HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

Hints Below















-- Firehole above upper geyser basin
-- The Gallatin in the morning, (mile #26)
-- Bechler is going good - take DEET
-- Biscuit Basin in the evening
-- Soda Butte in the meadow
-- Pebble Creek at the Campground
-- Gibbon upper meadows after 7:00 PM
-- Walk to Trout Lake
-- Madison at 9-mile
-- Gardiner below Roaring Mountain
-- Lamar at the picnic area riffle is clear
-- Lewis Lake calm days after 7:00 PM
-- Yellowstone Lake near thumb; evenings
-- Eager BIG Browns between Lewis & Shoshone Lakes
-- This is one-fly fishing: size 12 Elk Hair Caddis

YOU'RE INVITED

Too Big Of A Blog,
but very important.

-- The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national land conservation organization, will be joined by U.S. Senator Conrad Burns, USDA Under Secretary Mark Rey, fly fishers and other project partners on the Madison River on July 7 to celebrate the conservation of over 1,600 acres of land adjacent to the Three Dollar Bridge Fishing Access site, between Ennis and West Yellowstone. The easement includes permanent fishing access along a one mile stretch of the fabled Madison river.

-- This past summer, TPL purchased a conservation easement on the historic 1,521-acre Olliffe Ranch, which is located on the north side of Highway 287, adjacent to the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area and just a few miles west of Quake Lake. Funded through a $2 million congressional appropriation from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, TPL transferred the easement to the U.S. Forest Service for long-term monitoring and enforcement.

-- As part of the deal, the public has also just been granted permanent walk-in access to more than a one mile-long section of the Madison River that is ranked among the finest fly fishing water in the West and can only be reached on foot, as float fishing is not allowed. The new river trail easement, which will be formally granted to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks this summer, has long been regarded as the missing link between the Three Dollar Bridge access site to the west and the Raynolds Pass access site to the east - both located in the Madison's most popular stretch, the nine miles between Quake Lake and Lyons Bridge. With this new addition, anglers can now park at either access site and wander a full four miles in search of browns and rainbows that average over 15 inches in length.

-- Funding for the project was secured by Senator Conrad Burns (Chairman of the Senate's Interior Appropriations Subcommittee) with the support of the Montana congressional delegation. "I am extremely pleased to have helped protect this key piece of open space and wildlife habitat," said Sen. Burns.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
WHEN: Friday, July 7, 2006; 11 am
11 am - Welcome
11:30 am - Awards Ceremony
12:30pm - Lunch
Afternoon - Fly tying and casting demonstrations
WHERE: Three Dollar Bridge Fishing Access Site, Montana
Highway 287 West of Quake Lake
Location: 39 miles south of Ennis or 32 miles northwest of West Yellowstone on US 287. One mile downstream from Raynolds Pass Bridge.
VISUALS: Awards ceremony with officials and project partners at podium.
Fly fishing activities.

-- In addition to Senator Burns, our neighbor Craig Mathews of Blue Ribbon Flies, and our USDA Under Secretary Mark Rey will be present for the awards ceremony.

R.S.V.P.
Alex Diekmann of the The Trust for Public Land, 406-585-8692,
Deb Love of the The Trust for Public Land Deb.Love@tpl.org

Read about it:
Blue Ribbon Flies
U.S. Newswire
Trust For Public Land
A Visitor’s View

LODGING:
Faithful Street Inn
Slide Inn
Sleepy Hollow Lodge
Pine Shadows
Waterdog Lodging
.

GONE FISHING IN YELLOWSTONE

ENJOY YOUR FIVE DAY WEEKEND







4th Of July Prognosis

-- Area Fishing Report
From The Montana Standard:
HERE!
-- Good advice
for the weekend:
HERE!

