Up Close And . . .

CREEPING IN THE SNOW

Waders Work Good

short casts for the fun of it

YELLOWSTONE COACHMAN

-------

.. Even as the snow visits us in dribs and drabs throughout the wonderfully gray days, we note that the days are bright and the shadows diffuse. The waters where the trout hang out have lost their stark shadows and contrasting shades of light and dark. Very large fish are surprisingly easy to see. They are the heavy darkness in the clear dim water of winter.

THE DUCK'S ASS ANT

.. Seeing them is the easy part. The current successful tactic, for catching, demands slithering like a snake through the soft  and cold white stuff. With good technique and a bit of luck it is possible to poke your nose to within a few short feet of the fish - inches at times.
.. Just about any length rod is too long. Just about any length of line is too long. Leader lengths more than 5 or six feet defeat the purpose. All that is required is to drop a fly a few feet in front of the fish. Technique is far more important in this instance than is the pattern of the fly. Floating flies are the order of the day. Not just "dry fly patterns" but, any floating fly. Try floating a Serendipity in the slow shore side current.
.. Save for the lack of sport, a hand line would do just as well as $2,300 worth of rod, reel, line, leader, and custom tied fly. Right now we're using the Yellowstone Coachman and Cul De Canard Ants, (from the feather not the excellent website.) Seems to catch fish.
.. By the way, there's no long lines at the gas pumps either.

-------

WALLPAPER:  SUPER SAVE CONOCO