Fly Fishing In Yellowstone National Park: Grandma Said

Friday, March 09, 2018

Grandma Said

HEARD ABOUT IT

Saw It Coming

"like" comes in bunches

ONLY PARTIALLY AT FAULT

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.. Grandma gets smarter as we get older.
.. She was full of nifty bits of wisdom: ". . . a stitch in time." "Many hands make light work." "A penny saved . . ." and so forth: your grandma said 'em all too.
.. She also said "Like comes in bunches." Well, a 'bunch' just arrived. [1]Yellowstone National Park has banned felt soles on waders and wading boots, [2] Yellowstone National Park has instituted a new 'boating season,' [3]Yellowstone River fish kill = more than meets the ear, [4] Gallatin River is in for another turd storm.
.. #1 - News release that announces the felt sole ban is here,
.. #2 - News release for new boating season is here,
.. #3 - The rest of the story about the 2016 fish kill on the Yellowstone River is here,
.. #4 - Mumblings from the neighbors down canyon [old news may be happening again] here.

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PROTOPLASM MOVEMENTS

.. We have noted in the past, ( #1, #2,) that the ban on felt soles is a poor and only partial solution to the spread of pioneer species.

NOT BANNED

.. Bits of protoplasm get transported between watersheds in wader seams, boot seams, boot laces, wet fly lines, wet nets, shaggy bison legs, waterfowl feet and feathers, hooves of ungulates, etc.
.. The better solution is, of course, adequate cleaning of all wet and dry gear between drainages. This is a much tougher task and it is hard to legislate moral behavior. So be it!

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NOT BANNED

.. "Invasive Species" is not a scientific term. It's a press-form term like fake news.
.. Scare - scare - an invasion is coming. Poobah: it's always coming!
.. It really means, (usually in economic or æsthetic terms:) 'those things that will hurt me.'
.. It is a term designed to scare the shit out of folks that know not the way of species propagation and migration.
.. Highly adaptive species move from one landscape to another landscape as pioneers. It is a constant process. The scientific term is "Pioneer Species."
.. Depending on their 'adaptability' these pioneers die, survive, or thrive depending on their in-built adaptability. We are all the product and result of pioneer populations - one way or another. POOP!
.. The fight against "Invasive Species" is really a fight against folks, of the human variety, moving biological bits through several environments. Fat chance it will be very successful!

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MONTANA INSPECTORS

.. WOW! Golly Gee Whiz! Now there is a boating season in Yellowstone National Park.
.. Now, at last, we can enforce behavior.
.. We can watch the volunteers and and seasonal employees guarantee that boats coming into the park are sterile and carry no pioneer species that are banned.

MONTANA LEADS THE WAY

.. We've seen it done. Nary a trailer hubcap was ever removed, (they do have drain holes - clogged?) Not a brush was used to scrub the mating of wheel to tire at the tire bead, (brushes must cost too much.)
.. We do wonder if the water sloshing around inside the lenses of the lights is devoid of any protoplasm, (who knows these things?)
.. Hip, Hip, Hurray - now there is an 'official' boat season. Now enforcement of clean boat hygiene will proceed in Yellowstone National Park - we're pleased to see it. Montana has been at it for several years.

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., Infrequently we get to fish the Yellowstone River. We did just a bit ago. We saw too many dead fish: Trout and Whitefish.
.. We noted it in a blog post and mentioned it to the counter help at the local fly shop. They put it down to the hot river water and the hot air temperature.

YELLOWSTONE RIVER TROUT

.. Not being familiar with the river we accepted that explanation and went home - pooped and dry.
.. Come to find out there may be a far more sinister possibility that has been uncovered by the folks at "Montana Trout" the online fly fishing magazine.
.. Shitty water may be a contributing factor and it may have been hidden by the Montana Department Of Fish Wildlife and Parks - or maybe not.
.. Read the lurid details here, (just click on the magazine image and turn to page 39.)

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.. Yesterday when the neighbors got back from a mad dash down canyon to fish the Gallatin River they assembled at their corner booth and told stories.
.. One of the stories was that the turd whirlers at big sky were burbling over the edge again, (see our old post here.)
.. This is absolutely unverified!! But, fishers from that down canyon bit of water had a cold one with the neighbors and said that there were turds floating in Yellow Mule Creek and the West Fork of the Gallatin River.
.. They attributed it to the increased visitation of ~~rich~~ ~~wealthy~~ ~~very wealthy~~ ludicrously wealthy folks in their enclave and, the rapid freeze-thaw cycles that we've been having.
.. Dear, dear, dear, grandma seems to have been prescient. A bunch indeed.

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.. The sky has become leaden and there is a flake or two wafting about. The porch light is working just fine now and the trusty horse is still accessible.
.. The neighbors will be ~~knocking~~ ~~pounding~~ beating on the door at any minute. Best to put on some glad rags and enjoy the day.

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