The Paradox Of Choice

NEED ANOTHER ROD ?

Which One ?

maybe get two ?

WALLPAPER:  A WONDERFUL SELECTION

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"The paradox of choice is an observation that having too many options to choose from, rather than making people happy and ensuring they get what they want, can cause them stress and engender problematic decision-making."

PICK A ROD, ANY ROD

.. Here we are in mid winter and it's warm. Snow is coming and melting at the same time.The mind wanders to springtime fishing and what gear to get ready. We think about our hoard of rods, reels, lines, flies and other accouterments that need to be readied for the opening.
.. Aha! Selections in this day and age are greater than ever. We think that there are more types of gear than at any other time in history - certainly more than in recent memory.
.. What a wonderful world. Enormous amounts of gear and accessories. Enormous amounts of manufacturers. Enormous amounts of vendors. Enormous amounts of experts. Enormous amounts of destinations and locations. Zowie - boy we are blessed!

Autonomy and Freedom of choice are critical to our well being, and choice is critical to freedom and autonomy. Nonetheless, though modern Americans have more choice than any group of people ever has before, and thus, presumably, more freedom and autonomy, we don't seem to be benefiting from it psychologically, ( — quoted from Ch.5, The Paradox of Choice, 2004)

.. We see this frequently. Which one to buy. How much to spend. Maybe we should think about it for a while. We'll ask the neighbors. We'll ask the counter help. We'll search the web. We'll read a book or two. Etc., etc.

PICK A REEL, ANY REEL

.. From 'Choice Overload' to 'Buyer's Remorse' there is a range of anxieties that can result from our selection of gear. Hell, there is even the on stream penis fly rod envy. The glance askance toward the tackle in the parking lot, the walk to the stream, and other opportunities.
.. We even note the concept, (rapidly growing over the last decade,) that 'BETTER' gear makes a better fisher. To cite the photographer's insight. "Question: what camera is the best camera? Answer: the one that's in your hand!)
.. Better fishers are made by fishing. Better casters are made by casting. Long ago, (in San Diego,) we saw a famous fly fisher cast the full length of a fly line by using a plumber's friend, (that bathroom plunger we all know and love.)
.. We would suggest that all of us have all the gear that we need. We often wonder if we confuse what we need with what we want. Ah, the curse of affluence!

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NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS

.. We have mud instead of packed snow leading into the winter fishing spots. The combination of snow, rain and high mid day temperatures provides goop on the trail and slush on the roads. Of course, night time temperatures bless us with some black ice and slick roads.
.. The mid day rush to the grocery store and the Post Office is a wonder to behold. Folks are even walking around town and, of course, some kids are wearing short pants. The high country snow pack seems to be building and avalanches are frequent.

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WALLPAPER: GENTLE CARAWAY RYE

Of Time & Change

FASHION OR FUNCTION ?

Rip Snortin' Change

is 'pretty' truly any better ?

ORIGINAL MUDDLER TIED BY DON GAPEN: Courtesy Martin Joergensen

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.. We just wonder how big of a sales attraction a bin full of Don Gapen Muddler flies would be, (minus his name and the name of the pattern.)
.. Just suppose the fly in the keystone image above was called the "Gold Body Squirrel And Turkey." Fancy floss is missing. exotic synthetic fibers are missing. twinkle and flash are missing, hair and feather lengths are not precisely similar, gold tinsel is wadded up not laid down smoothly, etc.
.. Even at discount prices in a feather merchant bin this fly would not sell. No catalog would dare to suggest that the fly would catch fish. It's just too scruffy for contemporary sensibilities.
.. The Muddler of today is beautifully stylized, magnificently rendered, and exquisitely presented in catalogs and merchant's bins. (Check the Gapen Company version HERE.)
.. The original became famous because of it's success in stabbing large Brook Trout in the jaw with astounding regularity. Today we seldom hear of a Muddler that has become trapped by an angry and hungry trout.
.. Just sayin'.

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Contemporary Muddler -- Real Catalog And Bin Stuff

Unbelievable ?

