If It's Not One Thing, It's . . .

GRAB YOUR 9 WEIGHT

Pike Roaming The Jeff

use trout imitations for flies

.. A heads up from the TROUT UNDERGROUND pointed us at a Billings Gazette note about the proliferation of pike in the Jefferson River.
.. The official confirmation has been slow in coming despite angler reports for the past couple of years. [ The current flurry of concern has prompted news sources to quickly jump on the information: KPAX.com, KXnet.com, HELENAir.com. By the time you read this Google news will probably have a 1/2 dozen more.]
.. The Flathead River also has a large population of pike that are threatening the native Westslope Cutthroat and Bull Trout populations; read about it HERE.
.. The Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks is watching the situation closely in an effort to fully understand the situation. Stay tuned. In the meantime downsize some marlin flies - change the colors a bit, and head for the JEFF!

A Mixed Bag

MONDAYS ARE JUST THAT WAY

Things Pile Up

this is catch-up

.. It is a constant and ever present surprise to us that things "out there" happen while we're futzing around the local rivers. But, wonder of wonders - they do.
.. The Monday crash of real-world events sneaks into our electric monster and appears before our eyes: uninvited, and blatantly unrepentant. Life goes on.
.. Here's a few things that caught our eye and held it long enough to sink in:

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--> Instant Karma: heads up from Protect Your Waters, courtesy of connect2earth, via 7genblog.

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.. We can imagine a dozen scenarios applicable to fisher folks.

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--> Photo Workshop for the rest of us: heads up from Yellowstone Park Newspaper, Courtesy of Yellowstone Association, through the Yellowstone Association Institute, via Bozone.com... This would certainly help our images. But, three weekend days without fishing . . .

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--> Cheap, (sort'a,) Lodging: by Marilyn Crain, National Parks Travel Examener. The lodges in Yellowstone National Park offer a great value compared to the inns and other lodging. Read about how to stay at Lake Lodge as your central fishing location for this year's road construction travel interruption. Use the cabins for an "ol'-timey feel."-------

.. Time for grease and gutbombs. Bisquits & gravy, flapjacks, toast & real butter, half-pound of bacon, two eggs, (over medium,) hash browns and buttermilk: washed down with a quart or so of yesterday's coffee, (waste not - want not,) -- YUM!

Mostly Gentle

TOO MUCH TRAFFIC ALREADY ?

