Fly Fishing In Yellowstone National Park: The Glorious Gray

Tuesday, August 05, 2014

The Glorious Gray

BLESSED RELIEF

A Bit Of Drip Drop

fish and fishers receive respite

WALLPAPER: EVENING STORM AT WEST YELLOWSTONE

-------

.. Our mini heat wave has abated and the skies have opened a smidgen with some drizzle and an occasional real rain storm. The rivers on the west side of Yellowstone National Park have cooled somewhat and discharge is up just a tick. Catching has been enhanced.
.. The Spruce Moth eruption is starting and the trout have taken notice. The neighbors have returned to recently abandoned locations along the Madison River and are reporting good catching success with flies that resemble drowned moths. Mash up one of your least favorite Elk Hair Caddis imitations and fling away. It's easy to fool the fish right now.

.. Up the road on the Gallatin River the coolness has slowed the hoppers a small amount and the fish are looking up less and are busy gobbling Prince Nymphs and other drowned morsels. The in-water transition zones of: light to dark, shallow to deep, fast to slow, etc. are the preferred holding spots during these gray days.
.. The neighborhood safari to the northeast part of the park has returned, (in part,) and reports that little Straight Creek has been refreshed and there are even some 11" monsters to be had on Royal Wulff and Sierra Bright Dot flies. The fish are not quite frenzied for dance partners but it is similar to a carnival. Moderately selective participants are willing to accept a slightly less than perfect partner. Presentation and stealth will reward anglers with larger fish. The fling and hope strategy will still bring a bucket full of sandwich-sized Brook Trout to hand.

.. We abandoned the water for two days this last weekend and enjoyed the presence of a swarm of contemporary renditions of the Hot Rod. Such beautiful interpretations of the way we wished that it was 60 years ago.
.. Just like big time college and professional sports the car culture of North America has been infused with a large dose of money. The glitter of aftermarket chrome and geegaws is apparent on all of the rides. It is not unlike contemporary fly fishing where the focus is on the gear rather than the go.
.. We're left out of the mainstream of fly fishing for lack of money: money for $300.00 fishing reels, money for$150.00 fly lines, money for $400.00 waders, money to buy the latest and greatest flies at $3.00 each, money to wade into the stream with, (for us,) a year's salary festooned about our body. We don't begrudge the gear heads their fun, in fact we're a bit envious.
.. It's the same with the nouveau-riche and their nouveau hot rods. It's just something that we can't participate in. After all how many of us can afford a lead sled that costs twice what a new Mercedes casts? Or for that matter fly gear that depreciated rapidly and initially cost the price of a serviceable pickup truck?
.. We're headed to a small bit of water where we won't be embarrassed to wet wade with a 50 year old fiberglass rod and some homemade flies that work just fine and are made of bits of knitting yarn and dead birds that we ate.

-------