of that information? Should we abandon that stretch of the river for all time? Can that stretch of river change? Do we dare to explore? Is there perhaps a different truth - lo, these many years later?
.. When we visit the neighborhood rivers we explore. We hunt. We experience. Deep in our own solipsism is the conviction that this kind of truth is ineffable and transient. It's ours alone. We are seeking our own substance. We are the expert at any given moment. We're not seeking someone else's fish or experience. We're having a good time discovering the present. We enjoy telling the tale - wherever the river. Not as truth or lie, but as an experience. We want our rivers to have as many friends as possible. They have so few right now!
.. We finally know that Heraclitus must have had the soul of a fisher when he said, "You could not step twice into the same river;  for other waters are ever flowing on to you."
.. Bless his heart, he also said, "It is better to hide ignorance, but it is hard to do this when we relax over wine." Now there's a fisher if we ever heard one.
.. Heraclitus also gave specific advice to help overcome the Yellowstone Syndrome, "Abundance of knowledge does not teach men to be wise."

-------

..
..

..

.

The Firehole Yo-Yo

PLAN YOUR TIME CAREFULLY

Madison Not Too Bad

Gallatin Pretty Good

all uppers a go

-------

.. 'Tis the season. Any moderately warm day will put the Firehole River into a temperature range that is not only stressful for the fish, but the fishers as well. The bugs won't be around, the absentee clouds won't cool you off, and the stories you gather up will be of doom and gloom.

.. Right now good surface fishing can generally be had by 7:30 AM and may last until 10:30 or 11:00 AM.
.. Mid-day fishing in the spring holes with a nymph or small bugger is possible.
.. By 3:30 PM, or so the hoppers in the grassy meadows are in full flight and by 4:30 PM both hoppers and caddis will take fish on the surface.

.. As Summer turns to Fall, air masses in our part of the world mix and produce unsettled and frequently unpredictable weather. We can have days of 80° F followed by snow, rain, sleet, and freezing temperatures. If a couple of days get warm the river temperatures will follow. A few cold days and the obverse occurs.
.. This temperature yo-yo is most noticeable in the Firehole River, but, to a lessor degree, the Madison River is also affected in a similar fashion. Watch the weather, watch the U.S.G.S. river data, and give a local fly shop a quick call for current conditions. It will pay off with a better catching experience.

..

-------

.. The ameliorating influence of the Gibbon River flows on the Firehole River temperature means that the Madison River is a bit more fishable from here on in. It will only get better for the next month.
.. A full box is needed to fish the Madison River right now. Early mornings can see dense but widely separated Tricos hatching, along with Baetis on our cloudy days. Days that are partly cloudy and bright will find fishers doing better with ants or beetles or nymphs.
.. Evenings are providing a few good hours of caddis fishing but the flies and hatches are both mercurial and mutable in their appearance. If you find them in the evenings the fish will chase them with a fervor like unto a bull elk in rut. [Speaking of which; Firehole Canyon was closed last Friday because of a bull elk that was tearing up trees and attacking cars. Be very careful from now on. There's bears & elk & deer & bison to avoid.]

.. Reports of the occasional big fish continue. The spawning run is on but it's only a few of the earliest fish that are making an appearance. The conformists will need a lot more cooling of the waters in our neighborhood to entice them from Hebgen Lake. If you decide to target the runners be sure to have large soft hackles and rubber legs in the box as well as the traditional streamers.
.. The hoppers are not as dense along the Madison River as they are on the Firehole River - BUT - the final molt is still in progress. Keep a few of the little darlings handy just in case.

-------

.. Baetis are surprisingly regular this year on the Gallatin River in the park. Hoppers are present, as are the few remaining spruce moths. Beetles and ants are strong performers, particularly on warm days. There have also been several flights of cinnamon ants reported around Black Butte and Specimen Creek.
.. When they hatch, the small caddis are preferred munchies in the evenings. Attractor fishing is a local tradition on the Gallatin River in Yellowstone National Park. This has been the mid-day pastime for a few generations and it persists today.
.. Typically a dry/dropper, (or when appropriate a hopper/dropper,) combination is used. Surface flies range from Goofus Bugs, (or Humpies,) through Royal Coachman, to giant Adams renditions. The trailing fly is usually a Prince, Feather Duster, Hare's Ear, nymph - or a soft hackle of some sort.