"U" Turn At Apollinaris Spring

the dodo's are lose

.. It would seem that on the second day of Yellowstone's Summer Season that visitors savvy enough to arrive early would also be smart enough to have a bit of consideration and suavity - not so for a few of the visitors that we saw yesterday.
.. Briefly: a madhouse of dogs running lose on the lawn at the Albright Visitor Center, "U" turns in several unlikely and unsafe places, parking in the road, toddlers running in the road, toddlers between elk & bison & sink holes, cars sideways in the road with no driver, cars buried in the untracked snow of side roads and pull-outs, bicyclists three abreast going up the hill from Mammoth, bicyclists and their water stations taking up full pullouts, mobile condominiums pulling Hummer's parked in the middle of the road at Gibbon Falls, etc.
.. It's no wonder we did not see any law enforcement all day - they're probably hiding from the chaos.
.. But, we digress. The Gibbon river drainage is only slightly ahead of the Madison River drainage in it's runoff, (yes there's more pictures of culverts in the slide show.)
.. There is very little color in the water and it's bank-full. We took a few of the obligatory pictures to prove that we actually got off of our duff and made the trip. Flood stage can only be a week or so away for the Gibbon River - talk about color, we'll let you know.
.. There was a mayfly of some sort spotted in the "Tunnel" just upriver from Tuff Cliff. Not far away was a dead ground squirrel. We speculate that the two are not related - but . . .
.. Gibbon Falls is still running clear. We would have taken a picture but an obstruction in the form of a land yacht was jackknifed and parked on the double yellow line - check his pictures; his wife was yelling instructions from the open side door. She ignored many unfriendly finger-salutes from a long line of irritated visitors weaving their way past the bright orange monster.
.. The Gibbon River Canyon is particularly beautiful this time of the year. We're going to miss the fishing during the road construction. The route of the new road will make access to about 3 miles of the canyon a genuine backcountry adventure. Reclamation for the old roadbed will guarantee that the down and up of it will reduce fishing pressure.
.. A graben has opened up in the middle of the soon-to-be-abandoned road section. It looks like the road is about to slide into the river. Repairs and abandonment are probably right on time.
.. The big meadows, (Elk Meadows and Gibbon Meadows,) are still covered with a foot or more of snow. No elk were present but coyotes and bison were under the cloud of spume from Monument, (bison in the trees is like trout in the grass- rare but not unusual.)
.. The little meadows at Norris are nearly snow-free and thoroughly saturated with ponded water and geese. The grayling meadows above the cascades are pure white and driven.
.. With the opening just 4 weeks away, (May 22, 2009,) and the long range forecast in our favor there might be a chance to fish these areas early. On the other hand given the caprice of mom, there could be mud in the water through the second week in June, (oe even later,) - we'll have to wait and see.
.. Elroy joined us for coffee and a cigar as we watched the geese near the confluence of Solfaterra Creek and the Gibbon River. He was alone and persistent; seemed more vocal than the other day too.
.. Mammoth in the early season is just a mini-chaos compared to July and August. We decided to brave it and check out the discharges from Obsidian Creek and Indian Creek. Both are crystal clear and slow.
.. The springs at Mammoth are dry and chalky and the runoff is very low to non existent. The construction project at the restrooms may have hit a glitch and could keep 1/2 of the facility closed until the very late season.
.. Now is the time for architectural photography in Mammoth. It's possible to gain some unobstructed views and perspectives - if you are patient. The historic buildings are, (for the most part,) not obscured by the vegetation of invasive landscaping. Pick your spot and lighting conditions. We took a few and a wallpaper edition will be forthcoming.

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Brian Signs

HB 190 NOW A LAW

go visit a stream with a fence

.. Governor Brian Schweitzer signed HB 190 into law. He did it just after we chided him about it. Bless His Bippy. The best statewide news coverage was from KLUR-8 in Billings. It's a short and simple law. Every fly fisher in Montana should read it and abide by it.

Read the Law: HB 190

.. Thanks, again, go to our hard working legislators; they took the conversational approach this session - unlike the confrontational approach of last session.

See The News Report

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.. We anticipate a bumper crop of stiles to appear in the next few years. Stiles of all styles are an age-old commonwealth tradition. They are part of English common law.
.. We would love to see sportswomen and sportsmen rally 'round the concept in Montana. To coin a phrase: "Good stiles make good neighbors."
.. The folks in the UK have a long standing tradition of community involvement in stream grooming and maintenance. A bit of that would go a long way here. Check out the Penryth Anglers Online site for a stile building and stream maintenance work party.
.. As you read this the good folks in Livingston are cleaning up the Yellowstone River. Good going guys. April 22 is EARTH DAY.
.. If you need ideas about stiles just try Flickr HERE. Or Try Google images HERE.

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Another Blubird Day In Paradise

ALL'S WELL WITH THE WORLD

Food Factories In Production

bugs eating well

fish eating bugs

.. We finished a brief exploration of the Madison River and Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park yesterday: they're still there.
.. We took a few of the obligatory photos and stopped in a few of our favorite places to make sure that the food factories were working. They are.
.. The countless seeps and springs, (hot, warm, cold,) along the river's courses are in full production. The bugs are eating well - and the fish, (we saw a few,) are eating bugs. They looked scrappy and healthy.
.. The runoff in the Firehole River drainage is somewhere between "slow" and "not yet started."
.. We even took a picture of Old Faithful and had lunch with some neighbors near "Old 101."
.. Elroy, (the traditional name for any raven,) begged unsuccessfully for scraps and spent some time chasing the other ravens from our area. Good ol' Elroy - what would Yellowstone be without him?
.. We're headed to the Gibbon River drainage this morning to inspect the conditions there. The Grayling Meadows above the cascades will be our main concern. We had to hike to catch one last year and, in our book, that's a sure sign of something.
.. Today promises to be a day just as miserable as yesterday. It's tough work but someone has to do it.

