Yellowstone Rivers Rising

WARM SPELL SPEAKS Of COLORED WATER
get the drab nymphs ready



<-- Yellowstone Badger

-- After a brief four day cool spell the sun has come out to melt the snow in the high country and the rivers are speeding up, and gaining volume. On the 12th & 13th both the Madison River and the Firehole River were running at or below their seasonal averages. Today they are considerably higher, and rising.
-- From here on in, until the opener on the 27th of May it's important to check the stream flows on a daily basis. The stream flow sites from the USGS are listed on the right in the 'links section.' This is a quick daily exercise, and will provide very useful information for opening day, and it's week end fishing.
-- If the rivers continue to rise, and color, as it seems that they will; nymphs of a "buggy" nature and dark in color will be most productive. Many of the standard patterns will work fine: pheasant Tail, Hare's Ear, Prince, etc. in bead head or conventional styles.
-- We've tied up a bunch of Yellowstone Duster's, Feather Duster's, & the Yellowstone Badger, (shown above.) The Yellowstone Badger is a very old and very local fly. This fly is a favorite of the 'crusty' old local fishermen in the region. It is used mostly in the spring and early summer on the upper Firehole River, and the Madison River, (from National Park Meadows to about 9-mile hole.) It is similar to both the pheasant Tail and Hare's Ear nymphs, and is very 'buggy' if tied with the correct hair.

Recipe For Yellowstone Badger
Tail: 5 or 6 very stiff pheasant tail fibers, (use the small stiff ones near the tip of the feather,) Rib: gold colored fine metal tinsel, Body: body hair from the jaw-line of a badger, (be sure to use mostly guard hairs with just a little bit of under hair,) Wing Case / Thorax: pheasant tail fibers mixed with badger hair and wrapped forward, then covered with additional pheasant tail fibers tied in and used as legs as well, Head: a bit of purple or red thread over black. Hooks: 8 - 18 heavy nymph hooks, 1 - 2 xl if desired. Pick out the dubbing and soak overnight before using. A wire or lead underbody may be used. Bead head variations have appeared in the last decade and work well. Fish this nymph in the dappled shadows of the banks and undercuts - dead drift in the slower holding water.

Cuttthroat controversy