Rebound

SLEEPING WEATHER

Hopper Torpor

large pods sighted

WALLPAPER:   MADISON SMOKE AND SUNRISE

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.. So then, we received a blessed couple of days of sleeping weather. It slowed the terrestrials, surprised the dudes and newcomers, wilted the pansies, and - best of all - soothed the souls of our overextended front line workers.

.. As previously mentioned, both fishing and catching have been very good. All of our local streams and rivers and lakes and ponds have settled into their seasonal excellence.

BY THE NUMBERS

LITTLE FRIENDS

1]  Firehole River. The canyon above Old Faithful showing some early spawners. The gentle water on the Lone Star Geyser Trail has the most beautiful brook trout in the park. They are just lighting up now and taking anything that you throw. Biscuit Basin is becoming cool and look for Baetids after this weekend - otherwise hoppers late afternoon and soft hackles all of the time.

2] Madison River. Small streamers everywhere, hoppers and other terrestrials in the afternoon warm meadows, exploration of the last 3 miles for the adventurous seeking early runners.

BIG EYES

3] Gallatin River. Spawners above Bighorn Pass trailhead. It's a trek but, with good legs, worth it. Hoppers and ants when warm in grassy areas. Spawners nosing around Bacon Rind confluence. Small spawners near other tributaries. Soft hackles and small streamers working. Small fish all through Grayling Creek.

4] Hebgen Reservoir. If its warm and, with no wind the calibaetis are still there. Cool morning in all tributaries will find clouds of tricos. Below the dam is full of hungry resident fish and, Quake Lake near the outlet has pods of streamer-hungry fish, (near the trees.)

SELDOM FISHED

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.. Coming  attractions: Saturday rain, Sunday heavy overcast, Monday broken clouds and warming. This is coming on a perfect weekend!

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WALLPAPER:  QUICK TOSTADA

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

Know Your Foe

WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY DAY

Callibaetis Notes

get thee to hebgen lake

Confused Female Callibaetis Ovipositing On A Rock.

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.. When the smoke from wildfires makes the moon red and the sun is a giant orange blob in the hazy sky, it's callibaetis time at the old homestead.

Art Deco Kodak

.. Take your camera along and celebrate photography. It seems that every fly fisher is a closet shutterbug. August 19, is World Photography Day, so unmask the Ansel Adams child inside of you, limber up the old Kodak, and take a few snaps.
.. Out on Hebgen Lake, (and a few other lesser known stillwaters,) the bugs have been popping for some time. Some of the neighbors have been on the reservoir for weeks. Most of them wait until it's just sheer masochism on the rivers before they migrate to the reservoir.

Wading for Gulpers

.. The migration is on. Drift boats, float tubes, rubber rafts, john boats, ski boats, and various other sundry craft have taken to the weed beds.
.. There are quite a few places along the shore of the reservoir where wading will  get you into the noses as well.

Gulper Getters

.. Out of tradition we refer to this part of the fishing calendar as 'Gulper Time.'  It's a truism for sure. But the bugs are the stars. The callibaetis mayfly goes through several hatches during the year, (mostly summer.)
.. Each successive hatch produces a smaller insect. There are always a few million bugs that are out of synch with the general population - so - there are bugs on the water all the time.
.. By this time of year the flies emerging, and on the surface, can be of different generations. This means different sizes.
.. Fishers often don't notice the difference. Fish always seem to notice the difference.

Visiting Male Callibaetis

.. As Matilda once said: "SIZE MATTERS."
.. The pattern of the fly is, in this instance, truly far less important than the size and silhouette of the pattern.
.. The season usually starts with a size 10 or 12. By this time of year the bugs can range from 10 to 16, (some bigger and some smaller.)
.. Frequently the scenario is confused by a massive Trico hatch as well. Fish, being what they are; and trout being what they are wont to be, this can be confounding to the fly fisher.

THE HERE AND NOW OF GULPERS

.. Occasionally the fish will bump floating fishers as they rise, (can you cast that short?)
.. Sometimes the noses surround the boat just a few feet away, (photo-op, anyone?)
.. Frequently a cast of 25' or so will place the fly in the right place, (good for the mere mortals among us.)
.. All too often it takes a perfectly placed fly at a distance of 50' or 60'. This requires that your shorts be ripped as you perform wild gyrating motions and strain to get your fly in position with that fancy new four weight rod that was so appealing in the catalog.

Gulpers In The Weeds

.. As Snagglepuss is often heard to exclaim: "Heavens to Mergatroid, the bug is the enemy - not the fish!"
.. So then, hie thee to thine own favorite stillwater. Start early when the breeze is just a whisper.
.. Use a stick and line combination that gets the fly to where it belongs and the noses are thick.
.. Pick a pattern that matches the size and shape of what you think the capricious fish are gulping.
.. Fling it in front of a 'patterned riser.' And hang on. The big fish ascend from the depths to enjoy the feast.
.. We're off to the fire.

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To Quote Sun Tzu:

故曰：知彼知己，百戰不殆;

不知彼而 知己，一勝一負；

不知彼，不知己，每 戰必殆。
--

So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself,

 you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
--

If you only know yourself, but not your opponent,

 you may win or may lose.
--

If you know neither yourself nor your enemy,

 you will always endanger yourself.

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Good Calibaetis Stuff:

==> Ralph & Lisa Cutter,
==> Trout Nut,
==> Bug Guide,
==> Fly Fishing Traditions,
==> Dennis P. Collier,
==> Aquatic Insects, Gunnison County, Colorado.

The Snortle Strikes

GULPER GONE DOWN ?

Seek 'Em With A Snortle

fish seem to eat when they can

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.. The gulpers are gulping. Not quite like Pac-Man yet but persistent and consistent. Hebgen Lake is drawing the faithful with increasing regularity.

.. The Callibaetis are here and Trico clouds are small but regular. It's a bit different this year. The weed beds are covered by more water than in the recent past.
.. Light is penetrating the water just fine but, the Pac-Fish action is just now becoming apparent. This is probably because weed beds are just a bit deep for the sensitive bugs that inhabit them to be awakened by the requisite photo-period for maximum intense activity.
.. The wind has been coming on strong a skosh early too. So action is truncated by less than desirable conditions earlier in the mid morning than most fishers would like.

.. All-in-all things are proceeding apace with near normality and should develop into the feeding frenzy we're familiar with in the next 5 - 10 days. If you should find a weed bed at the right depth, you will be blessed with gulping action that is superb. Right now the key is water depth. Gulping is not lake-wide - YET!
.. All is not lost if the gulpers abandon the surface. Stay with your selected weed forest and go down. Traditionally, the neighbors use small buggers, leeches, and the local favorite the Snortle.
--The Snortle, (spelling can vary,) is a typical silli-legs pattern that is tied variously by different artisans. The recipe for the one shown above is:
Tail: 2 silli-legs about the length of the hook,
Body: peach Antron ribbed with scarlet Antron twisted on top,
Thorax: coarse hare's mask with two pair of silli-legs,
Hook size: 8, (unusual,) to 14, (a tough proposition.)
.. The most common variation is like the standard variety with black wool yarn substituted for the scarlet Antron. Some of the neighbors use a copper or lead wire under-body.
.. The fly is fished on a short, (5 or 6 foot leader and counted down to the weed tops or sides of the subterranean forest. A slow herky-jerky retrieve is the common action used. Brave and intrepid fishers let it sink into the edge of a weed bed and retrieve with a 2" - 3" motion with a 5 or 6 second pause in between.

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