Hopping Along

HOPPER EXPLOSION

The Ant Invasion

watch fires and bears

WALLPAPER:  FAVORITE HOPPER

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.. Fire season and Fall fishing have arrived together this year. Both have held the interest of the fishers and the news folks.

..Despite the cooler weather and a few scattered showers, the Bacon Rind Fire continues to impact both fishing and back country access in the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park.
.. Winds associated with the impinging cold front have blown up several hot spots and fire crews are back at it.

HAND CARRY IT

.. There will be a community meeting at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, August 29th at the Community Protestant Church at 505 N Electric Street, West Yellowstone. Fire managers will give an operational update.
.. Trail closures for fire areas and bear management areas are posted on the park website and should be followed.
.. These closures impact both fishing access and back country access!!
.. Be sure that you travel with companions and sing loud and ribald songs. Also be sure that your bear spray is fresh and carried in your hand - not your backpack.

 RESOURCES

>> INCIWEB FOR BACON RIND FIRE,
>> BACON RIND FIRE CLOSURE MAP  -  YNP,
>> TRAIL CLOSURES  -  YNP,
>> BEAR MANAGEMENT CLOSURES  -  YNP.

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RED ANT

.. Terrestrial activity seems to have accelerated with the last few cool days. Perhaps there is a seasonal urgency being felt by the creepy and crawly and hoppy critters in our neighborhood.
.. Some urgency is noticeable in the neighbors. We need some smokers and they are not biting.

BLACK ANT

.. Ants on the ground, in the air, and in the water are spicing up the catching on the west side rivers of Yellowstone National Park.
.. They can appear as if by magic, descend upon a locality and then, vanish without any warning.
.. Be sure to have some ant patterns that can be fished on top and underneath the water. Careful observation of fish noses will give you a clue about how to fish the little stinkers.

FUNNY HOW GRAY THEY LOOK

.. Right now the hoppers are prolific but are sleepy until the warm part of the day. We missed the final molt of the grasshopper nymphs and have been surprised at the size of the largest species. They do grow fast.
.. Montana has several hundred species of grasshopper. About half of them can and do occur in our neighborhood.
.. The neighbors differentiate them into two classes: "Big'uns" & "Little'uns." Right now the little'uns are the most numerous. They are also the first to plunge themselves into the rivers during early afternoon.

EASY HOPPER

.. Usually by 2 - 3 O'clock both sizes are hopping around in the meadows and grass lines at the river's edge.
.. Depending on how you prefer to fish, (up stream, across stream, down stream,) an excellent strategy is walk the bank in the opposite direction and chase the hoppers into the water. Then just turn around and pick off the fish noses that appear.

THE TURCK TARANTULA

.. Most fishers use purpose tied "Hopper Flies." A few of the more successful neighbors use other sorts that seem to appeal to the fish more than the fisher.
.. Muddler Minnows, Large Madam X, and Silli Stimulators are all being used right now - AND taking fish. Several sage neighborhood fishers are using the Turck Tarantula. It was devised by Guy Turck and has won several "One Fly" competitions in Jackson, Wyoming  -  just sayin'.

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SIZE 28 FAN WING ROYAL  COACHMAN

.. We're looking forward to the dreary and drizzly day that is predicted to visit with us tomorrow.
.. High temperatures may not reach the 60's. If so, there may be the best Autumn hatch of ephemera in years.

NEZ PERCE CREEK IN THE FALL

.. The conditions are right and the counter help hasn't even the slightest clue. Get out your best delicate floater and pick those slow slick spots that the guides save for themselves.
.. Right now it's early evening. The wind is blowing fiercely. We are headed straight to slumberland. Morning should bring some fog, a spinner fall, and a squadron or three of very tiny flies - hopefully.
.. The neighbors have kindly tied some size 28 flies on short tippets for us. That, we can manage.

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WALLPAPER:  MEGA BLT SANDWICH

That Time Of Year

FOGGY WATERS

Happy Bugs & Fishers

the faithful return

(a brief aside)

WALLPAPER: A GOOD MORNING

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.. With a few days of cool and, the afternoons dampened by showers and,  the anticipation of Fall, the faithful are returning to the Firehole River.
.. This is one of the cherished and favorite waters in Yellowstone National Park. Although its reputation can exceed it's reality - this Fall is looking to be exceptional. River flows are still slightly above the seasonal norms, (Amazing what a decent snowpack and cool Summer will do!)

