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

By Any Other Name

PRECISION ESCAPES US

DOUBLE STANDARDS ?

it's a damn budworm

WALLPAPER:   Choristoneura

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.. We chuckle to hear the affected erudition of the fisher folks that spout Latin nomenclature for mayflies and caddisfles and then call these critters "Spruce Moths."
.. This is the Western Spruce Budworm.  There are nearly forty Choristoneura species, and even more subspecies, or forms, with an enormous complexity of variation among populations, found throughout much of the United States and Canada. There are at least that many more in Europe and Asia.

WESTERN SPRUCE BUDWORM

.. The Western Spruce Budworm has a 1-year life cycle. In most regions moths usually emerge from late July to early August.
.. Eggs are laid on the underside of conifer needles and hatch in about 10 days. Young larvae seek a sheltered place and overwinter in a silken casing called a hibernaculum.
.. From early May to late June, larvae begin to feed within closed buds, 1-year-old needles, and new foliage.
.. New foliage is preferred, followed by older needles. Larvae mature in 30-40 days and pupate in early July, (or late July around here.) Pupation usually lasts 10 days and is followed by adult moth emergence.
..  From our neighborhood down to about Big Sky, Montana emergence is just a little  later. Right now our population has peaked and eggs have been laid - mostly.
.. The exhausted adult moths find our rivers and streams with a regularity that pleases the resident fish, (yes, Murgatroyd, the Mountain Whitefish will rise to these too.)

SPRUCE MOTH IF YOU WILL

.. It seems that we have a couple of subspecies, (or forms,) flittering around here.
.. Choristoneura occidentalis is the species. The large form is a whopping 1 1/2" long and tends to be a dark dusty gray color. The smaller, more common,  subspecies is 3/4 to 1" long and tends to be more brownish orange mixed with dark gray.
.. We wonder why these little bits of trout food don't rate the exalted status of Latin nomenclature in the dry fly fishers vocabulary. Perhaps it's just not fashionable to spout Latin unless it is in reference to the bugs that we know and you don't!
.. Whatever that case may be, right now the fish on the Gallatin River are eating these budworm adults throughout the whole section of river in Yellowstone National Park.
.. We usually smash the wing on a large caddis or stimulator and float it with a small shop vac dropper. It's amusing to us.
.. The real fishers in the neighborhood use a purpose-tied pattern and seem to do more catching than we do. Go figure.

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Bob Jacklin's Spruce Moth (From Yellowstone Patterns) from Henry Harrison on Vimeo.

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WALLPAPER:  RIBS AND BEANS  -  WITH HEAT

Of Wayward Moths

NOT HOPPERS  . . .  BUT

In The Trees & In The Water

wise fishers know the difference

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.. Now that the hoards of heroes and headhunters are in conclave along the Madison River it's time to gather up the friendly fish of the Gallatin River.

.. The Western Spruce Budworm gives birth to the Spruce Moth. Fly fishers call it a hatch. Silviculturists call it a blight. Our recent spate of warm winters and infrequent Fall "Hard Frosts" have combined to allow the worms to proliferate and so too the moths.
-- 'Fire exclusion' and "natural management" of forests encourage woody debris and duff along the forest floor - the perfect habitat for the little wigglers. They are on the rise.
.. Along the rivers of our neighborhood there are many stands of host trees and dense duff on the forest's floor. Fish eat the critters - both the bud worm and the winged form.

.. The bud worm is not in the vocabulary of many fly fishers: the moth is increasingly a topic of conversation. The fishers and feather merchants today are scurrying about in search of the perfect pattern to imitate the fluttering pest.
.. There are numerous varieties of bud worms and moths. There are nearly forty Choristoneura species, and even more subspecies, or forms across the United states. They love conifers. They eat conifers and breed in and around them.They eat the flowers and pollen of this years growth. They eat the tender needles as they emerge. They will even eat last years needles on occasion.
.. They can ruin the appearance of the perfect Christmas tree that you have watched for two years. Fish eat them.
.. The life cycle of the critter is an annual event. From it's egg to the moth it traverses several stages, (6 instars,) then a pupae, then a moth. Caterpillars weave a cocoon-like shelter composed of their own excrement and needle debris mixed with silk threads. They travel by air at the ends of silk strands. Fish eat them.
.. The moths appear over a long period from late July to early September for their egg-laying tasks. They then persist until they run out of gas at the end of their life cycle. They are running out of gas right now. Fish are eating them.
.. Despite the common name, the critter is hosted primarily by Douglas-fir, with other tree species such as the true firs, larch and to a lesser degree, spruce, also impacted by the western spruce budworm.
.. The moths are not good aviators. They have erratic and brief flight paths. When they run out of gas they plummet to the earth in a death spiral. Fish eat them. Infestations can reach over 400,000 per acre. That's a lot of trout food.