DEALS OF THE CENTURY

Save Big / Fish Some Too

click on over

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.. So you want a fine rod and reel to enhance your visit to Yellowstone Country? So you want a great deal to make the neighbors back home jealous?
.. And, you've decided that Orvis is the way to go. Well here's your chance!
.. Parks' Fly Shop has conned the good folks at Orvis into giving you a FREE REEL with the purchase of any Helios or Hydra rod. **
.. Just so you don't think this is just another come-on they have also included a coupon for 10% off any guided trip booked when you make a purchase during this promotion.
.. If you're even thinking about it - do it. The savings + the 10% = just about a free day fishing!!!
.. The sale applies to rods that will fish well in our part of the world.
.. Helios, Hydra, & TLS Power Matrix are all on sale in selected lengths and weights. See the deals HERE.

MONEY QUOTE:

TLS Power Matrix 906-2 Mid-Flex 6.5 Arguably "THE" best deal available. The idea of being able to put a $259 reel on a $335 rod for free is almost absurd.
.. This is a nice, medium-fast two piece rod for those who don't expect to fly. $335

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.. ** This is an Orvis-wide promotion available to all Orvis dealers. The 10% coupon for a guided fly trip is only available at Parks' Fly Shop.

Countdown To Ice Out

WORMS IN SHORT SUPPLY

Maggot & Meal Worm Supplies Exhausted

lawn chairs at a premium
the current rain & sleet & snow are just a bonus

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.. The drool level in town is palpable and escalating. Both the gear group and the fly fraternity speak the same language this time of year.
.. Moms, dads, wives, husbands, boy & girl friends, and the kids had better fish or cut bait.
.. The day could be today. It could be tomorrow. It might even wait a week, (but we doubt it.) There is open water on Hebgen Lake right now. More is appearing by the hour. It's beautiful.
.. The Madison Arm Estuary is open all the way to Grayling Creek.
.. Sunrise Cove is currently fishing like there's no ice at all. The ice shanties have been abandoned. It's Ice Out Time in the neighborhood.
.. We're not sure whether "ice out" is a noun or a verb or adjective. If it's a verb, it's 'icing-out' now! If it's an adjective, the lake will be 'iced-out' in about 3 more weeks. If it's a noun, it's 'ice out'.
.. The neighbors are already planning for next weekend, (since it's snowing again.) Portable grills, ice chests cleaned with baking soda, lawn chairs cleaned and rust removed, spare rods and reels, and of course extra beer for celebrations are on the 'to-do' lists.
.. And, there will be plenty of celebrating to do. This is the time of year when the big fish of the lake are most accessible, and most easily caught.
.. For the next couple of weeks there will be little parties of jubilation along the lake shore on every beach where the ice is within casting range. If we get a genuine cold spell the ice will recede slowly, and the gaiety could last for a month.
.. Short strong leaders are the drill for most of the fly fishers. Nothing over 6' is necessary, (nor is it desirable.) Any thing in the box will do. Presentation and position are the keys for catching success.
.. We continue to mention that the trout will eat anything that looks like food to them. How do we know this? The folks that eat these fish look at the stomach contents. What a varied and capricious bunch of crap-ola the trout do eat.
.. Twigs, (some of gargantuan size,) constantly amaze us. Bits of leaves, grass, and moss, (or something similar???) are also cataloged. There's always sand and gravel, (a size distinction that is lost on us.) And of course the normally anticipated bugs and some others, not so apparently available.
.. Last year at this time a big Brown Trout was gutted and the entrails dissected. Among the above mentioned debris was a nearly complete grasshopper, (minus one leg.) Use your imagination! The damn thing was nearly an inch long.
.. In lakes and turbid streams epibenthic feeding is the norm. There is all manner of goop on the bottom of streams and lakes. Gobble it now and digest it later seems to be the strategy when drift feeding is not available.
.. All the neighbors have their favorite and 'secret' weapons. We use Feather Dusters, Prince Nymphs, Gob-O-Worms, (HERE & HERE,) San Juan Worms, Yellowstone Badger and an occasional Shop Vac. They all seem to work or fail with equal aplomb.
.. Presentation is usually with a slow sink-tip line; cast to the ice, and then pulled gently into the water. This is the most successful method for most of the neighbors.
.. The contrarian method is just about the complete opposite. A high floating line with an extremely long, (12' is where they start,) leader is used. Scuff the leader so it sinks and place a double fly rig on it, (flies about 2' apart.) Cast this rig parallel to the ice and smoke a cigar until the take.

