The Bison Chronicles

PLEASE BE CAREFUL

They're Wild Critters

they will hurt you

NPS / Jacob W. Frank

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Woman gored after approaching bison in Yellowstone National Park; Always stay more than 25 yards away from bison

. News Release Date: June 29, 2020

Contact: Morgan Warthin, (307) 344-2015

• After a 72-year-old woman from California approached within 10 feet of a bison multiple times to take its photo, the animal gored her. 
• The incident occurred on the evening of June 25, 2020, at the female’s campsite at Bridge Bay Campground.  
• Rangers provided immediate medical care to the woman who sustained multiple goring wounds. She was then flown via helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.  
• “The series of events that led to the goring suggest the bison was threatened by being repeatedly approached to within 10 feet,” said Yellowstone’s Senior Bison Biologist Chris Geremia. “Bison are wild animals that respond to threats by displaying aggressive behaviors like pawing the ground, snorting, bobbing their head, bellowing, and raising their tail. If that doesn’t make the threat (in this instance it was a person) move away, a threatened bison may charge. To be safe around bison, stay at least 25 yards away, move away if they approach, and run away or find cover if they charge.” 
• This incident is under investigation. There is no additional information to share. 
• Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are wild. When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space. Stay more than 25 yards (23 m) away from all large animals - bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes and at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves. If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity.  

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FAN WING ROYAL COACHMAN

.. Our cool weather interlude has provided some rain and drizzle. This has kept the Firehole River at a temperature that will be, at least, worth trying in the early morning. Get there at sunup and fish the shadows. unless baetids are in your ears or, PMD's in your nose, stick with Soft Hackles and San Juan Worms.
.. Nez Perce Creek - below the bridge can be good with small nymphs below an attractor fly like a Royal Coachman.
.. The Madison River still has the trout eating large black stuff. Try it you'll like it. The neighbors have braved the beaver ponds with success.

BEAD BELLY WORM

.. Down around the Baker's Hole some large residents are feeding right at the interpretive sign on the Montana side of the river.
.. Bits and pieces of the Gibbon River have been yielding dance partners in the deep riffles and under the deep recesses of the shaded banks. In the small meadows at - and above the campground there is a good crop of healthy and feisty Brook Trout that are waiting for a tussle.
..Park safely and exit your car with caution. The mobile condominiums are more reckless this year than in recent memory.

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WALLPAPER:  MADISON RIVER EXPLORER

Blindsided

NEW DEVIL WORM ?

Oh So Simple

so late to the party

COURTESY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

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.. While strolling along the path to LONE STAR GEYSER on  opening day we stopped to watch a youngster jerking in Brook Trout by the bushel.
.. We squinted our peepers to see the magic fly that was being used with such deadly success. Failed.

RED WIRE WORM

.. It's not in our nature to leave simple problems unsolved. We watched and waited for an appropriate moment.
.. Eventually the fisher could no longer lift his arms. The reel was smoking and the line was frayed. He reeled in and began to make his way back to the trail.
.. With our best, (unpracticed,) humility we approached this mighty fly fisher and smiled our most friendly toothless grin. He paused, smiled back and said 'Howdy.'
.. We posed the query foremost between our ears. He smiled more broadly and showed us the RED WIRE WORM. We blinked twice.
.. We asked for no recipe. We asked for no tying instructions. We asked nothing and thanked him.

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.. Saturday evening marked the first of the season pub-postmortems. We hesitated to mention our discovery.
.. When we did we were told that the worm was not all that new. In fact it was pretty standard fare in the Spring fly boxes of hipsters, (whatever that is.) Who knew? Not us!
..Apparently the worm is now making it's way into our insular village. It's not a big seller in the local feather merchant bins, (no feathers.)

Courtesy BIGHORN FLIES

.. So then, a couple of year's ago Field and Stream ran a brief article about Spring flies: there it was, [LINK-FS.]
.. It is a worm that falls into the San Juan category of worms.
.. It is featured by the Avant-garde fly fishers in Billings at Bighorn Flies, [LINK-BF.]
.. Use your imagination. Enjoy the colors. Tie up a couple of gross and thumb your nose at the purists. This thing catches fish.

