Typically I don’t fish the spring creeks of Paradise Valley during the months of November, December, January and February.  Experience has taught me that the creeks just don’t fish that well during these months and philosophically I think the fish deserve a little break from us fishermen.  And, as I have gotten older, I have found that my body just doesn’t tolerate the weather conditions that accompany winter fishing.  Freezing temperatures, wind, snow and sleet just don’t add up to a good time anymore.  I know that my attitude towards winter fishing conditions will disappoint my old friend Fred Nelson who likes to boldly proclaim that if one is not cold, wet, sweaty, complaining about too much wind, or the fact that there is no wind at all, that it is too cloudy, or just too hot and bright, you are just not fishing.

 However, this past week I had a change of heart about winter fishing and visiting the spring creeks during, according to the calendar, the dead of winter.  As many of you know, and for those of you who don’t, we have been experiencing a very mild winter.  Not much snow, especially in the valleys, and warmer than normal day/night temperatures.  Last week with day time highs predicted to be in the high 40’s I decided to through caution to the wind and spring for the forty bucks it costs to fish the spring creeks at this time of year.  Well, if I only considered those days that I caught a bushel of fish a successful day of fishing, I would have to report that my day was a total bust.  However, at this point in my fishing life, I count any day that I can get on the water a successful one.  The day was clear and bright, the temperature did indeed get into the very high 40’s, there was little wind, there was no one else on the creek that day and I got to visit with my old friend of some thirty years Betty Smith.  As for the catching of fish, the closest thing I came to a fish that day was a couple of cookies baked by my wife and painted to look like little rainbow trout. 

Every year beginning in September fly fishermen from all over the country start to show up in West Yellowstone, Mt. to begin their assault on the upper fourteen miles or so of the Madison River located mostly within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park.  They are drawn there by the migration of brown and rainbow trout making their way from their summer home in Hebgen Lake to their spawning grounds in the Gibbon, Firehole and upper Madison Rivers.  Most of the fish will range in size from 16 to 18 inches but there will be a fair number of trout in the 19 to 22 inch category and a few really big ones that will top 24+ inches.  Every year a couple of lucky fishermen manage to catch a true fish of a lifetime that measure in the vicinity of 30 inches.  The largest I have ever heard of caught was a big old male brown trout that measured in at 32 inches.  It’s the opportunity to catch one of these beauties that really fuels the mania that is fall fishing on the Madison in YNP.

  Many of these fishermen will be fishing streamers using techniques learned from steelheaders.  There will be plenty of guys using big nymphs on full sinking lines.  And, over the past couple of years, I have started to see a few spey guys and some Czech nymphers too.  The fish start to show up in the river as early as late August and fishermen will pursue them throughout October and into early November when the park closes.  All this is great fun and adds a late season boost to the fly shops, motels, restaurants and saloons of West Yellowstone.  Myself, I like to chase these fall runners in a much different way.  I prefer to pursue these fish with dry flies.  Any overcast day during this time of the year will find me heading into the park in search of late season baetis hatches and rising fish.  Many of the fish running up from the lake will feed freely on these sometimes prolific fall hatches.  I believe that these fish are well programmed to feed on the surface because they are exposed to some great hatches out in Hebgen Lake.  Midges, callibaetis, damsels and dragons, PMD’s, tricos and prolific ant hatches are at one time or another available to the fish that inhabit the lake.  So, when they move up into the Madison in the fall, if they are exposed to a good baetis hatch they will take full advantage of the situation.  The great thing I have found over the years is that almost all of the fisherman on the river in the fall are chasing fish using techniques that crowd them into a handful of spots along the river leaving large sections of the river empty and available without crowding for myself and a few others who choose to take advantage of some great late season dry fly fishing.  I’m talking about challenging dry fly fishing for quality fish.  These fish have been pursued all season so they are battle tested veterans that are not easy to fool.  For the most part you have to bring your A game when you are after these fish.  You have to be able to make accurate casts with long leaders tapered down to fine tippets with, size 20 to 24, adult baetis imitations.  And, most of the time, this has to be accomplished in less than ideal weather conditions.   The challenges will be great but the rewards will be well worth the effort.  There have been many a late season day when I have caught more and bigger fish than my streamer/nymph fishing friends who overlooked the obvious and continued to pound the water with subsurface techniques while there were quality fish rising all around them.