-------

.. The upper reaches of our popular river destinations are better fishing than famous parts right now.
.. The Brook Trout water on the Gibbon River, and the Firehole River can provide relative solitude and excellent catching during the warm spells of the temperature yo-yo.
.. The Gallatin River along the Bighorn Trail has some fine fish right now, (after all, even the fish in the Gallatin River move upstream to spawn. Taylor Fork, just north of the park boundary, and Bacon Rind Creek in the park are both fishing very well with the out-sized visitors migrating in from downstream.
.. These fish see few anglers this time of year and are generally very willing dance partners for the fisher folk willing to take a short walk, and approach carefully.

-------

.

Running For You

These Flies Entice Runners

(this post recycled and annotated)
They Work Wonders

-------

.. Just a note to remind you that the Madison River will soon be just chucky-jam-full of fresh fish from Hebgen Reservoir.
.. The combination of impending winter, (less food,) and the urgency of procreation, (more energy used,) join forces to make the following flies worthwhile.
.. Below is a recap of the flies that the neighbors have in their boxes. Many of these flies are so mundane and pedestrian that the "pros" and feather merchants don't even talk about them. Those folks would not seem to be experts if they didn't have something "new and different." Many of these old flies are still around because the just plain work.
.. We direct your attention to the Baker's Hole Bugger at the bottom of the post. This is as close as it comes to a guaranteed catcher of fish in the early portion of "runner madness" - which is now. This fly has really caught on with a select bunch of hard core fishers that start early and continue to the end of the Fall run.

-------

(Most images are huge - just click on them.)