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Surprisingly Good

NUTTY FOR NYMPHS

Get Out The Spring Nymph Box

fish 'em low and slow

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.. It's that time of year. Some streams are mud soup. Some streams have a bit of color. Some streams are high, cold, and clear. Some are even low, cold, and clear. It's all good and it's all in flux.
.. Whatever the situation; now is the time for subsurface prospecting. The fish are getting energetic and are ravenous after the winter starvation.
.. There are midges on the surface. There are little mayflies and there are a few caddis, - HOWEVER - the big action is below the surface.
.. The catching has been better than expected; probably due to the bit of warmth we've experienced lately.
.. You have to pick your poison for the situation - BUT it's nymphs for now. Streamers are for the masochistic head hunters, (like our neighbor Alvin.) They work, but it takes time, patience and skill beyond belief.
.. For a bit of insight into some techniques for the current conditions just blip on over to the Fishing Blog at Madison River Outfitters.
.. Everyone should have a SJ Worm. That's our tip of the hat. We got 'em, we use 'em, but they are really no better than the ones shown below.
.. The flies shown below are as close as we come to recommending flies for fishing. There are even flies for the surface, but the others are the choice right now.
.. We have used some of these fly patterns for 40 years or more - really - and they continue to work.
.. They do not satisfy the need for experimentation, nor do they tickle the fancy of feather merchants, nor are they the latest and greatest; they just suit us.
.. Other flies work fine, and other flies may even work better. One old local fly fisher was fond of asking and answering a question in the same breath: "Why are there so many flies? - Because they all work!" We agree.
.. Spring fishing in and around Yellowstone National Park is weather and runoff dependent - no surprise there. The weather can be brutal well into June, and the runoff can keep you off of the water for days, (or weeks,) at a time.

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.. This year we're being teased with a bit of warmth early. We're not fooled. The last few days of sleet, snow, wind and rain, remind us that Spring is a capricious season.
.. The flies shown here are designed to work well in a variety of conditions and in that sense are "generalized flies." There are some that could be considered 'imitative,' however most will fall into the 'attractor' class - that's O.K. with us. Gott'a attract a fish to catch it.

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THE FLIES

.. Montana Duster: We use piles of these all season long and start the Spring nymphing with it. This pattern, and the original Feather Duster are staples in our Spring assortment. The yellow color is most popular. However, about this time each year the pink makes an appearance - probably taken for an egg - who knows? Sizes: 6 - 18.
.. Yellowstone Coachman: The occasional day in early Spring that allows a good hatch is an unanticipated joy. The fish are seldom very selective, (well - sort'a,) and this fly works wonders. Sizes: 10 - 18.

.. The Yellowstone Cinch: This is our other choice for early Spring dry fly days. It is a local adaptation that floats like a cork, and can be quickly tied at home or on the water. Size is the key to this and other early season flies in Yellowstone. Later the fish become much more selective. Sizes: 10 - 18.
.. Yellowstone Spruce Fly: This fly was developed by some neighbors that use a bubble on a spinning or casting rig for Fall fishing. It is an exceptional fly when cast with a fly rod in the spring. It's a bit gaudy for many of our purists, but with a nice slow presentation in the cold waters of the early Spring it looks like a big sack of groceries to hungry trout. Sizes: 4 - 12.
.. Yellowstone Morning Glory: This is an all season fly that we like to keep handy for fishing in the film, or slightly submerged in the Spring. It is a traditional 'early morning' fly for those that find the right foggy morning after the rare early Spring hatch. In the Summer it's a useful attractor. There are many flies similar to this local variant and most will do - we use this one. Sizes: 10 - 16.
.. Yellowstone Winter Grub: This looks like nothing other than something to sample - or some such. We fish this all Winter and carry it into the Spring. It's a heavy fly, though it casts well, and is useful for 'dredging' those big fish that you know are there. It's apparently an old fly from the Salmon & Challis area in Idaho. We usually have this in a variety of sizes for the desperation moments. Sizes: 4 - 10.
.. Woolly Worm: Spit the words out of your mouth if you must - it's a great Spring fly in Yellowstone Country. Sometimes we use small ones on the surface when the snow flies are out. Black or yellow seem to be the colors of choice, we've got more yellow ones. Sizes: 10 - 18.
.. Yellowstone Badger: This prickly little devil is one that serves a multitude of purposes. Float it, sink it, splash it, strip it, or just dap it - it is a winner. This fly is similar to the other nymphs that are popular around here - the Pheasant Tail, and the Hare's Ear. We use them all, but keep coming back to this one. Sizes: 12 - 18.
.. Stiff Hackle Nymph: This variant of the soft hackle variety is not a favorite among many folks in the fly fishing community. It does work well and it is used by some of our 'more mature' neighbors. We've used it since the 80's and found it to be a useful resource - but we tend to forget it too. This is an all season fly that we just put in the fly box because we have them. Sizes 12 -18.
.. Deer Hair Caddis: This little fly we borrowed from Jason Neuswanger over at The Trout Nut. We fished it all last year along with the local versions and it was a standout performer. It's a dark fly that is consistent with some of our early Caddis hatches and we like it very much. Sizes: 10 - 18.
.. The Quick -N-Easy is one of those flies that makes many a fly fisher cringe. It is gaudy, flashy, big, and effective. It is famous for its spectacular refusals, and that's it's purpose. Tie it on early and then fish the fly that the fish are taking. This will show you that there are really fish in the water, and it may even catch one or two. Sizes: 8 - 14.
.. Hellifiknow: This pattern is reminiscent of the Black Nose Dace and Micky Finn patterns. It is useful when the water is murky and you need to get a bit of twinkle down deep. It's a Spring staple and often a 'what if ?' kind of fly for prospecting. Sizes 4 - 12.
.. Scarlet Ibis: We've carried this fly since the early 60's. Back then they came on a card and you got four for a dollar. They were imported from Japan and attracted the novice and expert alike. A bit of color never hurts the old fly boxes. This traditional wet fly is one that we fish for fun. It may be taken for an egg, a flying saucer, a cowboy's bandanna, or "who knows what?" - but it takes a few fish every year. Sizes: 8 - 14.