.. If the river you fish flows thorough a blighted forest - fish a moth right now. There are a few blighted trees on the Firehole River. There are isolated stands along the Madison River. There are brown trees all along the Gallatin River.
.. Death spirals occur in the warm part of the day: over water if the hungry fish are lucky. Fish eat them. They float for a long time. Fish eat them.
.. A white caddis pattern will work just fine. A normal caddis or stimulator will also work. The lighter the better. Mash them up and splay the wings. Ruin the beauty that came from the vise and you'll do better in the catching department. Better yet, have the neighbors kids tie a few.
.. Damn the runners  --  full moth ahead.

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WALLPAPER: GALLATIN RIVER VALLEY  --   FALL

Sands Of Time

THE CLOCK IS TICKING

Hoppers Diminishing

hormones in ascendancy

RIFFLE & RUN  -- OR -- RIFFLE & POOL?

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.. First there needs to be a bit of "Air Clearing." There are big fish in almost all of the waters of Yellowstone National Park. It happens. Accept it. This is the time of year when hormones and instincts trump simple conventional wisedom.
.. If a large, (for the neighborhood,) trout is 22" or more, then there was a large trout, (two actually,) taken at the confluence of the Gibbon River and Solfatara Creek . . .  TRUE!
.. There have been several very large fish taken near the confluence of the Gallatin River and Specimen Creek. A couple of giant fish have been taken in the very thin water of Bacon Rind Creek. just west of the highway, (bet you drove right past them.) Of course there have been bucket-loads of large fish taken in the park-line-pools at Bakers Hole on the Madison River.

.. The simple fact is that mature trout migrate instinctively upstream to gravels suitable for spawning. That's going on right now and the surprises are wondrous to behold.
.. Recent fishing along the park reaches of the Gallatin River has been delightful, (save for the smoke in the air and air temperatures in the low 80's.) There are still some hoppers and spruce moths and beetles and flying ants attempting to swim in the river.

.. Fall catching on the Gallatin River is enhanced by finding the optimum conjunction of terrestrial and aquatic circumstances. No giant insight here.
.. The most successful neighbors count at least five factors that must come together in very extremely close proximity for optimum catching: Sagebrush Flats, Willow Bottoms, Lodgepole Pines, Riffles punctuated by Dark Water Pools, and Undercut Banks. The diversity and availability of foodstuffs in these areas accounts for both trout and bear density. Keep that in mind!
.. The weather is often less of a factor than conventional wisdom would dictate. Right now we're in a similar weather pattern that we experienced two years ago when temperatures of 85°F were seen in October. It could happen again.

.. Fish are still migrating and spawning. Photoperiod and water temperature are key triggers for the current sort of sexual shenanigans that the trout are enjoying.
.. The near-term weather forecast calls for unseasonably warm and dry periods for up to the next two weeks.
.. Evenings, of late, have been in the 20's but promise to rise into the 40's. Some clouds and some widely scattered showers may grace parts of the neighborhood but they will not significantly alter the trend - or the trout and bear behavior. Keep in mind that the berry crop is low and the bruins are ranging widely.

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Those Other Terrestrials

FORGET THE HOPPERS

For Now

use these

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.. You saw them here first.
.. The spruce moth and beetle invasion is on. All along the Madison River, and on the Gibbon River, and especially on the Gallatin River, it's time to use these other terrestrials.
.. They're here in numbers that the fish understand. Even the large fish. Even in bright sun.
.. These bugs are now on the diet of any self respecting trout. They are a bag of groceries just waiting to be ingested. Give the fish a chance with your best imitation. You will be rewarded.
.. Gulper Report and Gallatin River secrets tomorrow; if we can fit it in. Where's Nate?

