We May Have A Fall

RIVERS: LOW, SLOW, COLD

Drift Boats Becoming Scarce

fish still active

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.. It looks like the high temperatures for the next 10 days or so will be in the 50's to low 60's. That's a bit warm for this time of year but we'll take it.
.. Elbows are becoming fewer and the catching is getting better. The lake run fish have finally made their appearance in significant numbers.

.. A few more cold evenings should make the carnival atmosphere worth the trouble. Mornings are seeing midges between the lakes, on the Madison River in the park, and on the Firehole River. Clouds of the little devils have also been spotted about mile post 23 on the Gallatin River.
.. The esses along the park line near Baker's Hole have produced some fine specimens of broad-shouldered trout from Hebgen Lake. Be sure to have both a Montana License and a Park Permit if you fish this productive area. Both Park Rangers, and Montana FWP Officers are on patrol in the area.

.. The Brook Trout are still active on the upper Gibbon River and the upper Firehole River. They have yet to learn the skills of discernment and discrimination regarding flies and presentations. Children's fishery be damned, it's great fun and not at all crowded. Far less truth, (capital T,) is spread about these bits of water than the glory holes of fame and fisher density.
.. Not much novel can be said at this juncture: flies = flymphs, buggers, gob-o-worms, San Juan Worms, bead head nymphs, egg patterns, and streamers in tandem with your favorite soft hackle, will get the job done. When the Baetis show up, (more sparse than expected so far,) a pretty and little hatch-matcher will do the trick, (check with the local feather merchants for the various truths in this arena.)
.. We're headed for the midges between the lakes, then to the last home football game of the season. The faithful will be on the water before us and leave way past a decent hour. But then again, the night life in West Yellowstone is a wonder to behold!
P.S. The Bechler River and Boundary Creek are red hot and the mosquitoes are about gone - YEE - HAW!
P.P.S. A smidgen & dusting of snow in the next couple of days.
 Double YEE - HAW !!

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Our Favorite Stream

As Time Goes By

WOLVERINES COME HOME

Dem Were Da Days

Moms & Dads & Grads & Kids & Neighbors

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.. 'Twas worth missing a fish or two. But, - we're glad it's only once each year. The nostalgia reeks!

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.. Now then, a brief bit of phishology.

Sweet sorrow

=> Gallatin River, hoppers about done, caddis, midges, attractors,  and Baetis will be the choice for a while.
=> Madison River, streamers for the big boys, Baetis for the residents, soft hackles for either,
=> Firehole River, double soft hackle, very small nymphs, Baetis imitations of your choice.
=> South Fork, still waiting, worms scoring in the estuary and around the boat launch.
=> Gibbon River, big meadows are wet but worth the crawl - big fish  on midges, others on soft hackles and nymphs. Little meadows are wet too; Brook Trout are neon-bright at the moment.
=> Lamar River responding to rain, a bit of mud, fish still active.
=> Slough Creek, get there now, it's streamer time near the ranch and in second meadow. Midges are everywhere but not thick yet - now there's a challenge.
=> Obsidian Creek, just about deserted; fish all day with an attractor on top and a nymph below. Use them together for pure chaos and constant action.

Nice Touch

=> Solfatara Creek, bears and moose enjoying the upper reaches; moving toward campground.
=> Grayling Creek has some nice and very spooky runners in the willows. They don't go too far upstream so you have to fish in the willows. Avoid the hunters, moose, and bears. Take a friend and make a lot of noise. The elk will avoid you.
=> Cougar Creek, still too dry to fish.
=> Bacon Rind Creek has a few good sized fish - they don't seem too interested in dancing.
=> Watson Creek has pods schooling in it's small estuary. It's criminal but the worm hoards are taking home lots of fish.
.. That's enough for now. The fog is still here and the dew is thick. The second pot of coffee is gone and we're late for our date with a finny friend.

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In Your Face

Once More . . .

Abbey Road

Digital Memories

.

Bring It On !!

FALL MAKES IT'S APPEARANCE

The Fish Know It

fishers too

From Over The Divide . . . Fall Arrives !

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.. Fall weather boiled over the continental divide and let us know it with a 40° drop in temperature. We quickly dropped everything and headed to some of the worst holes on the Madison River - all the best ones were taken!

Visiting Wildlife.

.. We even took a few very gullible residents on some worn out caddis emergers until the fish decided that they wanted the the itty-bitty bugs on the surface.
.. Baetis are everywhere and it seems that the conventional wisdom was spot on this year. "Bluster = Bugs."
.. Increasingly we're hearing of runners both inside and outside of Yellowstone National Park. Visitors from near and nearer are enjoying the rapid up-tick in catching.

Peek-A-Boo . . . I See You !

.. After the last several years of Summer turning to Winter overnight, we just may be in for some wonderfully unsettled Fall weather.
.. The next two weeks, (should we choose to believe the weather folks,) contain words like overcast, showers, cooling, rain, 50°, evening thunderstorms, 25°, chance of snow, etc. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
.. Today will be gentle - just perfect for Wolverine Homecoming. But we may only get up to a high of 55° for the parade.
.. The game will be played in what we have come to know as "football weather." Raw winds should make it interesting.

