Try These Fish

Fish Here

And The Beat Goes On

MORE POISONED FISH

Visit For Free Today

and, if the government shuts us down?

COURTESY MOTHER JONES

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.. Just a bit of news to interrupt your pleasure of chasing the runners from Hebgen Reservoir and the glutenous fish enjoying the dense baetid hatches in the neighborhood, especially on the Firehole River.
.. Don't drink the water in Elk Creek until after September 30, 2013. See the fish kill news release HERE - 1.
.. You may enter Yellowstone National Park today for free. The free pass is good for seven days and represents a $25 savings. Offered in celebration of National Public Lands Day. See the news release HERE - 2.
.. Should partisan and ideological issues confabulate the appropriations process in Washington, D.C., there could be an early end to fishing this season in Yellowstone National Park.
.. Our inside sources have provided us with a not too secret bit of information that we pass along below. Should you have strong feelings about the issues raised in the information below please feel free to contact your favorite public servant that works in Yellowstone National Park.

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THE INFORMATION

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From: REDACTED

Date: September 27, 2013 4:39:03 PM MDT

To: undisclosed-recipients:;

Subject: Fwd: lapse of appropriations

As Deputy Superintendent Steve Iobst just wrote,  "The specific details of what will happen to the national parks in the event of a lapse of appropriations are still under development and review.”  That said, we have this general guidance about concession and commercial use authorization operations: 

• Except for hotels, lodges, and campgrounds, all concession-operated visitor services and facilities would close
• Overnight accommodations and campgrounds would stay open until guests currently checked-in check-out.  
• All guests would have to check-out and leave the park within 48 hours.
  
• No new guests could check-in.      
• The Superintendent could permit concessioners and their contractors to continue repair, maintenance, and construction projects.
  
• Employees could stay in the park but could not not bike, hike,or otherwise recreate outside assigned areas.
• Concessioner and CUA clients on overnight back county trips could finish their trips unless there were a practical and safe way to end them.
• Except for the overnight back country trip provision above, all CUA holders activities in park would stop. (INCLUDING FISHING)

We'll send out another email as soon as we know more.  That may not be until Monday.

Regards.

REDACTED

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WALLPAPER IF YOU LIKE

Of Snows And Baetids

ERUPTION COMES TO MIND

Noses In The Air

backs and fins bulge the film

RUNNERS BE DAMNED, THE FIREHOLE RIVER IS ALIVE WITH BUGS

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.. It's not been much of a storm. The skies have been a light gray without the heavy slate tones of true winter.
.. There has been as much rain as snow in the gentle bit of precipitation that managed to reach the ground. The footprints in the dusting disappeared by 1:00 PM. Bits of white are now tucked in the corners facing north. This weather event is not much to talk about unless you're from the lowlands or Florida.
.. Some places on the west side of Yellowstone National Park received enough snow for tourist pictures and the cool air makes the steam picturesque.
.. The neighbors, on the other hand, enjoy the uniform gray and dampness that signals things much more intriguing than a few flakes and drops.

PRETTY LITTLE BUGS

.. Reports from: Ashton, Idaho, - Chester, Idaho, - Island Park, Idaho, - Slide Inn, Montana, - Cameron, Montana, - Ennis, Montana, - Campfire Lodge, Montana, - West Yellowstone, Montana, - Madison Junction, Wyoming, - Old Faithful - Wyoming, - Norris Campground, Wyoming, AND all places in between suggest that we are having a spectacular "BAETID EVENT."
.. The fish were, and are, very pleased and, the fishers nearly soiled their shorts, (rumors abound but are not to be propagated here.)
.. Reported sizes ranged from size 12, (doubtful but possible,) to size 22 - eeegad! The fish ate them all and the fisher folk are still telling the stories, (fishers being what they are.)
.. A few headhunters along the Madison River were treated to the sight of porpoising submarines that were unmoved by gaudy streamers.  A sight to haunt nightmares for generations to come.
.. It's happening again today. Maybe tomorrow too. It's not an unheard of event to have bugs hatching at the appropriate time of day and year for their maturation cycle. It is, in fact, a normal occurrence.
.. But for the density and persistence of bugs over at least five rivers at the same time and at several disparate elevations is just a touch unusual.
.. There are a great many bugs hatching right now. Let's just leave it at that and suggest that you should have been here yesterday.
.. It's time for our breakfast hamburger.

