weather spectacularlook for migrants soon
a break in the near future
podcast for bamboo lovers
Please Protect Your Waters
.. The worm dunkers are killin' 'em. Fishers on the west side of Yellowstone National Park are catching very large fish - ON WORMS.
.. The continued "beautiful weather" is keeping the creeks and rivers that flow into the Madison River at temperatures just above seasonal averages and the trout seem to be awaiting cooler water before leaving Hebgen Lake in any numbers. This is a contest between hormones and temperature.
.. The hormones have pulled the fish as far upstream as the Highway 191 Bridge. Worm fishers have taken nice trout to 23" in the stretch of water just outside of Yellowstone Park.
.. Just how good is the weather? The desk clerks at all the hotels and motels sent people to Bozeman and Idaho Falls to look for rooms yesterday evening. The town is jam-full of Fall visitors enjoying the Summer-like weather.
..The weather forecasters missed it big-time last weekend. The coming weekend is supposed to give us cold rain and snow at the higher elevations - (what ever that means - we'll see!) Happily the evenings and nights have dropped their temperatures, It's 32 F right now, (6:00 AM.)
.. The warm spell is region-wide. The folks waiting for steelhead at Troy Idaho are still fishing for Smallmouth Bass. The Grande Rhonde report from fisheyesoup.com (via Joseph Fly Shoppe,) is bleak. We suspect that the "B" run fish are still parked in the cool waters of the Deschutes. We need some cool weather and some cold rain across the whole region.
.. The current Yellowstone conditions mean that the fly box can be limited to terrestrials, Baetis, Drakes, and a few streamers for the optimistic. There has been a couple of fine Brown Trout reported from the Baker's Hole and Barns Holes area. Just a foretaste of things to come.
.. The Firehole River & the Gibbon River still have a few hoppers, and the fish will take them. The caddis seem to be scattered all over the place and are few in numbers. They will, however, bring fish to the surface. The big fish in the confluence meadows are more active than the ones further upstream - a sure sign that the hormones are working as they move upstream. The Brookies around the campground at Norris are also cooperating - despite the thin water... Nez Perce Creek is often overlooked this time of year - Don't Do It! There is a very consistent late caddis hatch, and consistent, (though sparse,) Baetis - they're small and unobtrusive. Stroll along the bank upstream from the Chief Joseph story board and do battle on a one-to-one basis.
.. Down in The Cascade Corner of Yellowstone the Bechler River and Boundary Creek have been producing fish to 20" and more on Woolly Buggers and San Juan Worms. Late afternoon and early evening fishing has been fantastic with late caddis and Baetis making regular appearances.
.. The agitated, but still wary, Cutthroats of Slough Creek are enjoying an evening feast of what appears to be a resurgence of hoppers. These warm days make beetles, ants, and hoppers a requisite for the fly box.
.. There has been a reliable Baetis and Drake hatch in the meander section of the Lamar River. Try to be in the neighborhood of the Buffalo Ranch about 5:30 PM. The cottonwood pullout also continues to have hoppers - but the yellow leaves on the ground mean that they aren't flying too much. Praying for clouds is allowed.
________________
... New West is busy with their juicy pictures of nice Fall fish. We pulled this photo
off their site. The bolg is well worth watching for other news as well. It's regionalized and current.______________
.. For the digitally inclined, we suggest a trip to
Terry's Flyfishing Bar for Tying Talk, Tackle Talk, Foam Flies, Rod Building, and sundry other topics of interest. (Translation - if you need it.)
.. These folks are so hip that they even have a podcast for fisher folk. The site is packed with fine photography and excellent information. (Aside: very interesting photos also at Lefthandedness & Under The Big Sky.)____________
.. And, speaking of Ipods and fly fishing, the Itinerant Angler has a fine podcast featuring Sante Giuliani, discussing bamboo fly rods and how to pick up some good ones without having to sell your Hummer. It's called the "CANE MUTINY."
.. This is, now, a regular feature of the classic fly rod forum. You can download an MP3 version if you're interested, (it takes a bit of time so do it in the background.)
.. A bonus feature of the podcast is that you get to hear some down home music by Guy Clark - "The South Coast Of Texas," - watch out for the broken glass - YEEE HA!
.. And, as awareness of invasive species increases, the news media is running more stories about the invaders. Protect Your Waters let us know that:
". . .flooding along the shores of the Great Salt Lake in the 1980s wiped the wetland canvas clean. Phragmites then appeared to help repaint the wetland picture in flowing acres of waving green stems and golden-brown plumes." LINK
.. The full story can be seen in the DeseretNews.com article. This could be a catastrophe for both fish and waterfowl.
.. They also are following the story about the Asian Carp infestation in Illinois:
.. They also are following the story about the Asian Carp infestation in Illinois:
". . . Asian carp began jumping out of the water. One landed in a boat piloted by three women, who all immediately jumped out. Another landed on the lap of a girl who was floating down the river in an inner tube, then jumped from her lap onto another tuber’s lap, knocked an "adult beverage" out of her hand, then flopped back into the water. Read the full story to get the details." LINK
.. This is exactly the kind of fishing that the folks at Get Outdoors need - no tackle, no effort, no expertise. Read the full story HERE.