Bluster On The Divide . . . Finally!

.. The fancy synthetics and the stodgy oilcloth raiment's are making their fashion statement in the hotel lobbies and restaurants.
.. Wet trails of mud and moss litter the floors of our favorite pubs, and some very wild arm gestures accompany exaggerated whispers over the rapidly quaffed brews, (often sprayed through runny nostrils for effect.)
.. It's hard to ignore the fishing frenzy that's pounding the pavement in town and along the west side rivers. Funny hats, waterproof long johns, muddy boots, implements of fish torture, and vests full of esoterica are visible at every turn.
.. The neighbors roll their eyes, dodge the unfamiliar cars parked in their driveway & on the sidewalk, smile at the crowds of baggy pantaloons and bent old men. It's kind of a ritual around here. And the Chamber of Commerce loves it - so too the feather merchants.

.. This Fall, at least, catching is living up to it's fabled reputation and all seems right with the universe. The correct bugs are here, the big fish have finally arrived, the weather is doing it's best, and the elk are beginning to move. 
.. The 15 year old, 375 pound grizzly bear that was camped out on the football field has been relocated to a place where he may survive; missing teeth, low body fat, poor weight and all. Now if we can just catch the momma black bear and her cub we'll breath a bit easier knowing that our toy poodles are eating the kibble we leave outside for them. Just where is 'Poopsie,' anyway?
.. Grab the fall fly box. Head to one of the fabled rivers. Today will be full of success and joy on the water.
.. We're headed to the homecoming parade to enjoy the accompanying traffic jam, and see who the homecoming queen is going to be. We'll even endure the game if the sun shows it's face for half-time.

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As We Speak

Hebgen湖からのマス

涼しいマディソン水ではしゃぎまわりなさい

黄色い道は方法を導

" Trout from Hebgen Lake

Cavort in Madison waters cool

a yellow road leads the way. "

Just Like This

And The Heat Goes On

85° F IN OCTOBER ?

Average Max = 55° F

oh well

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.. As the warm weather continues, (briefly interrupted by insignificant cooling showers,) the neighborhood hunters and fishers are befuddled about how to approach this most searing of late fall weather in recent memory.

Upper Gllatin Dry Channel

.. It looks like after the hottest decade on record, it’s the hottest year on record, and barely removed from the hottest week of all time in satellite record, (LINK.)
.. Don't fish the Gallatin River above Bacon Rind Creek. Don't fish above Mile Post 25. Don't fish the Confluence Meadows or Fan Creek.
.. Don't even think about fishing until you're well below Specimen Creek. And then, don't bushwhack through the willows because the bears are thick.
.. And why not? Simple enough; there's no water. And where there's no water, there's no fish; not even the fabled sand trout of Arrakis.

Upper Gallatin Nearly Dry Channel

.. The hoppers are dying of heat stroke and the beetles only come out at night. The heated air is so thin that caddis seldom make it off the water, and the trout are too few and lethargic to bother them.
.. Or: it's so bleak in the N.W. Corner of Yellowstone National Park that most of our fishing neighbors have taken up indoor, (air conditioned,) shuffleboard.
.. Some fishers are braving the intense heat and lung searing dryness, (not really as bad as it gets around Bad Water, California,) and occasionally hooking up with a dehydrated and oxygen-starved trout.

Local Hopper - Not Hopping

.. These poor fish look worse than kippered herring and some of them are floating belly up in the few shallow runs left in the Confluence Meadows.
.. Discharge from Bacon Rind Creek , and Specimen Creek add just enough water to the Gallatin River to make fishing a possibility.
.. Catching is probably still a crime, but it's being done.
..There are a few runs and deep holes in the meadow sections of the river along the Bighorn Trail that still hold energetic fish.
.. These are the fish that the bears and coyotes haven't caught yet. Human entrails full of jelly beans have been reported but remain unverified as of this moment, (thanks Tom.)

Fish Here If You Must

.. Were we rich enough to afford the gasoline we would sail across the park to the Lamar River. There's still water over there, along with bugs, fish and good catching.
.. Were we smart enough we would take our own advice and saunter down the shady path beside the upper Firehole River.
.. Were we sociable enough we'd hitch a ride with the neighbors that have cabin cruiser's on Yellowstone Lake or Hebgen Lake.
.. As it is, we choose to visit the Gallatin River near the big shady pools around Black Butte. Had some brief dances and a fairly long conversation with fish in the 10" - 12" range. But we bailed out when the sweat fogged our trifocals.
.. If you have an excursion planned to this part of the world in the near future, please exercise the telephone. Locales, hatches, heat, and water temperature will affect your chances for catching.
.. Call a local fly shop and ask to speak to someone that was on the water an hour ago. You may get some good tips. Better yet visit them and ask the hard questions: when did you last fish that stretch?, or have you ever fished that stretch?, or who told you that story?, or are there a lot of fish there?, or . . . .

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