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Let's Take A Ride

ON THE ROAD IN YELLOWSTONE

Ice Cream On Tap

it's tradition

.. We're headed to the park. It opened this morning.
.. Unless you're in the neighborhood it's hardly worth the trip. There are not many visitors, there's snow everywhere, animals are docile and plentiful, photo ops abound, and a leisurely pace dominates the visit.
.. We advise that you wait for about 10 weeks. Then you can enjoy the crowds, the rush to "see it all," fewer animals, more construction, and numerous gawker blocks: everything that Yellowstone is famous for.
.. Just a brief note: the blog at the Firehole Ranch is picking up steam with some nifty pictures. Visit the blog HERE. Visit their site HERE.

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News Briefs & Snow, etc.

VANDALS IN DEEP DO DO

HB 190 Waiting - HB 223 Signed

"gunny" makes deposit

record muskie disallowed

a bit of snow

Fishing in the bits of open water on Quake Lake has been spectacular in more ways than one: but first the news!

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.. HB 223 has been signed by the Governor. It provides for fines and penalties in cases where persons have vandalized state fishing accesses and other properties.
.. Between 2006 and 2008 over $36,000 in damage was done to these sites. The bill would allow judges to suspend hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for up to two years. Ravalli Republic.
.. Read the bill HERE.

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.. HB 190 is languishing away on the Governor's desk. We'd hoped to have reported a signature by this time. Hopefully it will be signed soon and access to streams from public rights of way can get started without further hassle. Follow the bill HERE.

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.. R. Lee Ermey, "The Gunny" was in Missoula shooting a spot last week. While driving with crew member Harlan Glenn to a Fort Missoula museum he spotted something black lying on the blacktop. Now what could it be?
.. He stopped and retrieved a bulging bank bag. Inside was a deposit headed to the Wells Fargo Bank. Of course he did the right thing. How much was in the bag? Read it HERE.
.. "Now drop and give me 25."

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.. A 32+ pound tiger muskie would be a new Montana State Record if it could be allowed into the record books. After landing the fish it was shot. Is this legal? - Yes if it's on the land - but not in the water. Then why was the catch of this giant hybrid not allowed? It's a story of too little - too late. Read it HERE.

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.. We've had a bit of snow, and more falling now. Soft, gentle, wet, and glorious snow. It covers the imperfections of our town with a blanket of beauty. It attracts visitors to the trails and slopes.
.. Late season skiers revel in it's beauty. Lowlanders wonder at our sanity and survival skills. Fisher folks praise its life-giving powers. Newcomers whine about the delay of Spring. Well, Betty, this is Spring and it's wonderful.
.. Temperatures hover around 30F and the bitter winds of winter are only memories. The easily seen trails to the bits of open water are once again obscured from the prying eyes of the casual fisher. But, Beatrice, the neighbors know.
.. Should you really want to enjoy some solitary and unsullied fishing there are a couple of places that provide it.
.. For the young of lung and stout of leg rewards can be found in the placid waters of Quake Lake where Beaver Creek debauches into the edge of the frozen body of water.
.. Two access routes are possible. The long way and the hard way. The long way takes the boat ramp to the lake and then walks the shore to the open water. The hard way follows the deer down Beaver Creek to the honey hole.
.. Of course the worms guys have beat you to the spot. But they won't mind if you join them. They know that there are fish aplenty and that they too, are reveling in the bits of open water.
.. This particular spot provides the easiest catching you will ever encounter. A myriad of factors enter into the equation.

The first open water in 5 months + bits of eatables from upstream + goodies melting out of the ice + secure hiding under the ice + highly oxygenated water + water temperatures conducive to feeding + hunger = easily caught fish.

.. It is nearly sinful. There are fish of all sizes and competition is fierce, even laughable. Fisher folks chortle and guffaw as several fish charge the flies and create mini-tsunamis at the surface. The neighbors call it a feeding frenzy. It's an easy expression. It does not do justice to the mayhem that occurs. We'd best not say too much more.
.. Grab any fly that looks like it could be trout food. Plunk it on the ice and wait for the ripples from your cast to dissipate. Pull your offering into the water and let it sink. Hold on and enjoy.

QUAKE AT SUNRISE