NOT TO RUSH THINGS - BUT
Plan To Include Reservations
off the road is good for the soul
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| EARLY CATCHING SEASON ON THE FIREHOLE RIVER - A SOCIAL EVENT |
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.. Some of the absolute best catching of trout in Yellowstone National Park is not on the Firehole River, or the Madison River, or the Gibbon River, or the Gallatin River.
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| How many can you catch? |
.. Most fly fishers are of a gregarious sort. Yet, they whine about too many folks on their water. They sob about the fact that there are even other folks on their water. They bemoan the fact that someone found their secret spot. Go figure.
.. Then they return to the same holes on the same rivers and wonder why things have not changed.
.. Most of the glory waters in Yellowstone National Park are about comfortable fishing. Do it the way you have read about it. Do it the way the counter help at a feather merchant's shop tells you to do it. Listen to the guides as they extoll the virtues of their successful outings and the grins on their client's face. It's comfortable. Go where you've been before - it's comfortable. Go where someone told you to go - it's comfortable.
.. Most fly fishers measure their fishing experience in terms of the fish that were caught. A few in terms of the bugs or the rivers. Very few, (we plead guilty,) in terms of the place, the time, the surroundings, or the weather - fish be caught or not.
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| RUNNERS IN THE FALL - UNFISHED PARADISE |
.. Measure your experience in terms of the size of the fish, the number of fish, the various species of fish, the beauty of the fish, the strength of the fish - enjoy the fish.
.. You will have the memories of having fished and caught fish where millions of other fishers have fished and caught fish.
.. You will be able to tell stories of the same parking places, rocks, runs and riffles and pools that others have experienced. It's fullfilling to be part of the club.
.. We do not suggest that you spend any time in the winter looking at maps. We do not suggest that you plan to walk too far or explore the thousands of miles of streams and rivers in Yellowstone National Park. We do not, for an instant, suggest that the local, professional, experts are not omniscient or omnipotent - heaven forbid! After all, they make a good living by being the way that they are. It's comfortable.
.. We, silly us, are spending many hours this winter looking at maps. We're looking at Google Earth. We, at the moment, are comfortable. But it's not fishing. We are planning a summer of distinctly uncomfortable fishing. Catching may accompany it: may not too.
.. Resources for the uncomfortable fisher folks are wide and varied. Google Earth is good. Digital-Topo-Maps[dot]Com is exceptional and lets you print the maps you need - it's free! Searching the various "YELLOWSTONE FISHING" web sites gives many insights that even the local experts have not yet discovered. Most of this "research" is butt-time, in front of a computer, we hope it pays off.
.. Last year, Many of the wader friendly lodgings in town were booked well in advance of the fishing season in the park. The owners of these establishments have developed a following of repeat customers and suggest that it's never too early to grab your place. Of course there are over 3,000 motel rooms in town - BUT - not many have facilities for drying waders, tying flies, and other things that gregarious fishers enjoy.
.. Right now, by gum, the sun has made an appearance, so we're getting off our butt - for the moment.
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| PRINTABLE TOPO MAPS FOR FREE |
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| HOW BIG OF A BROWN TROUT DO YOU WANT? |