Monday, September 20, 2010

Too Damn Nice

ANOTHER WEEK OF THE SAME
Sweeter Than July
distracted & loving it

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.. We're in for another week of 60's and 70's with moderate evenings and  very gentle breezes. All visitors are loving it except the fisher folks - where's the cold, driving rain to wake up the runners from the lake? The widely scattered morning and evening showers are welcome, but the gentle days won't let us use the fallfoulweathergear [rough translation from the German!]
-- Fear not, there will be more fish in the next 10 days. Our early warning system alerts us to the fact that a few neighborhood fishers with night crawlers are taking some nice dinner vittles from the Madison River just downstream from the park line.
.. There are some very big fish already in the system and we have reports from the plunge pool at the base of Gibbon Falls suggesting that the gauntlet of fly guys in the park have not done their duty.
.. Not all fishers have been sucked into the runner madness. Fishing and catching have been excellent on most of the neighborhood streams during this Fall's soft landing.
.. All rivers are producing good early morning midge hatches. Bits of fluff in the 18 - 22 range will provide nearly continuous action from just after daybreak to about 10:30 or 11:00 AM. You need to find a quiet pool near shore with both sun and shadow. Wade, or crawl carefully and gently; the fish are already there.
.. We visited with a fellow from Chicago Sunday morning on the Firehole River. He was standing still and taking fish after fish without moving much.
.. The amazing success of this fisher intrigued us and we waited for 45 minutes while he cleaned the pool. As he headed upstream to a small quiet bend we accosted him in as jovial a manner as is possible for us.
.. The result of the conversation was that he had stopped at a fly shop in St Louis, Missouri, and the girl at the counter had sold him two dozen "secret Firehole flies." He showed us a small tin with a bunch of things called a 'dandelion emerger.' He proceeded up to the next slick spot and within five minutes began to repeat the show. It's nice to learn new things.
.. The Firehole River has spiked to 68° - 69° F on a couple of recent warm days. Either get there early or try the late afternoon. It's better for the fish and the catching improves as well.
.. Caddis and hoppers and ants are successful during mid day and into the warm evenings. The persistent 'terrestrial bite' has provided some fierce action on the Gallatin River over the past few days. It should continue for a few more.
.. Diehard surface fanatics have been deprived of their beloved  Baetis in any numbers. There are some sporadic Baetis hatches on the Firehole River and Nez Perce Creek but caddis, hoppers, and ants are being used by most fishers. A rig with a pair of small soft hackles is also showing up with some regularity.
.. Fall should make a brief appearance around Wednesday or Thursday. A memo has been sent to Baetis community.
.. Surprising success has been reported from the big meadows on the Gibbon River. The persistent beetles, ants, hoppers, and midges have attracted quite a few maestro's to this water. The creepy crawly things out in the meadows are fly fishers with the savvy to know that the fish are willing - but spooky. Floating a size 10 or 12 woolly worm is really all that's needed - provided the cast, landing and drift are picture perfect. Black or dark green seem to be the preferred colors.
.. All 23 spawners are in Grayling Creek. Each has been caught and chastised for making an appearance so early in the season. They gave no reason or excuse for the slip-up.
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