Accommodating Neighbors

ALWAYS THINKING OF US

Bugs At The Ready

madison now - gallatin tomorrow

Click on image for detail.

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.. We have genuinely thoughtful neighbors. They have installed some bug attractors just for us. It was a most congenial act and we appreciate it.
.. The attractors are just two doors down the street and just one of many provided by the good neighbors in our town.
.. These attractors function from dusk to dawn and gather up the nocturnal critters. We inspect the areas around the attractors nightly for trout food. This gives us insight into the type and density of critters that the fish will dine on during the following day or week.
.. It's now apparent that the Spruce Moths are beginning their evening ballet and although the density is still a bit low, they are here in numbers sufficient to cause "Acute Awareness Syndrome" in the local piscine population.
.. The Madison River is generally about a week to 10 days ahead of the Gallatin River in density of Spruce Moths, though this can vary on a year to year basis.
.. Right now there are occasional sighting of the bug in the lower reaches of the Gallatin River. They will soon be in the Yellowstone National Park section.
.. Depending on the Madison River water temperature, (just a bit warm right now,) catching will pick up with the addition of the moths to the hoppers already proliferating.
.. Fish the Madison River now, at dawn or dusk into dark. Fish the Gallatin River tomorrow and more through the next couple of weeks at the same times. Catching should be good with the Fall smorgasbord now being offered to the trout.

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..

Fly Tiers Alert

WE NEED A
NON-CADDIS MOTH

Imitate This

trout candy

.. We've been flooded with questions about what flies to use for the spruce moth invasion. The, {admittedly poor,} images above should give you an idea why the caddis imitations work so well. If you're creative maybe a better rendition could be had.
.. Dead, dying, and down, is the way the moth is as it hits the water in the early morning hours. They fall all day and arrive in various states of death and disarray. Some flutter, some skitter, some just lay there. Eventually they become an amorphous bit of flotsam. Trout eat them all.

Do Grown Men Giggle ?

JUST HOW GRAND IS
THE SPRUCE MOTH HATCH ?

Do You Really Want To Know ?

words fail !!

.. This has got to be quick. They're falling out of the sky like hail in central Oklahoma. The rivers have so many moths that you can't see the water.
.. Guides in Ennis are paying their sports to stay home so they can fish the rivers. West Yellowstone is shut down; everyone is fishing on the Madison River.
.. There are so many dead moths that the city workers are sweeping them from the street before they can pile up and block the headlights of cars each night.
.. Giggles are erupting from fishermen covered in moths and moth dander.

"There's one in my shorts."
"There's one in my ear - no two!"
" And you won't believe what they're doing."

.. Fishing is so good that the feather merchants are offering refunds to those unlucky souls that only take 40 fish on their guided trip.
.. There are no caddis imitations larger than size 18 left in West Yellowstone. The price for a caddis imitation, (if you can find one,) is now about $27.50/each - and climbing.
.. The cloud of moths extends from Three Forks to Mack's Inn and from Virginia City to Old Faithful. It promises to last for at least one more evening.

{{And that means one more morning of giggles, guffaws, and sheer roars of delight as technical fly fishing is thrown out the window for the pleasures of pure catching.}}

.. We're skipping breakfast, biscuits and gravy, coffee, and the news. The damn trout have become boisterous, obstreperous, and glutinous. It won't last long.

.. Some trout are even jumping into waders to get the moths trapped in fisher folks shorts.

Yes Grown men do giggle!

Only The Neighbors Fish At Night

MADISON RIVER
FULL OF MOTHS

The Town Is Too
Just 10 Minutes Away

where else will you hear it ?

.. Lubrication is the order of the day when most visiting fly fishers see the sun go down. A few die hard fishers will wait for a few more casts. The neighbors are just getting started.
.. A Few well informed folks in Bozeman know too. Visit Montana Troutfitters for an oldie but goodie -->> Spruce Moth Alert. Use your favorite caddis imitations, (the BIG ones,) and skitter them across the top.
.. There is an amazing amount of light from the Milky Way. Try it; you'll like it.