A Blessed Deluge

SNOW ON THE WAY

Fish Now

bring layers

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.. It couldn't be more welcome - - OR - - timely.

Bluster At Last

FISHING HOT

Catching Good

weather colder and grunger

THE END OF AUTUMN IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

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.. It's been cool for a couple of nights. The low clouds have spit a bit and the sparse electric colors of our gentle and dry Fall are gone.
.. Mustard, brown, rust, amber, gray, leaden, and other late fall descriptors should be in your vocabulary if you visit here. You should also practice words like monster, pretty, giant, kype, streamer, rubber legs, woollywhatever, favorite Baetis, etc.
.. It's popcorn time on the Firehole River. Noses are everywhere and Baetis-Sipping can be heard for yards and yards. Splashing is the order of the day when the afternoon sun is just right and the Caddis take wing in frenzied flight to avoid the airborne trout.

.. The Madison River has been great, even in the sunlight, for the Fall-run fish from Hebgen Reservoir. Fishers have found the dark water in places never before fished. The books are obsolete right now. Some of the giant fish that have been pulled from the Madison River have left holes in the water that took hours to fill in.
.. Of course, if you are like us - and had your fill of the conga line, the upper Firehole River is yielding about 20 neon Brook Trout per hour to any competently presented fly, (above or below the surface:) fewer elbows and shielding from the wind by the dense lodgepole desert, are a Fall delight indeed.
.. The open secret of the week is the Gallatin River. A rig with two nymphs of the Prince variety, (different sizes - mind you,) is the current neighborhood choice. Surprisingly this also coincides with the advice from the counter help at many feather merchants.
.. Again this year, the neighbors are tying the KING PRINCE NYMPH. Runners seem to enjoy large nymphs as much as streamers and Woolly Worms Buggers.
.. The big bends of the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park in the now closed Bakers Hole Campground are being visited by folks willing to walk for their fish - there are many in the deep pools and undercut banks of this "fishy" bit of water.
.. Many of the neighbors believe that the biggest fish from the reservoir will not show until the snow arrives. That could be tonight, tomorrow, or as late as Wednesday. So be it.
.. The poor sister of Fall fishing is showing great form right now. The Gibbon River is nearly devoid of elbows above the falls. There are many unmolested fish eager for a dance partner. Drowned Caddis or Baetis cripples should accompany your standard Adams in the big meadows. Cute little bead head nymphs could yield a Grayling above Norris Campground on either Solfatara Creek or the Gibbon River's skinny, but dark, water. Of course the eager Brookies above Virginia Cascade will dance with any thing they can get in their mouth.

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Forgotten Riffles And Runs Of The Gibbon River Are Solace To Trout

Wader Friendly Lodging

FISHERS INVADE WEST

Stay For A Spell

torment a fish or two

Built in wader hangers.

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.. 'Tis a real pleasure, (and just a mite entertaining,) to have visitors from around the globe in town to catch some fish. These are single-minded folks with a pleasant and determined attitude. "Serious" does not go far enough toward describing those involved in the Fall Fishing Frenzy.
.. Of course, (this year anyway,) the salubrious weather has made them just a bit grouchy. They seem to prefer sleet, rain, snow, wind, and fog. Hang on, you'll soon have to dry your waders inside!

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JUST A SKIFF  --  FOR NOW!

A Quandary

IS IT THE FLY ?

Or The Presentation?

or is it the damn fish ?

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.. The kid behind the counter at the fly shop said to try one of these if the other seven didn't work! He said we needed a dozen of each!
.. One of the absolute pleasures of fly fishing is being unsuccessful with many flies.

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As Good As It Gets

Crisp, Bright, Still, Fall Afternoon;
hatching caddis and rising fish.
FIREHOLE RIVER IN OCTOBER

Unbelievable

A GLORIOUS WEEKEND

Fishing Great

catching slowed a bit

TOO PRETTY TO FISH

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.. The neighbors ditched their rods for a full three days. We succumbed to only a single day with rod in hand. The cause? JUNE IN OCTOBER.
.. Bright sun, gentle breezes, wispy clouds, short pants and thongs. What more could one ask? Temperatures in the 50' & 60's? You got it.
.. Plans for the weekend were hastily arranged around outdoor meals, football at the school and in the city park. Bicycles were dragged out of storage and roller blades received an unexpected late season round of exercise.
.. The weather gurus are calling for a full week of spectacular visitation weather. Crisp nights in the 20's and days continuing in the 50's and 60's. A few clouds should buzz through the neighborhood and the ever-so-slight chance of a bit of precipitation may visit us.
.. Submarine sightings on the Madison River have been regular but fewer than expected. On the other hand the caddis on the Firehole River have erupted into clouds of afternoon dive bombers starting about 3:30 or so. There are even a few hoppers still gamely fluttering around in the afternoon rays. SUCH A DEAL!
.. Several Conga Lines have formed in the usual places and fishing has become a more social event than sporting event. Conversation, stories, lies and jokes are the fly of choice at the Barns Holes now and for the foreseeable future. It's all good.