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.. It's not too early and not too late. There is time for another pot of coffee. There is a rock hard doughnut from the weekend. It'll soften up in the coffee. Sustenance!

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WALLPAPER:  STRAWBERRIES ON WAFFLE

The Window Of Opportunity

IT'S OPEN NOW

Favorable Conditions 

little bugs are prolific

WALLPAPER:  THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

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.. Each Spring and Fall all the things hoped for by fly fishers occasionally come together and provide opportunities for epic fishing, (and catching,) in Yellowstone National Park.

TRY THIS FLAVOR

.. Low cool water to concentrate the fish, overcast and drizzly days, salubrious temperatures, gentle breezes, slow visitation days, hungry fish, bugs aplenty, and other fleeting factors conspire to make fishing worthwhile for even the least of fishers.
.. Right now, (and for the next few days,) everything is in place. Head hunters of the runner denomination, faithful fishers of the surface, disciples of the flymph, and double nymph & bobber folks, all can be satisfied on the west side rivers.
.. The Firehhole River is giving forth with prolific hatches of a couple of kinds of small mayflies, (check with your favorite feather merchant for the Latin.) Presentation, size, and silhouette are keys to sore wrists and a multitude of hero photos right now. As to flies: the flavor of the month and others will do just fine.

MY WHAT LONG LEGS YOU HAVE

.. The Madison River has lost some fair weather fishers. It's still crowded but there are ample empty fishy places.
.. Ugly flies with obnoxious legs, red rubber bands, woolly buggers, and leaches are dragging in the pudgy fish from Hebgen Reservoir.
.. Many fish in 12" to 16" range also are being taken. Some are resident fish, some are precocious migrants. Whatever the case, they are willing and hungry.

MORE LEGS AND HACKLES

.. The Madison River has seen both BWO hatches and, surprisingly an ant fall. Surface fishers will do as good as possible on the Madison River right now. Spinner falls are even visible from the shore early in the day.
.. Beyond the Junction Pools and clear to the falls, the Gibbon River is seeing activity by the fish and fishers reminiscent of the corybantic days of the 50's and 60's.
.. Reports, (and cell phone photos,) for this stretch of river suggest that the flymph and indigenous bugs are the keys to constant catching. Stonefly nymphs of all stripes and colors, (in generous sizes,) are raking in the Browns, (and Rainbows.)

THE FUR BALL IS A SUCCESS

.. Down the road on the "way too cold" Gallatin River the fish are looking up; but not to the surface. The neighbors are fishing with a double dropper and bobber rig. From the bobber to the trailer is no more than 18". A pair of Prince Nymph flies or a BH Prince on point with GRHE up top is a common rig.
.. No hoppers have been reported for a week or two but, a drowned hopper is still taking good fish in the deep riffles.
.. Given the current conditions and mood of the trout it is possible to fish all day and continue to catch fish. A hearty breakfast will carry the dedicated clear through to an early dinner. Back at it in time for the late day frenzy. Have at it!

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WALLPAPER:  DESAYUNO, CHORIZO CON PAPAS Y HUEVOS

Gigantuous & Eensy

ODD DUCKS INDEED

Tickle Your Purity

feel smug about flotation

THE MEGA STIMULATOR:  FLOATS LIKE A CORK

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.. There are some fisher folk that refuse the bobber. For years bits of yarn, toothpicks, foam stickies, and other bits of stuff were called "indicators" in an attempt to disguise the fact that they added flotation as well as visibility to the fly leader and it's attendant flies.
.. Soon, (it's a generational thing,) it became common for the fishers of the fly to call a spade a spade bobber a bobber!
.. Still, however, there are those that are pure of heart and clean of spirit. Not a bobber in the vest. Not a toothpick to be found. No yarn. No foam stickies - chartreuse or otherwise.