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A PERFECT BREAKFAST: ANGUS, MUSHROOMS, SWISS, FRESH BUN, - - - BURP!

How It's Done

JUST WHAT WE NEED

Yum Yum Yum

right here in river city

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..
Splashing & Dogs Are Optional

Swing Your Partner . . .

NEIGHBORS DANCE THE DANCE

Pretend A Two-Hander Is Required

ignore fishing for gear display

JUST WHAT'S NEEDED FOR THE FIREHOLE RIVER . . . (courtesy Orvis)

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.. Wow! That river is over 60 feet wide. A giant rod is best here. Let us wade through the fish at our feet and whip the water to a froth while extending enough line to cast to the far bank with a size 14 soft hackle.
.. Oops, missed the spot better do it again - and again - and again. Hurray, that's where the fly should be. should be. Damn! How to mend all that line?  There's a take. Lift: lift all that line - that's why the rod is so long. Keep lifting. Get the slack out.  Oops, that fish spit my fly. Must be the wrong fly.
.. We certainly do enjoy the entertainment value of the long rod.

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TYPICAL SCENE ON THE MADISON RIVER IN YELLOWSTONE . . . (courtesy Winston)

Signs Of The Times

FOUND IN DOWNTOWN WEST YELLOWSTONE

Winter Revised

NOAA-NWS-ALERTS-MT124F18A2DCD4.WinterStormWarning.124F18B436A0MT.TFXWSWTFX.46272056299c9196097db053f4ec5eb3 from w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

Event: Winter Storm Warning Alert: ...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM WEDNESDAY TO NOON MDT THURSDAY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5500 FEET... * TIMING AND MAIN IMPACT: LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP WEDNESDAY MORNING ABOVE 7000 FEET THEN INTENSIFY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT AS SNOW LEVELS LOWER TO THE VALLEYS FLOORS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SNOW WILL START TO DIMINISH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL RESULT IN POOR VISIBILITIES ALONG WITH ROADS BECOMING SLUSHY OR SNOW COVERED. * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FROM 5500 FEET TO 7000 FEET AND 12 TO 24 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FEET. ELEVATIONS BELOW 5500 FEET COULD SEE 1 TO 4 INCHES. * WINDS AND VISIBILITY: NORTHERLY WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH COULD RESULT IN AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW AND VISIBILITIES BELOW ONE-HALF MILE AT TIMES. * OTHER IMPACTS: THIS STORM COULD CAUSE POSSIBLE POWER OUTAGES AND TREE DAMAGE. * LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE: BATTLE RIDGE PASS...BOZEMAN... BOZEMAN PASS...TARGHEE PASS...WEST YELLOWSTONE...BIG HOLE PASS...CHIEF JOSEPH PASS...DILLON...MONIDA PASS...BOULDER... BOULDER HILL...ELK PARK PASS...HOMESTAKE PASS... WHITEHALL... ENNIS...NORRIS HILL...RAYNOLDS PASS... TWIN BRIDGES. * TO SEE A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF THIS HAZARD PLEASE VISIT WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/WRH/WHV/?WFO=TFX -------

WINTER ?

...MOUNTAIN SNOW LIKELY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY... 
 
...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING 
THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET... 
 
A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET REMAINS IN 
EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. 
 
* TIMING AND MAIN IMPACT: LIGHT SNOW WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL 
INTENSIFY BY MID DAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY. HEAVIER 
SNOW IS LIKELY AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET. 
 
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 16 TO 24 INCHES 
POSSIBLE NEAR PASS LEVEL TO 7000 FEET...16 TO 24 INCHES 
POSSIBLE ABOVE 7000 FEET. 
 
* WINDS AND VISIBILITY: LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW COULD 
REDUCE VISIBILITIES BELOW ONE-HALF MILE AT TIMES. 
 
* LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE: BATTLE RIDGE PASS...TARGHEE 
PASS...WEST YELLOWSTONE...BOULDER HILL... ELK PARK PASS... 
HOMESTAKE PASS...BIG HOLE PASS... CHIEF JOSEPH PASS...MONIDA 
PASS...KINGS HILL PASS... RAYNOLDS PASS 
 
* TO SEE A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF THIS HAZARD PLEASE VISIT 
WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/WRH/WHV/?WFO=TFX: 
 
* TO SEE A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE DEGREE OF STRESS ON 
YOUNG LIVESTOCK PLEASE VISIT 
WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/TFX/CANL/CANL.PHP?WFO=TFX:

Only $10

"ANYONE

who wants to learn anything

and everything about fly fishing"

not bad for $10

WHAT WILL THIS BUY YOU ??

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.. If you miss the INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FLY FISHERS FAIR you are just so out of it. It promises to "experience all things fly fishing."
.. So if you want to know how to keep your fly from being eaten by a Tiger while fly fishing for the Golden Mahseer in the Himalayas, you should be here today.
.. If you need to know how to reel your line in with both hands on a double-handed fly reel, by all means sign up and get an acclaimed expert to teach you how it's done.

.. If you are one of two lucky anglers willing to pay $130 for 4 hours on the Madison River you too can learn "where, when and how to fish for fall run browns and rainbows in the Madison River in Yellowstone Park. Casting instruction will be given if needed."  Now there's a deal for sure.

.. You can even "Learn to fish from the best instructors in the world." Now where else in this round, round world can that happen?
.. We hope that Stu Tripney, world class carp fisher and instructor is present. Now there is the best of the best. He leaves the trout waters of New Zealand to find the carp of the good ol' U.S.A. in sloughs and backwaters.
.. And we so hope that Jake Jordan will be there to instruct us about flies and fly casting for Sailfish. This acknowledged world expert has invited us to the fifth annual invitational Sailfish Fly Challenge.  If he's not here tomorrow maybe some of the other best instructors can help us out.

.. Be here or be left in the dust. You just can't be any kind of fly fisher without visiting the fair.

Resource For The Fair:

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FLY FISHERS FAIR SEPTEMBER 24 - 28, 2013

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ALL THE BUZZ IN WEST YELLOWSTONE THIS WEEK

Useful For Some

QUIT NOW - OR - WAIT ?

Short Or Long Storm ?

try this site - see if it fits

IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO BE IN HATCH, IDAHO TODAY

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.. If you watch the weather this may be for you. If you carry a smart phone it may be for you. If you like real time information this may be for you.
.. You can select the location for weather forecasting. You can see local, regional, or global information with a click of the mouse or tap on the screen.
.. Check out the site: forecast.io - nifty stuff.

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JUST FOR TOM

FISH NOW IN DUNSMUIR, CALIFORNIA

All The Comforts . . .

ESCHEWING THE RUNNERS ?

Seeking Firehole Fun ?

go primitive and build memories

JUST LIKE HOME - 100 YEARS AGO

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.. If you are a Fall Fly Fisher in Yellowstone National Park - AND - enjoy elbows more than submarines; then, the Firehole River is your cup of mouthwash.

For The Adventurous Fishers

.. There are some delightful cabins at Old Faithful that may appeal to you if you are on a budget. They lack some amenities but are full of charm and character.
.. Today, these cabins between the 'Lodge at Old Faithful' and the Firehole River, are called "Budget Cabins." They have a cold water sink and no bathroom. They are on the site of the old tent camps in Yellowstone National Park.
.. These cabins have the typical post and pillar construction and some have been upgraded with concrete steps. Rough-sawn dimensional lumber was used and is a step up from the logs used in many early cabins of the era. The sills usually rest on concrete piers today - originally stones and boulders formed the foundations. When built in the 1920's these cabins represented a major improvement over the tents.
.. Communal showers and toilets are almost within walking distance of each cabin and are frequently very clean.
.. Today they represent a bargain for lodging in the park. Right now they are only $89.00 a night. The fireplug and guard posts just got a new paint job.
.. The images are big enough for wallpaper if you like.