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.. Here's a note about the Shop Vac. It's proven its worth in subsurface fishing over the last few seasons. Tied a bit larger than the traditional sizes it is a fine upper fly in a tandem rig and can be seen on a slow shallow swing.
.. We have an irrational fondness for the local Feather Dusters, (Original, Montana, Egg,) yet we always have a few Shop Vacs as well.
.. For year-round success this pattern ranks very high. Most people use the bead head variety. Contrarians that we are, we stick with the fluff sans bead.
.. The recipe lets you know why we're fond of these by the dozen.
Recipe. Hook: size 12 - 18, Thread: black, Body: pheasant tail fiber, Rib: medium, (or fine,) copper wire, Wing: gold or white Zelon, (cul de canard works fine.)
Instructions. Move thread to the rear of the hook, attach pheasant tail fibers and the wire, return thread and fibers to head, counter wrap the wire rib to the eye, tie off, attach zelon, (or cul de canard,) on top of the hook shank, whip finish a large clunky head.
.. These can be greased up real heavy and floated if you choose. The smaller sizes float very well.

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.. Well, it's a bit sunny and bright overcast in the forecast. Then some more winter. We're headed to a short section of a famous creek that is clear nearly year round. Hope the trusty steed breaks down in the right neighborhood.

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Hot Evening Sun

A BRIEF INTERLUDE

Time To Shop

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.. Warm snow + warm rain + warm hail + some sun = increased river discharge. Such is the way of it during Spring in the high country.
.. Yesterday morning the Gallatin River was at a murky 900 cfs near Gallatin Gateway and rising rapidly.
.. The Madison River, Firehole River, & Gibbon River in Yellowstone National Park are on a trajectory toward mud soup.
.. A short section of the Gallatin River between Taylor Fork and the park line should remain cold, clear and fishable - particularly near the discharge of Snowflake Springs.

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Sorry Irving

RAIN IN THE MORNING

SNOW AT NIGHT

with apologies to Irving Berlin

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.. The weather is turning - kind'a. The rains and snows are back but the temperatures remain plenty warm.
.. As the snow falls and melts instantly the river discharge rates are beginning to climb. Most of the local waters are still being fished. The streams of Yellowstone will display the increase by this weekend.
.. Watching the mix of precipitation in any given 24 hour period is entertaining if you are a meteorologist. We just marvel at the way it can snow at warm temperatures.
.. There's a bit more open water in the estuaries of Hebgen Reservoir and Quake Lake. Down canyon the Gallatin River is fishing well around Red Cliff, Big Sky, and 4-Corners. A couple of the neighbors tried the section between the Taylor Fork and the park line. Some encouraging nibbles but no fish porn to post.
.. Time for a bit of breakfast.

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