TWO TONED FOAM ANT WITH WHITE WING: MINI BOBBER

.. These elite egoistic purists gentle souls have discovered that there are ways to provide visual enhancements as well as floatation within the rigid strict confining simple parameters of stodgy restrictive conventional traditional fly fishing.
.. The most common way, (in our neighborhood,) to fool your ego is to tie some huge Stimulator flies.
.. Make sure that the wing is twice the size that it ought to be. Fill the body with lots of hollow ungulate hair. Be sure that the thing will hold up a respectable fly. Accept that you will be fishing a fly that is not fashionable at the time - but it is a fly.
.. Then, supply your rig with a beautiful dropper fly that will satisfy the other fishers neighbors feather merchants experts fish. Right now that means some sort of terrestrial critter that will entice a fish: perhaps an ant.

CDC ANT -- DELIGHTFUL BIT OF TRADITION

.. The most cagy of the neighborhood traditionalists use a high-floating foam ant with white wings. They would never acknowledge that it too is a bobber, (with a hook.)
.. Some of the "not so cagy" fishers are of a bent that demands real fur and feathers. These folks engage their souls with a CDC ant. They love the fact that it seems "more authentic."
.. We have not the psychological strength to maintain the fiction that the fish know the difference. Then, again, we're not selling flies or dreams or tradition. We're trying to catch fish. Sometimes even the traditional will do the job.
.. Then again . . .

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THE "DEVIL WORM" -- IT SINKS,  IT CAN'T BE SEEN,  IT CATCHES FISH

Estuaries Open

RAVENOUS FISH ABOUND

Rabid Fishers Hitting The Lake

you should be here yesterday

NEIGHBORHOOD HONEY HOLE - ICE EDGE ON THE MADISON ARM

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.. Both the Madison Arm and the Grayling Arm of Hebgen Reservoir are ice free. The South Fork Arm is almost there as well. Parts of the shoreline along the north shore are open as well.
.. Old Rule: ICE EDGE = HUNGRY FISH. It's mostly neighborhood fishing right now but there were several advanced parties of foreign fishers scoping out the lake over the weekend.
.. Catching is an all day affair with the best stringers arriving after about 1:00 PM. Night crawlers, Panther Martain's, and pink San Juan Worms are the standout attractions of the moment.
.. The most devilish indication of just how good the catching is, is that the local garden hackle supply is dwindling toward the zero point. Another indication is that the seven-day-a-week feather merchants have been closed for several hours each day of  the weekend - and all day Sunday. Something is going on.
.. The bluster in the weather has dribbled to a small nusaince level and there was most of a sunny day on Sunday. Neither the fish nor the fishers seemed to mind the sun and gentle breezes. There will be Spring bluster, (on and off,) for the next 10 days or so. Great for charging the streams with warm water and melting the remaining ice as well.

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.. There are colors appearing in the west side rivers of Yellowstone National Park.


YOU CAN DRINK IF YOU LIKE

.. They remid us of the decorations that infants leave in their nappies. Some fishers refer to the color as tea-stained. We'd rather not drink that tea.
.. Visibility on the Madison River is still around 18" or two feet and clouding up slowly. A few warm days and we'll be letting the lowland fishers know that the great catching is about to end. For now though, this is not what we would call a runoff event.
.. There are infrequent small bugs appearing on the surface of the water. There are more frequent appearances of noses and such. We suppose that there are midges in the bright spots of the warming water.
.. We're going to have some biscuits and gravy.

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LOW, SLOW, COLD, & NEARLY CLEAR MADISON RIVER
AT Mt. HAYNES IN YELLOWSTONE

It's Just Nuts

NEIGHBORS GONE WILD

Fish Completely Bonkers

the worms crawl in

MYSTERIOUS VISITOR FROM ENGLAND

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.. It is the best of times and the worst of times. Fly fishers below the ice, and fly fishers in open water are using the same flies and doing very well.
.. It's so good that fish are jumping into waders. It's so bad that exotic license plates are outnumbering the neighbor's plates.