ALL 'ROUND STONY

.. The temperature of the water has dropped into the range where guilt is no longer a problem if you fish in the mornings and late afternoons. At Old Faithful the temperatures are no higher than the high 60's and the flows are dropping to about 70 - 80cfs, (LINK FF-1.)
.. By the time the water reaches West Yellowstone the temperatures are bumping the low 70's but still attractive for catching in the foggy mornings and evenings. Flows are around 300cfs and are responding to the daily rains in the drainage, (LINK FF-2.)

NEIGHBORS FAVORITE

.. Even the Madison River has bugs and successes this early in August. This is not unheard of but has been unusual during the last few warm Summers.
.. As with the Firehole River the flows are marginally high but are clear, cool, and attractive for catching.
.. It's hard to argue with all day fishing in water this clear, deep, and temperate. We do like the mid 60's and look forward to the upcoming mid to high 50's. So do the fish. (LINK M-1.)

GOOD BOBBER & CATCHER

.. The Gibbon River has come alive in both the big meadows and in the canyon. Enough said.
.. Down in National Park Meadows there are some sweet holes that are full of lonely fish. Must be the walk from the road to the water!

CAN'T SEE WHAT FISH EATING ?

.. We have been fishing the Gallatin River quite a bit lately. There are still hoppers in the afternoon. The swarms of flying ants, (of recent memory,) are not as prolific this Fall - yet there are some!
.. Happily for fishers, (not so for the trees,) the spruce moth emergence has been pretty heavy. With this cool and damp weather it might be best catch it now. The hoppers are not too big this year and are waiting for the afternoon sun to commit suicide with their Banzai runs on the waiting fish. Backwater eddys collect the carnage. Fish know this.
..The neighbors have noted, (in the pubs and hardware store and post office conversations,) that there seems to be fewer elbows this year. If true, this bodes well for the rest of the Fall and into the early Winter - we'll see!

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ASIDE

.. So just what is our Justice Department up to? They are playing big brother in the worst way. They are seeking millions of names and web address of folks who visit websites that may or may not have been used to recruit participants in legal demonstrations.
.. We caution you not to be curious. Don't seek information about organizations or other groups that you have not heard of. The Trump administration seems to believe that legislation by intimidation and prosecution is a better strategy than the constitutional process of Congressional and lawful legislation.
.. Watch carefully to see if we are in administrative legal jeopardy from the current administration for being curious and seeking information. You may have already been exposed to administrative prejudice and discrimination by just surfing the web.
>> Check the BBC,

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THE DARK MARAUDER

.. The overcast is breaking up. A late breakfast and a nap have robbed us of a morning catching frenzy.
.. We may have to try the Firehole River along with a few of the intrepid neighbors. They say that there really are places to park.

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WALLPAPER: ROASTED CHICKEN AND ROASTED GARLIC

It's Here

THE UP SIDE

Cooling Rains Exit

neighbors migrating

WALLPAPER: OVER THE TOP

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.. We traveled to the far reaches of interior Yellowstone National Park.
.. It's a trek we make a couple of times each year. It's part of the neighborhood migration. As our west side rivers heat up and the fish need a break from the lather whipped froth of fly flingers we join the neighbors for brief forrays into the other bits of the park.
.. The migration is a little late this year. We've been blessed with more cool days than we deserve and the exceptional catching has held on far longer than we anticipated.
..The weather forecast for the near term, however, suggests that a bit of warmness is blasting toward us. It's overdue.

ANT COLONY

.. 80's and maybe 90's are about to visit us. The ants like it. The hoppers like it. The beetles like it. Fish hide from it. Cloudless skies are tough on a fish looking to hide from the eagles and ospreys.
.. This is the time of year we look toward the Lamar River and the Yellowstone River.

.. Those drainage basins are currently full of cool water, many bugs, many fish and many tributaries that often go overlooked.

FUN WATER

.. A couple of our favorite small streams are on the way to the big rivers.
.. We stopped and looked. They are still busy with friendly fish and eager fishers. Pass!
.. The end of the salmon fly hatch is hanging on in the Lamar River Canyon.
.. Nymph and soft hackle flies hold the day for the moment. Very soon now the mayflies will be everywhere, (just not all at once.) We smashed a couple with our predatory windshield wipers but not the density that should happen any day now.