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JUST LIKE HOME - 100 YEARS AGO

Recycle It - (You've seen this post before.)

These Flies Entice Runners

(this post recycled and annotated)
They Work Wonders
Some Wallpapers If You Missed The First Time Around

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.. Just a note to remind you that the Madison River will soon be just chucky-jam-full of fresh fish from Hebgen Reservoir.
.. The combination of impending winter, (less food,) and the urgency of procreation, (more energy used,) join forces to make the following flies worthwhile.
.. Below is a recap of the flies that the neighbors have in their boxes. Many of these flies are so mundane and pedestrian that the "pros" and feather merchants don't even talk about them. Those folks would not seem to be experts if they didn't have something "new and different." Many of these old flies are still around because they just plain work.
.. We direct your attention to the Baker's Hole Bugger at the bottom of the post. This is as close as it comes to a guaranteed catcher of fish in the early portion of "runner madness" - which is now. This fly has really caught on with a select bunch of hard core fishers that start early and continue to the end of the Fall run.

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(Most images are huge - just click on them.)

.. Thunder Creek. When was the last time you heard someone recommend that old fossil? Who do you know that fishes it? They are either very good liars or just plain secretive.
.. The trout in the Madison River haven't seen many of these. They usually eat the ones that they see. Fish it on the swing. Let it straighten out. Wait a little while then strip it in real fast. Old ways. This specimen, (rust, dead head cement and all took a very nice fish below 7-mile bridge a couple of years ago. A fresh one scored again last Sunday at the Duck Creek Tailwater.)
.. Original Olive Matuka. These are tied commercially but their sales are way off. Although infrequently used these days, there is probably one in your fly box. There may be several tucked away in the corners. They most probably are unused and forgotten. Drag one out and give it an honest try. The early morning is a good time for the darker ones. Dead drifted or rapidly stripped downstream in the undercuts, it may just surprise you.
.. Chenille Matuka. Bright and boisterous, this variant is also tied commercially. It looks too gaudy for most "serious" fishers. It is a visual disaster in just about any fly box. It's not on the lips of the romantic poets of Yellowstone lore. Yet this variety is as good as or better than the original. The tail is splayed and provides nice action in the depths of dark pools. Sizes up to #4 and 4XL are not uncommonly found stuck in the noses of eager trout in the willows below the Highway 191 bridge, (you will have to walk to get these skulking monsters.)
.. Bead Head Rubber Legs. There are a bazillion rubber legs flies. They have secret names as well as commercial names.
.. They can be "Silli" - "Spooky" - "Madisoned" - "Fireholed" - and "Henry's Forked."
.. We use several of them this time of year and all are just grand. This one may be the grandest of all. It gets down quick and is good for 'snap-casting' right above the big roll that ended with a baby splash just over your left shoulder. The combination of long hackle, wiggly legs, copper wire. and a prickly body are often irresistible when slow-drifted across the bottom of a dark pool at sunset.
.. Guide's Secret Rubber Legs. Not a secret any more. Seven or eight years ago this pattern was hidden in dark places and fondled frequently in anticipation of Fall fishing.
.. There are many variations of this fly: the chenille, the number of legs, the head and tail treatment, the size and hook. All seem to work just fine. There are now many commercial versions. Some of the local, (Cameron, Ennis, West Yellowstone,) versions are still proprietary. Secret sources for components seem to be the key factor in the proprietary hodge podge. So be it.
.. Hackle & Legs. Here's another rubber legs pattern that has been embellished with long widely spaced palmered hackle.
.. This one can be made to float with enough goo, or what ever is your favorite flotant. The many dimples create little lenses that allow the light to be seen. Strikes can be explosive - especially after a slight twitch.
.. The fly can also be drowned or fished on the swing in the film or down deep. It reminds us of an augmented Wooly Worm. It's good for a change of pace and is an excellent conversation piece. Some folks use black legs.
.. Woolly Worm. The poor thing: fallen into disuse and disgrace. Often mentioned in the same sentence as the San Juan Worm. The Fall sizes and variations are not within the traditional range for this old sweetheart, (how many do you have?) Sizes in the 2 - 6 range are not uncommon. Long hooks are used by the neighbors. Red buck-tail is used for an afterburner. Very long, (for hook size,) hackle is the norm for this time of year. Traditional yellow and black are frequently the choice for the area around the Barns Holes and the Local Hole #1. More often, the last couple of years has seen hot orange or bright rust being chosen for the big water just above the estuary.