GARDEN HACKLE

.. The switch to artificial worms is early this year. There are some skeptics that poo-poo the San Juan Worm as not fly fishing.
.. Well it may or may not be. Orvis sells them in their fly catalog. Orvis also sells several other "non-fly-fishing-flies." The neighbors love them. The fish eat them with gay abandon.
.. Even the Gob O Worms has made it appearance early and is scoring fish in the 5-pound class, (through the ice.)
.. And then there's the fly at the top of the post. We don't know it's name but it comes from England. We committed the unpardonable sin of stealing it from a neighbor's fly box while their back was turned, (toward us and behind a bush.)
.. We have apologized and further humbled our self in the effort to find out the name and source for this segmented wiggler - to no avail. Our misdeed has sealed the lips of the former friend. The damn thing looks like it's molded of vinyl or some such and reminds us of a sunfish lure, (even though it's not yellow. Now there's a thought!)
.. Several times each year we receive grief in major doses from the neighbors for revealing secrets of place or kind. This post is sure to bring down a flood of ire as well.
.. For the uninitiated we show the various non-flies that the neighbors are using right now. These things are usually tied at home but, many are now available commercially. Even if you eschew their use, they will provide excellent conversation starters and stoppers.

SAN JUAN WORM

.. The San Juan Worm is often called THE DEVIL WORM. It has become a staple of fishers that want to catch fish. Many pretend it's an imitation of a Herculean blood worm. That may be. Perhaps fish dream of these things and lose control when one floats by. Currently the red variety is in vogue on the rivers while the purple or two-toned variety is being used under the ice.

GOB O WORMS

.. The Gob O Worms is a much disparaged cluster of San Juan Worms on the same hook. It has the distinction of being invented locally, (or so we've been told.)
.. It can spark vile and evil outbursts from fishers that are usually friends, (LINK.)
.. It is featured on websites around the region, (LINK,) and is now sold commercially by Idylwilde Flies, HERE. And sold as well by the Driftless Angler, HERE.
.. Purple, puce, flesh, and red colors are all being used right now. The fish are inhaling these at a record pace.

APPS BLOOD WORM

.. This year many of the neighbors that usually kindly provide us with flies have turned to the Orvis Catalog. There are some offerings that suit their fancy and they bought some for pattern prototypes.
.. The Apps Blood Worm is the current favorite from Orvis, (LINK.) It turns out that the fly is just a San Juan Worm with some "flexi floss" tied through the body and separated at the bow and stern. The little red darling is not as effective under the ice as on the river. But on the river it's quite the phenomenon.

MEDUSA (red)

.. Another San Juan Worm variant from Orvis is the Medusa, (LINK.) This is, presumably, a fly that will not get you funny looks from your friends.
.. It's supposed to represent a blood worm cluster, CLUSTER WHAT? It is sold in several colors which suggests that blood worms are chameleons, or have projectile tongues, or some such. This creation is yet another SJW variant with a fat body and clipped floss.

MEDUSA (pink)

.. The pink variety featured by Casters Online Fly Shop is doing well under the ice. It's being used with bits of garden hackle and the fish seem to prefer the artificial.
.. Most of the neighbors, feel that both varieties are the same species and that the folks that tie for Orvis ran out of red and used pink.

SHAKY WORM

.. A minority opinion is that the red is male and the pink is female. As soon as we capture some in the seine we'll let you know.
.. Orvis is kind enough to provide even another interesting worm imitation called the SHAKY WORM. It's similar to the rest of these SJW variants but has a pretty glossy body. It also comes with a bit of Phly Phising Philosophy.

MONEY QUOTE FROM ORVIS:

This is not fly fishing heresy. The fact is trout eat worms and not just the ones we fish with. Worms exist in the stream and imitating a worm with artificial patterns is no different than imitating an insect. If it works, use it. Trout fishing worm pattern in red.

.. We suspect that if these things catch fish in the numbers that the neighbors are reporting that feather merchants across the continent will get in on the selling.
.. It will be interesting to see if the local purists eschew profits for disdainful posturing. Now there's a can of . . . .

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.