JUST FOR FUN

.. The hoppers are mature and, on warm days, they will practice their breast stroke along the grassy parts of the rivers.
.. Take a couple hopper imitations for bobbers and fish either a 'hopper dropper' or 'hopper dry' combination. You may be surprised with  a double up - it happens.

GOOD BOBBER

.. If you are into watching your fly swirl along the surface it would also be good to carry a box full of PMD imitations.
.. If you're real lucky a giant Green Drake will tickle your ear and it's time to find them on the water.

LAMAR RUN

.. We spoke with some folks exiting the dusty Slough Creek Road. It seems that catching is picking up and that streamers, nymphs, and even some dry flies are fooling the famously wily trout.
.. Jump on it now, (if you're so inclined,) because the campground still has open spaces and it's not too overly crowded.
.. The sporadic rains have clouded both Soda Butte Creek and the Lamar River. No real mud plugs to speak of but it's still possible at any time.  Soda Butte Creek is getting crowded from Trout Lake to the confluence with the Lamar River.
.. The small stretches between giant boulders above the lower meadow are full of fish. This is water that is a nuisance to reach and is often overlooked. Just about any ol' floater and quite a few sinkers will gather up a storied day of 10" to 12" fish. Try it you'll like it, (even if you have to walk through a tangle of vegetation.)

LONELY STREAM

.. We enjoyed Pebble Creek, (above the campground and the picnic tables.) The fish are smaller but the elbows are fewer.
.. There are some deep meanders in this shallow stream that hold monster, (up to 15",) fish. This is bragging size for this little wonder of a stream.

WORKS GOOD

.. Generally guides and visiting fishers concentrate on the water below the road and into Soda Butte Creek. Have at it.
.. Right now there are plenty of fish to be fooled and the little stream is clear as crystal and cold.
..  There are some reports of bears and even wolves, (my my,) so carry your bear spray and sing silly songs in chorus with your fishing partners. It lets the bears know you are coming!
.. Big water Yellowstone River report coming up. Stay tuned. It's coming on daylight and we're still digesting last night's dinner.

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WALLPAPER:  SEARED AND READY

WALLPAPER:  BOILED IN REAL LARD

WALLPAPER:  CRISP AND TENDER CARNITAS

WALLPAPER:  CARNITAS TACOS

Just A Hint

Just Delightful

UPPER GALLATIN SMOKIN'

Fish Seeking Dance Partners

all bugs seem to be present

WALLPAPER: THE VALLEY OF PERFECTION

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.. So when it's good it's just too good. That's the haps on the Gallatin River. It's easy to tell when the fishing and catching warm weather calendar has about run it's course.

IT'S TRUE -THEY'RE THAT SMALL

.. The catching becomes almost mindless. The breezes are gentle. The clouds are dense. The afternoon showers are right on time. Temperatures climb all the way into the 70's.
.. Every bug in our box is present and, alive and. on the water or, in the air or, in the weeds. What more could you want?
.. The low hopper count seems to have improved. It's even flying ant time. There are still, (or increasing,) spruce moths along the wooded sections and the beetles are big enough that you need to watch your step or trip over them. The neighbors are favoring the old fashioned Hopper/Dropper combination of a size 10 hopper and a size 16 ant.

HOPPERS LEICA THIS LENS

.. There has not been the anticipated heavy rains that scared some fishers to the lowlands.
.. Intermittent and wildly dispersed showers in the afternoon and heavy fog in the morning seems to have wrung some moisture from the air.
.. Some folks still insist that the drive to the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park is where you will find that the fishing and catching is best. Farm out - have at it!
.. While you're over there look for the pretty colors in Soda Butte Creek. Flow testing with dye infusions started yesterday. Some sections of Soda Butte Creek will remain open. Some sections will be closed.
.. The electrofishing for cutthroat salvage will begin about mid week, (around the 19th of August.) Poison dumping is scheduled to happen on the 24, 25, and maybe 26 of August. Check with your favorite feather merchant for exact dates and stream section closures.

