The Weather Sucks

A WEEK OF 50's LOOMS

Fair Weather Fishers Rejoice

runners in other places

Large River Dwelling Fish Run Up This River Too : courtesy Mike Cline

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.. We're enjoying a spell of very salubrious weather. It is just perfect for visiting Yellowstone National Park. The traffic is picking up and the gawker blocks are increasing. Fishers seem to figure it out quickly.

The Willows Are Finally Wilting

.. Lowland fishing on the Yellowstone River and the Gardner River is producing happy campers from both near and far. The BWO hatch is still a good bet. Streamers and giant streamers, and enormous rubber legs flies will gather in some fish for pictures.
.. The fishing is a bit better than the catching - but not much. The pleasant weather has impacted businesses in Livingston and Billings.
.. Should you need the tutelage from some savvy sages, visit with the folks at PARKS' FLY SHOP and they will point you in the right direction; even if you seek the running toads of the Gardiner River.

Three Post Pool
On The Notellum River

.. Closer to home it seems that the invasion of head hunting fishers has increased. It's not nearly scientific - but - it looks like very many license plates from exotic countries are now in the neighborhood. We've seen quite a few from as far away as Bozeman, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Salt Lake City, and Jackson. There must be an underground telegraph of some sort.
.. Catching the runners has been pretty good this year. There appears to be a bulge in the curve at about 21" over the expected size distribution.
.. Good records are hard to come by but some interested fishologists have weir records that seem to verify this. It would seem that the tail of the curve is skewed toward the enormous end this year.
.. The neighbors split into three distinct tribes this time of year. Some chase runners and endure the crowds and fraternal "rightness" of the seasonal frenzy along the Madison River and Gibbon River.
.. Some continue fishing smaller streams with fewer elbows and make an occasional jaunt to the Firehole River for amusement.
.. Some concentrate on Montana's Mountain Whitefish for the smoker and tasty tidbits for the coming winter.
.. Our failure to have the fraternal mentality keeps us out of the crowds and the sanctioned yuppie shops. Our neighbors have smokers and we never suffer for want of winter tidbits.  We do, however, enjoy the sight of a 14-foot two-handed rod on a river that is 35' wide.
.. The catching on neighborhood water, (both inside the park and on it's periphery,) has been rewarding. The flows are down a little, the fish are bunched up and easy to find, the bugs are popping and the Gallatin River is not too cold to fish.
.. The nymph box is doing fine and we even float a few. Fish on.

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