-- Brief first hand prognosis

Madison River
Barn's to 7-mile: spotty morning PMD's, good evening Caddis,
9-mile hole area: good early spinners, excellent nymphs, excellent PM Caddis,
9-mile to National Park Meadow: good streamers in AM, excellent PM Caddis.
Anywhere: Watch for Gray Drakes in the morning.
Use Yellowstone Morning Glory.
Firehole River
Good nymphs in canyon and riffles AM & PM,
Freight Road: AM dry's if overcast, PM caddis and Yellowstone Duster,
Meadows: AM spinners, PM caddis,
Bisquit: undercut banks all day, spinners and duns if overcast.
Iron Spring - Little Firehole
Stonefly nymphs all day, AM PMD's, PM Caddis.
Nez Perce Creek
Picnic Area: AM nymphs, Excellent PM Caddis,
Meadows: AM spotty PMD's, PM excellent Caddis.
Gibbon
National Park Meadow to Tuff Cliffs: On knees for big fish,
Riffle-Run: Stonefly nymphs in AM, some Baetis/Caddis PM,
Canyon: Humpies all day, sight fish to risers PM,
Gibbon Meadow: Knees to risers, PM Caddis,
Elk Meadows: Bison, Elk, Visitors,
Norris Campground: AM attractors, PM big nymphs.
Gallatin River
AM attractor dry's, Mid day streamers in shadows, PM nymphs and caddis,
Yellow Sally for now, The Big'uns are at the boundry.

_______

-- Neighbor's Prognosis:

Slough Creek
AM dry attractors, PM Match the hatch.
Lamar River
Stonefly nymphs, streamers, muddy.
Soda Butte Creek
AM Humpies & Wulff's, PM nymphs & match the hatrch, (caddis?),
Cutthroat Trout Love size 14 Royal Humpy's
almost as much as floating size 16 Hare's Ears.
Yellowstone Lake
Streamers & large nymphs near shore,
4# lead from a boat, Thumb for Lakers.
Heart Lake
Streamers on windward shores,
Floating nymphs in evening.
Greebe Lake
Parachute or emerger types for Grayling pods,
Small streamers in evening.
Hebgan Lake
AM try parachutes near Madison Arm Resort
AM streamers in the shallows near Rainbow Point
PM gulpers starting near South Fork estuary
PM gulpers going wild near Happy Hour Bar
PM streamers and scuds at the narrows and Spring Creek.

Another Fish Tale From Yellowstone

ANOTHER NICE DAY IN THE PARK
Leaping Rainbows
sulking six incher's
no grayling

_________________________

<- Upper Gibbon



.... The upper Gibbon River, (the meadows, & above,) is perfect right now. The cold clear water of the river sections above the roads to Mammoth and Canyon are fishing very well indeed. They are also producing Boon & Crockett sized mosquitoes.
.... We took a very fat and sassy 14" Rainbow in the thin-water riffle right next to the road by Norris Campground. The dance was brief, as the fish leaped out of the 18" deep pool onto the grassy bank. Again there were quite a few nursery fish, both Brookies and Rainbows in the 6" - 10" range. They were taking small Caddisflies, (12 -14,) on the surface and small drowned and floated nymphs, (Prince 12 - 14, & Pheasant Tails 14 -16.)
.... The Grayling research team was on the river and told us that they think recruitment is up in this section of the Gibbon, and that the population of Grayling in Greebe Lake is also higher than anytime in the past few years -- couldn't prove it by us.
.... To see how they do it across the pond go to the world acclaimed site OgmoreRiver.com. The Grayling Page and the Grayling Fies are useful on this side of the pond as well. You'll recognize the "Red Tag" as a rendition of our favorite Wooly Bugger.

_________________________

.... After lunch we went to the Firehole River and fished between the bridges in Biscuit Basin. This section is easy to access, elbow to elbow with fisherfolk, pounded to within an inch of it's life, and still producing good numbers of catchable fish. We took a few eager rainbows of 10" and a nice, pudgy Brown Trout right at the confluence of the Firehole & Little Firehole. The water temperature at 2:00 PM was only 72 F. As you can see on the temperature chart, yesterday was a cooler day than the previous week's average. The heavy clouds helped. The fish were taking the same flies on the Firehole that they took on the Gibbon.
.... The good folks at Moldy Chum, pointed us to an excellent bit of research about 'catch and release' fishing from the "Alaska Science Center" of the USGS. There is also a similar note from across the pond at WadersOn.com.

_________________________

.... Second Hand News: Madison River at the Barn's Holes and to 7-mile bridge still fishing well to Stonefly nymphs, (golden & yellow is the speculation.) Greebe Lake is worth the battle with mosquitoes, (and the 3-mile walk,) for the eager Grayling. The Gallatin River in the meadow, at the confluence with Fan Creek has produced fish to 12" in the late afternoon on drowned cul-de-cunard caddis. Soda Butte Creek is high, cold, clear and fishing good in the meadow at the confluence with the Lamar River.
.... Finally, since we have no pictures of Grayling to show you, we suggest the Montana 'Fish Wildlife & Parks' site for a nice photo of a male Grayling. An exceptionally nice female Grayling is shown in a reference photo at the Taxidermy.net site.
.... There is a pleasant aroma eminating from the kitchen.