Ichthyological Research

SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT

River Secrets Explored

damn! - the sun was shinning

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.. Fishing guides in the neighborhood have precious few days off during the visitor season.
.. Some play golf, some stay home with the family, some sleep and recuperate, and some go fishing.
.. It's an honor to be the fifth, (odd-man-out,) on a busman's holiday. Four of the region's top guides, (& yours truly,) visited the Madison River last weekend.
.. Two drift boats leapfrogged down the river testing currents, drift lines, fish distribution, water clarity, water depth, and a myriad other factors that go into guiding on the world's longest riffle.
.. A combined total of over 110 years experience, (we don't count,) was represented in the flotilla.
.. An assortment of flies and techniques was tested: weight, - no weight, bobbers - no bobbers, dry, - wet, - nymph, - streamer, - single, - double, - dead drift, - swing, - and so forth, were explored.
.. Results and locations were noted. Fish condition was assessed, [yes, fish were caught - and the Rainbow Trout (some over 20" ,) are healthy: the Brown Trout are too.]
.. Fly preference and depth of take were observed. Rigs were adjusted. Tippets were lengthened and shortened: strengthened and lightened.
.. Insights, speculations, observations, and conclusions were shared and compared.
.. The pros called it research - we called it a damn fine experience. They demanded we participate.
.. They insisted on fixing our rig. They changed the flies. They adjusted the leader and tippet. They untangled the snarls. They retied everything and did it in the blink of an eye. They still have teeth!
.. They picked us up at our door and delivered us back there. They bought us lunch and adult beverages. They showed us the intricacies of the river and it's personality.
.. They walked the boat through the choice runs. They beached the boat for embarking and disembarking, and we didn't even get a toe wet - how fine is that!
.. For early season fishing it was a banner day. It wasn't perfect: the sun and clouds were spectacular. The wind, (always there,) was blowing a gale, but at least it was blowing downstream.
.. The caddis were late and there were no noticeable mayflies on the surface. The swallows were generally cruising high and only occasionally dipping to water level. But all the detriments were overcome by the knowledge gained by having fished this river for a lifetime.
.. We get this opportunity to visit the lowland Madison River only a few times per year. Each time is a cherished memory. It's work as hard as any for the guides. It's as good as it gets for us.
.. We can only reveal the common flies that worked, (and there were many.) We've been sworn to secrecy about the "guide flies" but we can use them if we ever get that way again.
.. Subsurface with a bobber and two flies was the most successful catching rig of the day.
.. Size, (on this occasion,) did not seem to matter. The second most successful two fly combination was Rubberlegs Grub and olive Serendipity, (size 4 followed by size 16.) Fish took them both. Egg patterns and two-toned pink San Juan Worms came in a close third. First place is a closely guarded secret.
.. On the surface small Iris Caddis and various X-Caddis variants were the ticket. It was a ticket to the cheap seats, however, since the fish on this day were not seeing much above them. The river is still high and has a bit of color.
.. Yet, the old adage, "Fish Got'ta Eat" holds true. That's what was discovered and explored. It was discovered quickly and fishing rapidly turned to catching.
.. Changes in flies and combinations served to verify the research. There was nothing random about it. It was methodical, studied and informed: that's what intimacy with a river and it's fish is all about.
.. These folks are our neighbors. We get to visit with them infrequently during this time of year. They work hard and deserve our heartfelt appreciation and thanks. Thanks guys!

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.. P.S. all images are huge. Click on them to see. Use them as you choose, citation is always appreciated.

Yellowstone River Gassed

NOT NECESSARILY
A THREAT

Still A Bit Dangerous

just a note
-> P.S. Gallatin River Clearing <--------

.. The Billings Gazette (via -> Midcurrent,) reported yesterday about the broken gas line in the Yellowstone River.
.. The broken 8" pipe is a backup for a 16" pipe in the same area. Company officials have no idea, (at this time,) why the pipe ruptured.

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.. The Gallatin River is pretty clear, (and high, and damned cold,) in the Yellowstone National Park section. Visitors have tried it and caught some eager juvenile trout at the northernmost sections in the park.
.. San Juan Worms of the red and yellow variety were the culprits. We'll check it out and let you know.

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