From now until December 31st, if you place an order for any fly rod in our store online valued at more than $450.00, you’ll receive a free River’s Edge 5/6 wt fly reel, backing, and line.  This offer is limited to online orders only and we only have 5 or 6 weight lines available for this special.  Just specify which line weight you wish to have, 5 or 6, and the direction you reel and your free reel and line will be sent with your order. 

The River’s Edge Fly Reel will comfortably hold a 5 or 6-weight fly line with 100 yards of 20 lb backing. The reel features a large arbor spool and comes in a nice matt black finish. With a smooth disc drag system that is easily converted from left or right-hand and a large drag knob that allows for easy and accurate micro drag adjustment, this reel provides quick retreival rates with more than enough drag to handle most freshwater needs. The line is a Scientific Angler GPX type taper line in willow color and comes with a butt section and pre-tied loop. This reel and line combo normally retails for over $125.00 but is yours for free with a purchase of a qualifying fly rod. This offer is limited to supplies on hand so act now before they are gone.

A couple of weeks ago the guys here at the shop decided it was time for me to be introduced to the fine art of fly fishing for carp.  I have been fly fishing for over forty years now and if anyone had told me the day would come when I would purposely go out and target carp with a fly I would have told them that they were out of their minds.  I know that chasing carp on a fly has become a popular pastime for a number of fly fishermen over the past several years but I have not been able to warm up to the idea.  I have said no way, not me.  But, when Dan and Jim insisted I give it a try, I said what the hell, maybe this old dog could be taught a new trick.  We met at the shop early one morning, loaded up the gear, and headed on over to the upper Missouri River. 

Before the day was over I was able to hook my first carp on a fly even though I lost the beast when I let it run into the middle of the river and out into the heavy current where it came unbuttoned.  I have to admit by the end of the day I completely enjoyed the experience, especially the visual aspect of carp fishing.  It is very much like bonefish/redfish fishing in salt water and I look forward to next season and the chance to give carp fishing another try.

 Last week my wife and I drove down to Yellowstone Park to try our hand at catching a few Yellowstone Cutthroats on the Lamar River.  We arrived early in the morning and immediately began to fish.  I wasn’t too concerned when we didn’t start catching fish right away.  The Lamar heads in pretty high country and my experience has taught me to allow the river a few hours of warming up under a bright late summer sun before the action begins.  What I was not expecting was one fish between the two of us by noon.  I decided we should take a break and head back to the truck for lunch and some reconnoitering.

 On our way back we ran into Montana fly fishing icon George Kelly.  I asked George how his morning had gone and he reported that his had not been much better than ours.  However, his fishing buddy had done quite well fishing a pink flippy floppy.  Since I had never heard of a flippy floppy fly I had to ask George what the hell it was.  George’s answer was pure George Kelly.  The term flippy floppy is one that George uses to describe all of the new age foam patterns that are now in vogue throughout the west.  Apparently, in George’s mind, these foam patterns conjure up an image of us fishermen tying on bits and pieces of someone’s old discarded shower clogs.  Something that George just can’t make himself do.   Generally I have held the same opinion of these new foam patterns so it goes without saying that I had no flippy floppies, especially pink ones, in any of my fly boxes.  Since going fishless or close to it was not an option I wanted to entertain after such a long drive when George’s fishing partner finally showed up I very politely inquired as to what pattern he had used with such success.  He proudly showed me a handful of foam hopper patterns of which one in particular he said worked the best.  When I asked him what he called the thing he somewhat sheepishly replied Trixie the Hooker.  In my mind I thought, of course, what else would you call a pink foam fly pattern.

 Well, I might be somewhat of a stubborn old traditionalist, but I’m not so stubborn that I can’t be convinced to try something new, especially if it worked as well as this guy claimed it did.  Lucky for me I had packed a few PBR’s on ice before I left home so I had something to barter with.  The offer of a couple of ice cold beers on a hot September day was all it took to procure a few Trixies for myself and my wife.  After lunch we headed back to the river with our new flies and great skepticism.  It did not take long for our skepticism to evaporate in the warm afternoon sunshine.  We proceeded to take a good number of cutthroats in the 15” to 18” size category and everyone of them on pink Trixie the Hookers.  So, the moral of this little story is, never go to the northeast corner of Yellowstone Park without a couple of Hookers.