.. Pheasant & Blue. This streamer is a staple along the Washougal River in Washington and on the upper Clearwater River in Idaho. The pheasant rump feathers are popular in both steelhead and salmon fly patterns. Fishers on the South Fork of the Snake River in both Idaho and Wyoming have used this pattern for a couple of decades to take large migratory cutthroat trout. This pattern is now finding it's way into secret stashes of some of our neighbors. We've not used it but they swear by it - and at it.
.. Brindle & Hen. This popular fly from Northern California locations around Hoopa, Eureka, and Salyer has been modernized by the recent explosion of color in chenille. Similar in form and function to the classic Brindle Bug this fly is not just another pretty face. Tied with a heavy wire under-body it bounces through deep riffles with undulating sex appeal and is hard to resist by submarines parked in the dark spots during mid-day. This is a useful probing fly when tied with no underwire support and the action is leech or eel like. Just the groceries a fresh-run fish is looking for.
.. Bead Head Glitter Nymph. This monstrous cousin to the standard pheasant tail nymph is persistent in the repertory of the big-fish catchers in the neighborhood. It's easy to tie in sizes 4 - 8 and makes an excellent fly for the low clouds and bright overcast days of late September and October. It has nearly replaced the Casual Dress in our box and we don't regret it. Bleached goose biots are becoming rare these days. White will work just fine - or do some yourself.
.. Sinking Hopper. It's nearly  time for the sheep to call it quits on their hopper box. The feather merchants have run low on their stash and are touting the flies of fall. Grasshoppers in the high country continue to grow and molt through the first couple of weeks in October. A hard frost will "knock 'em down" for a while.
.. A couple of warm days, (even after snow,) will kick some life into them. Drowned, this fly is a nearly irresistible morsel for the big resident trout and a rare treat for the lake run fish of the Madison River.
.. Many of our strangest neighbors use this as a dropper behind a big streamer such as a Woolly Bugger, Egg-sucking Leech, Chamois Leech, or a Brindle & Hen. Common practice is to soak the little dickens in water for a day or two and let the river do your shopping for you.
.. Dark Spruce Fly. This classic has persisted despite the hawking of "more modern" flies. There are many variants and they seem to be quietly proliferating. We prefer ours tied a bit on the sparse side and choose to use a barred furnace hackle tip of a mahogany color rather than the traditional golden badger hackle.
.. This pattern is old, (1918 - 1919,) and was originally called the Godfrey Special. It was a premier sea-run cutthroat pattern for over half a century. It is still seen along the Madison River, and steelhead streams most everywhere. This is just the tonic for jaded trout around Baker's Hole and the Barns Holes.
.. As always the Light Spruce Fly is doing it's share of catching as well. Many of the neighbors fish it as a matter of course. With a short leader and a herky-jerky strip in a deep dark pool it will allow you to see the fly and the take. It seems to work best at mid-depths - but will take fish throughout the water column.
.. The very adventurous casters in the neighborhood run this in tandem with the Dark Spruce Fly or a Little Brown Trout. If your casting action is powerful, smooth, and practiced this is a killer combination.
.. Furnace & Red. This fly has been a staple for our Fall and Winter fishing since sometime in the late 60's. A couple of dozen were a gift from a fly fisher in Pocatello, Idaho. He may have "invented" it.
.. The name was roughly translated as "BOB'S FLY" - Google shows nothing quite like it by that name. It's a dark fly that is sometimes stripped cross-current at night or in the twilight. It's caught a few big fish. A few of the ancient neighbors here and in I.F. use a similar fly - with different names. (The eyes are Herter's NOS. We have zillions of them and previously thought they were important - works just as good without them.)
.. The Little Brown Trout. Dear to the hearts of Montanan's that love our cutthroats. There is a satisfying surge of glee, (it arises somewhere between the epitome and id,) when one of these little flies gets eaten. This old pattern is seen in most fly boxes and is only occasionally used. It is special only in the hearts and minds of ancient neighbors that remember what a glorious bit of water the Snake River was without the scourge of the invasive Brown's. Fish it like the little streamer that it is. Shallow riffles, deep undercut banks, and deep slicks are it's prime hunting ground. Even the Browns will eat it.
.. Stonefly Nymph. They live here. They get dislodged. They float around in the water column and get eaten all year long. Of course they are a Springtime religion, but the trout will eat one that's floating by any time of year. Often the older neighbors tell us to "hit 'em in the nose." That's good advice if you know where the noses are.
.. The mundane task of systematically covering a run in the Fall is a bit tedious. It is also rewarding when using any of the many stonefly imitations. Like a dog with a bone, the fish grab it, shake it, and hold onto it with a fierceness like unto a virgin prom queen in the back of an S.U.V.