OUT THE DOOR

the meadow is dry
The Fish Are Waiting
MAYBE TODAY
















-- The photos above show the Grayling pools on the upper Gibbon River. The water is back in it's banks, and there was a report by the Grayling research team that several fish were seen here.
-- Just a brief note before our Grayling quest continues. There are good reports from Greebe Lake. The Grayling are still on the bite, the meadow is mostly dry, and the fish are near the shore and taking flies all day. We just might have to hike in and gather up a few. Only, however, if we miss them at the pools shown above.
-- Note #1; Beautiful picture of a Firehole River Rainbow at THE TROUT UNDERGROUND.
-- Note #2; The PMD's are finally appearing in reliable numbers on the Madison River around National Park Meadow, and down to the talus slope pull-out. Try J.D. Miller's EZ PMDmerger, for a fly that will fish well for the whole hatch.
-- Note #3; The rivers in the northern part of Yellowstone National Park are high, but clear and coming into shape rapidly. Visit Rocky Mountain Fly for some insight on the rivers in the northern part of Yellowstone..
-- Note #4; The Firehole River is spiking to 78 degrees in mid-day. Fish early and late and the temp. is O.K. Fish 'between the bridges' in Biscuit Basin, or at the confluence of Nez Perce Creek for cooler water. There were some folks on Iron Spring Creek - so the fish are beginning their travels to cooler water. Get your Firehole River fishing in soon; it's about to become tough.
-- Note #5; We are out the door - biscuits and gravy first; then a Grayling.

NOT SO LOST WEEKEND

trout over the hill
Yellowstone Park Very Busy
RUMORS OF GIANTS IN THE NORTH
REMEMBRANCES OF SEASONS PAST

<-- Eye-itchin', nose-cloggin', throat raspin', pine pollen.



-- We took a trip to Ennis to see the "great Stonefly hatch" over the weekend. They're there! The warm weather means that they are moving upstream fast, and the glut is on.
-- The weather has also brought the pine trees into full rut. Cars are covered with pollen, eyes are full of pollen; don't blow your nose unless you're willing to have a yellow 'hanky.' And, of course, when the afternoon rainshowers quit, there's a ring-around-the-puddles.
-- When we returned from the big water our neighbors regaled us with stories of our home waters, and chastised us for the trip to the lowlands.
-- The Firehole River is still fishing good but the temperature is rising and it's best fished in the morning or in the evening after the sun gets off the water. There's a heavy evening Caddis hatch right now in the sections along the Old Freight Road.
-- Some of the neighbors have already started their trek up Iron Spring Creek and Nez Perce Creek. They report that there are good fish taking large nymphs, (6 - 10,) in the cooler waters of Iron Spring. Nez Perce has lost most of it's bison and the meadows are fishing well to dry flies in the early afternoon. This seems a bit early, but July is just around the corner.

<- nps photo Heart Lake Cabin

-- The trip "over the hill" to Ennis gave us time to remember when it was a simple task to walk to the Heart Lake Ranger Cabin. Do duty, then fish. Heart Lake opens in just 5 days. We invite you to visit it for us and kill a few.
-- We took some time to cruise, (surf, navigate, search, whatever,) the web and discovered that there are sea monster sightings on the northern periphery of Yellowstone. Visit George Anderson to see how he is busy sticking them on the rivers in that direction.
-- Our neighbor Dick Green, at Bud Lily's Trout Shop reports that the glory waters of the Lamar River, Slough Creek, and Lower Gardiner are beginning to fish well. He also fished at our favorite place on Soda Butte Creek and took some nice Cutthroat. He reminds us that the kids area where bait can be used is now clear and fishable. So now is the time to go to Indian Creek, Panther Creek, Obsidian Creek, and the Upper Gardiner. This area is usually full of Brook Trout. The kids will have a ball. Check your regulations, or ask a Ranger to direct you to the hot spots.
-- Road blocks for commercial vehicle inspections are starting now, and may cause some delays. Be patient if you bump into one. You can read about it HERE.
-- The folks at the Midcurrent Web Site have added some features and it's always well worth a visit. Check out the article about the thermal optimum by David Ross. Now we know why the Firehole has so few friends in summer; not a real big surprise.
-- If you plan to go somewhere this summer, if you plan to stay home this summer, if you hibernate in the summer, or if you have a spare 5 minutes, you should visit the GetOutdoors web site. It is a premier destination on the web, and is full of good information and tips.
-- MOLDY CHUM is always full of insights and information. Today's posts are no exception. Lee Marvin just became a bit more exalted, in my eyes, after seeing the post. They have also uncovered the very popular, and extreamly informative HATCHES MAGAZINE; just 6 months old and already a site that sucks you into the monitor.
-- Tomorrow we renew our quest for our annual Grayling. Hopefully we will be able to avoid catching all the Brookies, Browns, Rainbows, and Cutts that get in way. Right now we're going to cruise, (surf, click, wander, etc.) over to The Trout Underground and see how the fishing is on the Upper Sac.