.. Thunder Creek. When was the last time you heard someone recommend that old fossil? Who do you know that fishes it? They are either very good liars or just plain secretive.
.. The trout in the Madison River haven't seen many of these. They usually eat the ones that they see. Fish it on the swing. Let it straighten out. Wait a little while then strip it in real fast. Old ways. This specimen, (rust, dead head cement and all took a very nice fish below 7-mile bridge a couple of years ago. A fresh one scored again last Sunday at the Duck Creek Tailwater.)
.. Original Olive Matuka. These are tied commercially but their sales are way off. Although infrequently used these days, there is probably one in your fly box. There may be several tucked away in the corners. They most probably are unused and forgotten. Drag one out and give it an honest try. The early morning is a good time for the darker ones. Dead drifted or rapidly stripped downstream in the undercuts, it may just surprise you.
.. Chenille Matuka. Bright and boisterous, this variant is also tied commercially. It looks too gaudy for most "serious" fishers. It is a visual disaster in just about any fly box. It's not on the lips of the romantic poets of Yellowstone lore. Yet this variety is as good as or better than the original. The tail is splayed and provides nice action in the depths of dark pools. Sizes up to #4 and 4XL are not uncommonly found stuck in the noses of eager trout in the willows below the Highway 191 bridge, (you will have to walk to get these skulking monsters.)
.. Bead Head Rubber Legs. There are a bazillion rubber legs flies. They have secret names as well as commercial names.
.. They can be "Silli" - "Spooky" - "Madisoned" - "Fireholed" - and "Henry's Forked."
.. We use several of them this time of year and all are just grand. This one may be the grandest of all. It gets down quick and is good for 'snap-casting' right above the big roll that ended with a baby splash just over your left shoulder. The combination of long hackle, wiggly legs, copper wire. and a prickly body are often irresistible when slow-drifted across the bottom of a dark pool at sunset.
.. Guide's Secret Rubber Legs. Not a secret any more. Seven or eight years ago this pattern was hidden in dark places and fondled frequently in anticipation of Fall fishing.
.. There are many variations of this fly: the chenille, the number of legs, the head and tail treatment, the size and hook. All seem to work just fine. There are now many commercial versions. Some of the local, (Cameron, Ennis, West Yellowstone,) versions are still proprietary. Secret sources for components seem to be the key factor in the proprietary hodge podge. So be it.
.. Hackle & Legs. Here's another rubber legs pattern that has been embellished with long widely spaced palmered hackle. This one can be made to float with enough goo, or what ever is your favorite flotant. The many dimples create little lenses that allow the light to be seen. Strikes can be explosive - especially after a slight twitch.
.. The fly can also be drowned or fished on the swing in the film or down deep. It reminds us of an augmented Wooly Worm. It's good for a change of pace and is an excellent conversation piece.
.. Woolly Worm. The poor thing: fallen into disuse and disgrace. Often mentioned in the same sentence as the San Juan Worm. The Fall sizes and variations are not within the traditional range for this old sweetheart, (how many do you have?) Sizes in the 2 - 6 range are not uncommon. Long hooks are used by the neighbors. Red buck-tail is used for an afterburner. Very long, (for hook size,) hackle is the norm for this time of year. Traditional yellow and black are frequently the choice for the area around the Barns Holes and the Local Hole #1. More often, the last couple of years has seen hot orange or bright rust being chosen for the big water just above the estuary.
.. Pheasant & Blue. This streamer is a staple along the Washougal River in Washington and on the upper Clearwater River in Idaho. The pheasant rump feathers are popular in both steelhead and salmon fly patterns. Fishers on the South Fork of the Snake River in both Idaho and Wyoming have used this pattern for a couple of decades to take large migratory cutthroat trout. This pattern is now finding it's way into secret stashes of some of our neighbors. We've not used it but they swear by it - and at it.
.. Brindle & Hen. This popular fly from Northern California locations around Hoopa, Eureka, and Salyer has been modernized by the recent explosion of color in chenille. Similar in form and function to the classic Brindle Bug this fly is not just another pretty face. Tied with a heavy wire under-body it bounces through deep riffles with undulating sex appeal and is hard to resist by submarines parked in the dark spots during mid-day. This is a useful probing fly when tied with no underwire support and the action is leech or eel like. Just the groceries a fresh-run fish is looking for.
.. Bead Head Glitter Nymph. This monstrous cousin to the standard pheasant tail nymph is persistent in the repertory of the big-fish catchers in the neighborhood. It's easy to tie in sizes 4 - 8 and makes an excellent fly for the low clouds and bright overcast days of late September and October. It has nearly replaced the Casual Dress in our box and we don't regret it. Bleached goose biots are becoming rare these days. White will work just fine - or do some yourself.
.. Sinking Hopper. It's nearly  time for the sheep to call it quits on their hopper box. The feather merchants have run low on their stash and are touting the flies of fall. Grasshoppers in the high country continue to grow and molt through the first couple of weeks in October. A hard frost will "knock 'em down" for a while.
.. A couple of warm days, (even after snow,) will kick some life into them. Drowned, this fly is a nearly irresistible morsel for the big resident trout and a rare treat for the lake run fish of the Madison River.
.. Many of our strangest neighbors use this as a dropper behind a big streamer such as a Woolly Bugger, Egg-sucking Leech, Chamois Leech, or a Brindle & Hen. Common practice is to soak the little dickens in water for a day or two and let the river do your shopping for you.
.. Dark Spruce Fly. This classic has persisted despite the hawking of "more modern" flies. There are many variants and they seem to be quietly proliferating. We prefer ours tied a bit on the sparse side and choose to use a barred furnace hackle tip of a mahogany color rather than the traditional golden badger hackle.
.. This pattern is old, (1918 - 1919,) and was originally called the Godfrey Special. It was a premier sea-run cutthroat pattern for over half a century. It is still seen along the Madison River, and steelhead streams most everywhere. This is just the tonic for jaded trout around Baker's Hole and the Barns Holes.
.. As always the Light Spruce Fly is doing it's share of catching as well. Many of the neighbors fish it as a matter of course. With a short leader and a herky-jerky strip in a deep dark pool it will allow you to see the fly and the take. It seems to work best at mid-depths - but will take fish throughout the water column.
.. The very adventurous casters in the neighborhood run this in tandem with the Dark Spruce Fly or a Little Brown Trout. If your casting action is powerful, smooth, and practiced this is a killer combination.
.. Furnace & Red. This fly has been a staple for our Fall and Winter fishing since sometime in the late 60's. A couple of dozen were a gift from a fly fisher in Pocatello, Idaho. He may have "invented" it.
.. The name was roughly translated as "BOB'S FLY" - Google shows nothing quite like it by that name. It's a dark fly that is sometimes stripped cross-current at night or in the twilight. It's caught a few big fish. A few of the ancient neighbors here and in I.F. use a similar fly - with different names. (The eyes are Herter's NOS. We have zillions of them and previously thought they were important - works just as good without them.)
.. The Little Brown Trout. Dear to the hearts of Montanan's that love our cutthroats. There is a satisfying surge of glee, (it arises somewhere between the epitome and id,) when one of these little flies gets eaten. This old pattern is seen in most fly boxes and is only occasionally used. It is special only in the hearts and minds of ancient neighbors that remember what a glorious bit of water the Snake River was without the scourge of the invasive Brown's. Fish it like the little streamer that it is. Shallow riffles, deep undercut banks, and deep slicks are it's prime hunting ground. Even the Browns will eat it.
.. Stonefly Nymph. They live here. They get dislodged. They float around in the water column and get eaten all year long. Of course they are a Springtime religion, but the trout will eat one that's floating by any time of year. Often the older neighbors tell us to "hit 'em in the nose." That's good advice if you know where the noses are.
.. The mundane task of systematically covering a run in the Fall is a bit tedious. It is also rewarding when using any of the many stonefly imitations. Like a dog with a bone, the fish grab it, shake it, and hold onto it with a fierceness like unto a virgin prom queen in the back of an S.U.V.

