10 DAYS TO GO
Record Flows In Reach
rivers like chocolate syrup
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| Here's Madison Mud In Your Eye |
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.. All rivers on the west side of the park are very high. Both the Madison River and the Firehole River are within reach of new record flows, (again.) The Gibbon River set an unofficial record on Tuesday. On that same day The Firehole River was within 100 cfs of a record.That's the bad news.
.. The beautiful brown, amber, and occasional mauve colors in the water make for interesting photographic exercises - not good for catching. That's the ugly news.
.. For the moment "Tea-Stained" is an appropriate comparison. Soon the color will turn to one that is best described by referring to a baby's diapers. In-water visibility is up from just a few days ago to about 8", it's bound to go down again with the next increase in discharge rates.
.. This year the park regulations are emphasizing those regulations that protect native fish. They have raised the harvest limits for Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout in areas where they compete with native Cutthroat and Grayling.
.. Many fishers, (and guides and feather merchants,) release all trout. It's an unthinking and destructive dogma of their religion. We suggest that you download the regulations, know the harvest limits for where you fish, and kill the invasive species. If all you want to do is catch fish go to a trout farm.
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| This Year's Regulations |
.. The downloadable regulations (PDF) also contain an expanded section on preventing the spread of other invasive species, (besides the trout.) It's an easy thing to do - be legal and be conservationist.
.. If you have not made reservations for a dwelling space in Gardiner, Jackson, or West Yellowstone, it may be too late. There are still a few places left in the park but they should be fully booked by the end of this week. The rush is on and visitors of the non-fishing variety are already banging the the gates. Last year was another record year for park visitation. This year may be the same.
.. We intend to keep a close watch on the waters of the west side of Yellowstone National Park. There is still plenty of snow around. The extended forecast calls for temperatures in the high 50's to low 70's with daily rain for the next two weeks.
.. As the warm weather continues we anticipate only a few places where the catching will be as good as the fishing. We'll keep you posted.
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| The Lost Is Found |
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| Madison River At The Park Line |