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PREVIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS

.. Our weather continues to be a pub topic with the neighbors. One of our well educated fisher friends explains that we are already feeling the effects of this coming monster El Niño.
.. It seems that the persistent light precipitation around here is in response to the Jet Stream doing a hula as it moves north and south in response to warm air pulses from the eastern Pacific Ocean around Peru.
.. Of course it has to dodge the Great Basin High and slip underneath the polar vertexes. Hearing the jargon of explanation makes our head spin.
.. We have a better time with pictures and simple arithmetic.
.. In the simplest terms the current, rapidly building, El Niño has a better than nine in ten chance of being the biggest in the last 50 years.
.. We'll let you know come next April or May. Right now we're headed to Specimen Creek. Or maybe Bacon Rind Creek. Or maybe even the perfect Gallatin River.
.. We suggest that you avoid the noisy gulpers on Hebgen Reservoir.

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WALLPAPER:   FLAUTAS CON MACHACA

Of Bison, Drones, Fish, And Tubes

HERD INCREASES

Fly It Elsewhere

park rivers are dangerous

WALLPAPER:  ENORMOUS HERD OF HERBIVORES

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.. Here's a few quick notes about recent park happenings; some related to fishy stuff.
.. Some visitors, from afar and down low are pretending that it's Autumn - not yet - not now. Up here we're still waiting for Summer. That's not a complaint at all.

STUPID VISITORS FLY THESE ILLEGALLY

==> The bison herd in Yellowstone National Park is at or near record numbers. Thanks are given to the recent drought and recent mild winters, BISON LINK.
==> A camera equipped drone was illegally crashed into Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, DRONE LINK.
==> A massive search is underway for a missing concession employee last seen being swept down the Yellowstone River, TUBE LINK 1, TUBE LINK 2.

SOON THE FISH WILL GOBBLE THESE

==> An Enormous Brown Trout was stuck and landed at, (or near,)  9-Mile Hole on the Madison River, in the evening, by our neighbor, a world famous fisher, using a mouse fly and some cagy tactics. Only the best fishers use flies appropriate to the situation and the quarry.
.. Although it's hopper time, the welcome and cool afternoon showers have kept the flights of hppers to a dull roar and the fish are only mildly interested - at the moment. This weekend there will be a warm-up and the trout should realize that graceries are raining down from above. Be prepared.
.. It's not quite like a PacMan game but, the Callibaetis are erupting on Hebgen Reservoir with regularity and it is currently possible to cast to sight-seen fish. Use flies just  bit larger than the hatch and cast to fish just a bit farther away than you normally would. They are hungry and looking up.

TRY A SIZE LARGER THAN THIS

..  The frequent afternoon showers have kept the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park cool and pleasant. They have also produced a situation where local information will give you a better chance of fishing in clear water. Check with Parks Fly Shop for up to the minute information about where the murky water isn't. Some of our local feather merchants have recently sent expeditions to those far reaches of the park. Some quick phone calls and a bit of savvy questioning will help your catching success.
.. The honey holes on Quake Lake have proven to have a seemingly unlimited supply of very large fish this year. The gear guys and the worm fishers are gathering up bushel baskets full of fine fish. When our fly fishing neighbors enter the fray they are taking more than their fair share of the pretty lake fish. Please don't disturb the rusty green pickup truck - the dog will let you know.

NOT A HOPPER - BUT . . .

.. The Spruce Moth flights are still thick along those wooded portions of the Gallatin River in Yellowstone National Park. The poor things unwittingly find the water and the lucky trout leap upon them with a gusto befitting champion gobblers at Nathan's. Try a mashed caddis imitation and hold on.
.. The thin water of Nez Perce Creek is full of swimming tourists around the picnic area. The fish are bashful: they are avoiding the naked bodies and have moved upstream in a fit of modesty - where the cool water is. A mere 4,000 feet upstream from the Mary Mountain Trailhead will provide fishers with few elbows and willing fish.
.. The moose at Richard's Creek is not a friendly critter. Avoid this area for the moment. Even as big as a barn it's easy to hide in the dense willow thickets. We guarantee that she will fiercely protect her calf with surprise attacks and thunderous kicks and head butts.
.. Rumor has it that there are fewer mosquitoes this year down in the Bechler Region. Welts are few and the folks around Squirrel, Idaho have been enjoying the catching along Boundary Creek. The cutthroat trout of the Cascade Corner are among the most friendly in the neighborhood. This is probably because they are passed over for fishing on the glory waters so nearby. The park-and-fish crowd just love to fish within sight of their favorite feather merchant in this part of Idaho.
.. We're headed closer to home now.

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THE GREAT POOL ON BOUNDARY CREEK