Sands Of Time

THE CLOCK IS TICKING

Hoppers Diminishing

hormones in ascendancy

RIFFLE & RUN  -- OR -- RIFFLE & POOL?

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.. First there needs to be a bit of "Air Clearing." There are big fish in almost all of the waters of Yellowstone National Park. It happens. Accept it. This is the time of year when hormones and instincts trump simple conventional wisedom.
.. If a large, (for the neighborhood,) trout is 22" or more, then there was a large trout, (two actually,) taken at the confluence of the Gibbon River and Solfatara Creek . . .  TRUE!
.. There have been several very large fish taken near the confluence of the Gallatin River and Specimen Creek. A couple of giant fish have been taken in the very thin water of Bacon Rind Creek. just west of the highway, (bet you drove right past them.) Of course there have been bucket-loads of large fish taken in the park-line-pools at Bakers Hole on the Madison River.

.. The simple fact is that mature trout migrate instinctively upstream to gravels suitable for spawning. That's going on right now and the surprises are wondrous to behold.
.. Recent fishing along the park reaches of the Gallatin River has been delightful, (save for the smoke in the air and air temperatures in the low 80's.) There are still some hoppers and spruce moths and beetles and flying ants attempting to swim in the river.

.. Fall catching on the Gallatin River is enhanced by finding the optimum conjunction of terrestrial and aquatic circumstances. No giant insight here.
.. The most successful neighbors count at least five factors that must come together in very extremely close proximity for optimum catching: Sagebrush Flats, Willow Bottoms, Lodgepole Pines, Riffles punctuated by Dark Water Pools, and Undercut Banks. The diversity and availability of foodstuffs in these areas accounts for both trout and bear density. Keep that in mind!
.. The weather is often less of a factor than conventional wisdom would dictate. Right now we're in a similar weather pattern that we experienced two years ago when temperatures of 85°F were seen in October. It could happen again.

.. Fish are still migrating and spawning. Photoperiod and water temperature are key triggers for the current sort of sexual shenanigans that the trout are enjoying.
.. The near-term weather forecast calls for unseasonably warm and dry periods for up to the next two weeks.
.. Evenings, of late, have been in the 20's but promise to rise into the 40's. Some clouds and some widely scattered showers may grace parts of the neighborhood but they will not significantly alter the trend - or the trout and bear behavior. Keep in mind that the berry crop is low and the bruins are ranging widely.

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