Up A Lazy River

THE ELBOWS DESCEND

The Bears Persist

please park safely

TIE ONE ON !

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.. It's not your typical postcard idyll on the Gallatin River these days. In fact it's become a damn dangerous circus.

GREAT FISH FOOD

.. Cars, trucks, buses, motorpickles, dune buggy's, screaming bicycle riders, and bear jam congestion's are all on the roadway.
.. The river has finally come into it's own. You can fish all day and score with just a simple rig. A size 10 Elk Hair Caddis up top followed by a size 12 or 14 Prince Nymph 12" down on the point. You will catch fish.
.. There are PMD's that confuse the picture just before any clouds descend, (rare right now,) and spruce moths are beginning their dance in earnest. Two years ago at this time we were singing the virtues of hoppers. Well, this year, the little pogo sticks are about a week or ten days away from being our first pick.

THE PLACE

.. There are a few bears visiting the haunts of our neighborhood fishers. The Fan Creek bear is a cinnamon colored black bear that is curious and hangs out even in the presence of fishing parties and trail riders. This bear has been up the Gallatin River along the Bighorn Trail as well as along Fan Creek.
.. A small grizzly bear is causing traffic jams near Specimen Creek and the meadows below the road and the narrow canyon above the road. The annual visitation of the large black bear around Black Butte is also becoming a regular occurrence.

HAND CARRY

.. Fish with a friend or two. Sing ribald songs, tell dirty jokes, laugh and guffaw with gusto.
.. Make your presence known and by all means carry your bear spray in your hand.
.. There has already been one death-by-bear in Yellowstone National Park this year. Try not to become the second.
.. The Madison River is beginning to see some small hopper action along with a sparse but persistent PMD hatch. Caddis is still king along the big water and foam lines. Some of the fish are taking small brownish nymphs such as the Shop Vac.

BUBBLEBACK EMERGER

.. The folks down at Galloup's Slide Inn have a variation on the Pheasant Tail Nymph that is becoming popular with some of the neighbors. It's called "Trina's Bubbleback Emerger." Most of the neighbors use it as a dropper fly for general searching. It's pretty good early in the hatch as well.
.. The bear is still on the Mary Mountain Trail along Nez Perce Creek. So too, are the fish. This river is seeing better fishing than we've seen in a few years. Sage philosophers allow that this may be because a lot of Firehole River fish 'ran-up' the creek early during the monster high water phase last month. Could be.
.. What ever the case may be, they are still behaving like Nez Perce Creek Fish: Attractor dry flies and yummy-looking terrestrial imitations are working just fine. Even grasshoppers!

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AS CLOSE AS WE WANT TO BE !!