TAKE A WALK
Take Bear Spray
take humpies and ants and beetles
AND HOPPERS !!!
AND HOPPERS !!!
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.. 'Tis the Nez Perce season. For the next three weeks, (and more,) Nez Perce Creek will fish as good as it ever does. Rain or shine, hot or cold, morning-noon-night, this is the neighbor's choice destination, (among two or three others.).. The lingering cool weather will give us a few
more mornings and evenings on the Firehole River but the cognoscenti will be migrating to other waters. It's an annual ritual... The Firehole River will fish well above the Kepler Cascades for the rest of the summer.
.. The Firehole River will fish well for about 300 yards below it's confluence with Nez Perce Creek for another 2-3 weeks. But Nez Perce Creek will do well for as long as you care to take the time to walk it's banks.
.. Heading upstream on
Nez Perce Creek, the broken meadows and decaying geyserite aprons of the first meadow occupy about 2 1/3 miles of exquisite water... Runs and riffles, pools and glides, and undercut banks. This is the most heavily fished stretch of this stream.
.. Use caution and avoid the thermal features in this region. You will see the decaying skeletons of animals that ventured too close and became DEAD! Don't let it happen to you.
.. Another 2 1/2 miles, (or so,) finds the creek
constricted into a canyon, of sorts. This section is referred to as "The Narrows" by our neighbors. This section represents the maximum distance that is comfortably fishable in a day... The narrows have the same sort of water as the first meadow but the fish are feistier and a bit more gullible. Local legend reports that the fish can be, in fact, a bit bigger in this section, (we can't verify it.)
.. Last Meadow extends to the foot of Mary Mountain. It's about an 8 mile grunt, (one way,) and is infrequently fished.
.. The fish here are just the most sociable of all the trout in the park. They will dance with anyone and eat anything. Forty years ago we would tie small twigs and bits of pine needles to hooks and catch them - ahhh, youth!
click on image for detailed view .. Most fishers seek one of two destinations for prime fishing on Nez Perce Creek. Destination #1 is the glassy waters at the junction of the narrows and first meadow. (Hint: deep channels on the downstream end of islands.)
.. Destination #2 is the similar water at the upstream end of the narrows. (Hint: downstream from the "restoration" sweepers.)
.. But, there are fish along the whole stretch and if a spot strikes your fancy - fling some!
.. The hopper nymphs are in their first molt now. Soon the lush meadows will lose their emerald green and change to a rich golden color.
.. It's not too early to think of hoppers. And it's not too early to take some ants and beetles. For most purposes on the surface a Humpy of this or that color will do fine.