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Conga Line etiquette: carefully fish through the pool, stroll back to it's head, get in line, tell stories!

Looking Beyond The Runners

THOUGHTS ON MIDGES

Not For Pansies

size does matter

THE SKITTERING MIDGE - SIZE 24

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.. While some of the neighbors and many of the visitors in our neighborhood are currently preoccupied with the big fish Fall Fishing Frenzy, others have gotten over it. For the latter it's time to be serious about midge fishing.

.. Winter midge fishing is, indeed, for: THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE PERSPICACIOUS. It is not your average cup of tea. It happens in still and slow water. It happens all year, but especially in the Winter, (at least around here.) It takes some special skills, tackle, techniques, and attitudes.
.. It's a very special and dear sort of fishing to us since we're on the verge of losing the physical prowess and visual acumen to carry it off.
.. Most fly fishers are familiar with midge clusters like Griffith's Gnat. Many are familiar with the spartan little upright midge pupa like the Blood Nymph. Very few are familiar with the Skittering Midge.

.. We, unlike some others, have very little insight into what goes on in the trout brain. We do, on the other hand, have a pretty fair approximation of what will stick a trout in the lip.
.. This Skittering Midge is a miniscule fly pattern that may be viewed by a trout as a midge - who knows? Ask an expert.
.. It will catch trout in the small, still bits of water during Winter. It will take fish of all sizes. The itty-bitty hooks will hold a slab if you are patient and skillful - we've not lost our patience yet!
.. It is tied with grossly outsized hackle and elongated tails. It usually floats, (thanks to surface tension,) with it's body at or above the surface of the water. It's difficult for us to see, (but the rise of the trout isn't.)

.. We get a few of the indulgent neighbor kids to tie some tippet to these things and we use the tag end to tie them to our leader. It pains us to depend on a 12-year-old for our tackle preparation but we love the catching.
.. Technique and tackle are important to success. We need to be close to the fly, (and the fish.) We need to present the little specks with more than a modicum of precision. We need to be patient and persistent.
.. We use a five-foot tip section from a ten-foot 4 weight fly rod. It's an old bit of Lamiglass architecture to which we've added a grip and reel seat. We fish it with a 6 weight level line and a two foot leader, (plus about 18" of 6x tippet.) An exceptionally long cast is 9 or 10 feet, usually half that distance is fine. The heavy line serves to load the rod while we cast mostly just the leader and tippet.
.. Folks with better eyesight and casting skills than we have use conventional gear and do just fine. Better than fine most of the time.

.. Trout hover near the water's surface when they are gobbling the midges. Their noses are just below the surface film. Often their backs and fin will cause small little wakes.
.. They can hardly see objects that are out of the water because they are so close to the surface. Because of this they are easier to approach, (with stealth and care,) than fish rising from the depths.
.. It's not Winter yet. It is close though, and psychological preparation is necessary. Gear preparation is also necessary. That's what we're about right now.
.. We enjoy the fishing and catching in the Winter. Very few elbows, very many fish. After all, midges hatch all year in our neighborhood. They get ignored by the elite but are treasured by the hoi paloi. We love 'em.
.. A dry fly midge is fun, especially if trailed by a pupa imitation. We like the Skittering Midge pattern shown above because of it's tiny white "sail." Trout will take either the dry or the nymph with the same regularity and gusto.
.. The rise form, in the quiet waters, is smooth, gentle, deliberate, and almost poetic. We're not much into poesy but, we often just watch the fish as they smoothly glide from  morsel to morsel. The midge is a very prolific and very small bit of nourishment; the energy expended by a fish to consume it must be used efficiently. It is most like a ballet when seemingly every fish in the river is nibbling midges.
.. We shouldn't be writing about this. The neighbors will gag at these revelations. Most fly fishers shy away from the small patterns. They have the mistaken impression that midge fishing is complicated, complex, and hard. In fact, it's simple and easy and fraught with the perils of catching too many fish. All that is necessary is that you do it.
.. If you've read this far you will be greatly rewarded by reading and watching the following bits of midge wisdom:

Tom Rosenbauer on midges,
Jason Aki on Winter midge fishing,

Simms Fishing Video,

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Craig Mathews Winter Midge Video.

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