-------

.. Baker's Hole Bugger. Straight from Blue Ribbon Flies & Whiskey Creek Fishing comes a fly designed specifically for the water around Baker's Hole. It's a fly that has been "making the rounds" for a few years and shows some staying power. Although supposedly designed "for Brown Trout" the fly is just fine for pricking hungry trout of any stripe.
.. Quite a few of the neighbors are aficionados of this fly and have already shortened it's name to "Baker's Bugger." They fish it all year long. The fly uses standard Brindle Bug chenille and a two toned tail similar to the Brindle and Hen. All of these long-tailed buggers have been getting more attention during the last decade. Probably a good reason for that.

-------

.. Here's a view of the Junction Pool. It will help you navigate through the elbows.

At Least It's Ours

THE FALL FLY BOX
Some Old Ones
Some Big Ones
And Others




.. There is always discussion  about the necessary flies for the Fall Fly Box in Yellowstone National Park. The folks on the South Fork of the Snake River have one set of flies, the folks on the Lamar River have another set, the folks on the Yellowstone River have their favorites, and the Madison River drainage yet others. This is not too surprising - yet many a congenial brew has been ruined discussing the "CORRECT FLIES."
.. Between our time spent in the neighborhood and traveling, we have developed a comprehensive collection of generalized Fall flies. They work most places, and are not at all out of the ordinary. There are a few local variants, and a few old-timer's. They are not necessarily "Correct," and certainly not perfect. They are, however, consistently successful.
.. These are the flies that we would fish until the folks 100 yards down the river gave us a fly that just caught more fish than we did. That's how we gathered up most of these flies in the first place.
.. As the occasional runner continues to be caught on the Madison River, we know that spawning is on the minds of the big fish from Hebgen Lake. Stay tuned for our annual post on the flies used for these giant dance partners.