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.. Baker's Hole Bugger. Straight from Blue Ribbon Flies & Whiskey Creek Fishing comes a fly designed specifically for the water around Baker's Hole. It's a fly that has been "making the rounds" for a few years and shows some staying power. Although supposedly designed "for Brown Trout" the fly is just fine for pricking hungry trout of any stripe.
.. Quite a few of the neighbors are aficionados of this fly and have already shortened it's name to "Baker's Bugger." They fish it all year long. The fly uses standard Brindle Bug chenille and a two toned tail similar to the Brindle and Hen. All of these long-tailed buggers have been getting more attention during the last decade. Probably a good reason for that.

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.. Here's a view of the Junction Pool. It will help you navigate through the elbows.

For Page Layouts

PER REQUEST

For The Portrait Monitor

corporate safe wallpaper

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.. Hard to find these days - especially in our remote village. These soft drinks are akin to other root beers as a class but distinctly different from the recent contemporary offerings.
.. These old recipes have something solid to offer the palate yet carry an ineffable quality that needs to be sampled to be appreciated. They never really vanished, and are making a small comeback.
.. The deep red color of the Boylan's offering comes at the expense of FDA RED 40 - oh well, at least it's Kosher and caffeine free. It's birch oils, (distilled from the sap,) linger on the tongue and provide a creamy / near minty, sensation - both in taste and feel. This stuff has been around since 1891 and has a small but dedicated following. The bottle label is nicely stencil-painted on glass. We grab it whenever it's available.
.. Ginger beers may be older than sarsaparilla or root beers, or birch beers. They were originally brewed as alcoholic beverages and occasionally mixed with other brewed beers. Often, today , the soft drink is found in mixed drinks in the place of ginger ale.
.. This fermented beer uses a fungal-bacteria symbiot = a composite organism consisting of a fungus, a yeast, and a bacterium. The soft drink is carbonated. Both are described as "tangy" and having a bite. The Cock 'n Bull product is a modern variety from post war Los Angeles. It is the secret ingredient in a proper "Moscow Mule" which was invented using this brand.
.. Henshall's Bakelite reel for fun,

Fishin' Weather

TODAY'S THE TURNIN'

Be Here Now

let the dances begin

A BRIEF BREAK IN THE STORMS CASCADING OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE

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.. Just a note to tell the tale of a spate of thunder boomers, cooler weather, less sun, overcast days, and neighbors with rain gear.
.. There will still be a few more warm days. There will still be visitors in tour buses complaining about the weather. There will still be watchers of the elk that bugle. But the turning has arrived and the neighbors are calling for the early snow. We're ready.
.. Wet wool, drippy synthetics, soggy hats, damp gear, and muddy boots are, henceforth, the order of the day.  It's not officially Fall - yet.  But up here the clock and calendar have a mind of their own.
.. Fisher's take note: the hour is upon us.

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THE SKY ABOVE THE SOUTH PLATEAU IN YELLOWSTONE