FIREHOLE RIVER AT DUSK

FISHING IN THE TREES
Finding Many Eager Fish
news from over the hill

<- Upper Firehole At Dusk



-- It's been a good week fishing, and we've abandoned most of our neighbors that have been fishing on the Madison and Firehole Rivers. We foolishly thought that since fishing was so good this year our annual Grayling would come easy and early -- silly us.
-- We decided to take a break from our Grayling quest and went up to that little stretch of the Firehole River beyond the Upper Geyser Basin, and above the falls. This afternoon as we drove by the Firehole River below the geyser basin we noticed that it was crowded; but not overly so. There was a good PMD hatch at the Iron Bridge around 1:00 PM.
-- We decided in favor of the water in the woods and that has made all the difference. The access is easy and the trail is good. There were not too many folks on the trail, but that will soon change. Fish here if you want your picture taken by strangers. This is primarily a Brook Trout fishery, and that is all we caught. The big fish of the day was 11" and was fat. The late afternoon produced an ear and nose filling Caddis Hatch which is shown by the white dots in the photo above. (We just aren't any good with cameras.)
-- On the way down the road after our Brookie Safari we stopped at 7-mile Bridge on the Madison River looking for some more Caddis action. We fished from the bridge to grasshopper bank and back. There were many fish but we couldn't figure out the risers, so we switched to Hare's Ear Caddis and Prince Nymphs in sizes 10 - 12 and took a few fish to 12" near the bank. The sun was setting when we got back to West Yellowstone at 9:30 PM.
-- Second Hand News: The Salmonfly hatch is scattered and thin in the Firehole Canyon. Big rubberlegs are still dragging in some fish. Dry flies for this hatch have been iffy, and as they say in Mongolia, "It's where you find 'em." The Yellowstone River at the Yellowstone Lake outlet is nearing seasonal flows and sightings of trout near shore promise an exciting opener in just over three weeks. The Yellowstone River is fishing great as it clears just outside of the park. The good folks at George Anderson's shop can help you out if you decide to fish the big water up there.
-- Heart Lake opens in just one week and sunny weather of the past week should be just ideal for that event.
-- The big water fishermen are currently beating a hasty path toward Ennis, Montana. The Madison River is, (as we speak,) being engulfed by swarms of Family Pteronarcidae. Ennis fishermen report that it as heavy a hatch as they remember. Our memory is a bit longer than most of theirs; however, we are headed that way too. The major activity seems to be from the Varney Bridge to Ennis. This is going to be tricky because of the continuing warm weather.
-- The folks at Westfly ran a series of pictures of the big critter as it emerged. (We always need an excuse to search the www for fishing news.) Kris Kristovich, the photographer mentioned at the Westfly site kindly provided us with some additional photos to show to you. Keep in mind that it can take the better part of an hour, (or more,) for the whole process. Thanks to you, Kris, for waiting it out for us.



<-Kris Kristovich Photo













<- Kris Kristovich Photo









<- Kris Kristovich Photo





-- It is always an adventure to fish the "Real Madison River," as the folks in Ennis like to call it. We'll probably stop in at the Madison River Fishing Company for the best stories and a bit of information from the lowlanders. Indian Creek still has some water in it. The coming of the early rain this year , and the afternoon thundershowers has made the Madison River Valley very green, and diversion of all the water in Indian Creek for irrigation has not been necessary this year -- YET! We'll start there, sans boat.