STREAMERS & NYMPHS

.. The Dark Spruce Fly is a must for Fall fishing in Yellowstone. It can be tied in a traditional, streamer style, or as a Matuka. We use both. We also tend to use flies that are a bit bigger than the conventional wisdom dictates. There seems to be a subconscious message in our hard-wiring; "size matters." We also prefer furnace hackle with a touch of green - if we can get it.
.. The Light Spruce Fly is carried by most folks in the neighborhood. They fish it less than the dark one. It too, can be tied in either style. Again we prefer a darker and off-color wing to the stark white of the traditional recipe. It is almost a sure thing that any fall fisher will have this fly in the box come Labor Day.
.. The Yellowstone Spruce Fly is tied in a manner similar to the dark and light varieties. It uses materials that are at variance with the traditional recipes and is probably not a "real" Spruce Fly. It has a small but dedicated following among old-fart-fishers along the Henry's Fork, Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon Rivers. This streamer has two variants. The one shown here is the most popular. The other uses a green under wing with a yellow body and green butt. We fish this one, other folks use the other one - they both catch fish.
.. The Green Matuka Egg Fly is reappearing in many fly boxes. This was a popular fly 15 years ago on the South Fork of the Snake River. It is seeing use on the Madison and Firehole Rivers right now. It's just a Matuka - tied a little long. Some use red for the egg, some use florescent orange, some use yellow - don't seem to matter much.
.. The Yellowstone Sally is generally tied in Stone fly sizes for spring fishing. When tied on a long shank hook, with a long tail, it's a very durable and serviceable streamer - of sorts. It is best in the early Fall, (like right now,) and seems to lose it's appeal as winter approaches.
.. The Black Ghost, Black Nose Dace, Mickey Finn, and Hellifiknow, are all used in the Fall for the lake run fish on their spawning trip up the Madison River. These are excellent flies for the big plunge pool at the base of Gibbon Falls. They also work in the very early morning or late evening on the Gallatin River in the deep dark pools. These are usually tied very sparsely and fished deep on a dead drift. They serve as both searching flies and as mid-day flies, (the tinsel seems to be the key - or the contrast - or . . .)
.. There are quite a few similar flies that are bright with tinsel; and when they work - they really work. When they don't - they really don't. There must be a lesson here, but we haven't figured it out - yet.
.. The Gray Ghost in either it's classic form, as tied by Stevens, or it's shorter-shanked commercial versions is creeping back into the fly boxes of the Fall fishers in Yellowstone National Park. Most of the visitors, when asked, explain that they use it because they like it. The neighbors have a different reason - ". . . tried everything else." This fly is usually fished on a mended swing. Make it as slow as you can and mend and back-strip to keep it as drag free as possible - a strip-set is usually required when the take happens. If fished too far away it is probably mouthed and rejected -- and you'll never know.
.. The Thunder Creek is an old, stodgy, plain-looking, killer fly. It is seldom seen these days, and that is a mystery to us. Depending on conditions, trout preference, and personal preference, this fly can be tied long or short, full or sparse, bright or dull, or any combination - above and below the shank. We prefer a rather short and medium-full rendition. We use plucked pheasant rump fibres and red thread. Some of the neighbors tie it very sparse and with plucked hen hackle, (black or grizzly,) and yellow thread. Fish this one on the swing with a taught line and at the end of the swing let it dangle in the current right in front of the nose of big fish.
.. The Woolly Bugger is mandatory. This staple of most fly boxes is most popular in black, (dark green, olive, brown, gray, and even yellow are also seen.) With the advent of synthetic materials, this fly has many variants. We usually stick with black or olive and occasionally add just a bit of flash to the body. Sometimes a few strands creep into the marabou fibres too.
.. The Quick-N-Easy seems to be limited to the Lamar River, the upper Gibbon River, the Yellowstone River, and infrequently it is seen on Slough Creek below the parking lot, and along the road section. This is probably a cultural difference in feather merchant preference as much as a trout preference. We use it on the Gallatin River and the Madison River and it works just fine. The fly goes together quickly and is very durable. Just one kind of feather - two kinds of floss - one color thread.
.. The Feather Duster is almost a lost tradition in Yellowstone Fishing. The original was actually made from the material in feather dusters. It has some color variants. Tied in the smaller sizes this is a very effective spring and summer nymph. The larger yellow and especially pink versions are frequently just the thing that late Fall migrating spawners are looking for.

Dry Flies, Wet Flies, Soft Hackle & Others

.. Three flies, (and their variants,) will do for the dry flies in the Fall in Yellowstone Park. The Big Wing Sparkle Caddis, Yellowstone Cinch, and Blue Wing Olive. The fall hatches in Yellowstone can range from apparent to negligible - they don't ever seem to be spectacular, (save for the occasional "snow fly" marathon.) The Caddis is the one we use most, followed by the cinch, then the BWO, (which will do if the Baetis appear.)
.. The continuing expanded use of Soft Hackle Flies in Yellowstone and elsewhere is a testament to their effective deployment in sunken fly fishing. It is probably also a testament to their ease of construction. And, tied correctly, they are surprisingly durable. The stiff hackle variant is less well known and probably less effective for Fall fishing. We only use two colors and several sizes of this endearing fly: The Classic Version with barred hackle, and the Green Thing with dark furnace or black hackle.
.. Wet flies and others tend to overlap in use and definition. In the summer we float a Hornberg and pretend that it's a hopper. In the Fall we sink it and pretend it's a wet fly. We also use a Scarlet Ibis with magenta feathers and sometimes a gold rib. The double wings of the early traditional patterns separate and be become a large bright mass. The fish don't seem to mind, (or even prefer it?)
.. Yellowstone National Park Fishing Regulations, (page 6,) "Open daily from 5 AM to 10 PM -- [[ NB for the last two years and into the foreseeable future fishing has been truncated by "Ranger Concerns" at sundown - - September 10, 2010.]] Fishing with an artificial light is prohibited." This means that there is at least 4, and later, nearly 6 hours of fishing in the dark or near dark.
.. For these situations it is possible to take some very large fish on a mouse. YES - A MOUSE! or any other large floating fly that can make a ruckus in the areas that fish hide. This is not stealth fishing - this is bomb and boil fishing. We occasionally end our day by cutting back the leader to obscene dimensions and slowly probing the bank with a bass popper or a mouse, (the mice are traditional - use chamois for the ears and tail - rubber whiskers - eyes and colors are optional.) Big trout eat baby ducks; - voles, shrews, and mice too.

________________

.