Today at Jimmy’s 7-26-13
We just received our Buff order for the summer/fall that you guys need to come check out. We have all the traditional favorites as well as a ton of new designs that look great! Come on by and check them out.
July 2013
Still Waters 7-23-13
Best reservoir fishing to the southeast is in Daniels Reservoir. Although a bit low in water, it offers good fishing for those presenting midge pupa and damselfly nymph patterns under an indicator. Fish early, fish late applies. Springfield Reservoir has weeded up, but try placing your favorite adult damselfly pattern on the surface over channels through the weed beds. You may have to stay focused the same as when fishing a pattern under an indicator, but waiting for something to take on the surface is more interesting. Want to try a different still water location? Consider Paul Reservoir off the Humphrey Exit from I-15 just below Monida Pass. A fifteen inch cutt will be a braggin’ fish, so select your equipment accordingly. You can fish from shore or easily launch a float tube or pontoon boat. No motors are allowed, and very few folks other than natives know of this place.
South Fork 7-23-13
Flow out of Palisades Dam was dropped to 11800 cfs yesterday. Water temperature at the dam is 64 Deg. F. That’s warm enough for wet wading, but not good for much else. The warmer temperature has slowed daytime fishing on the river below whether through using PMD life cycle, terrestrial patterns, or whatever . So “fish early, fish late” applies once more. There is a real advantage to doing so in addition to better fishing: fewer anglers. Expect more flow drops out of the dam coming as in-flow to the reservoir remains less than out-flow.
Small Streams 7-23-13
Mid summer is here, and changes happen on many small waters. On streams where flows drop to the point of little overhead cover and higher in-stream temperature, fish move usually downstream to seek more cover and cooler flows in a main stem water. A good example is that fabulous little brook trout stream, Rock Creek off the Cave Falls Road. Here as waters drop and warm with mid summer, many resident brookies move down into Robinson Creek. The same also happens on lower Willow Creek. This part of the creek provides good early season fishing when flows between 50 and 100 cfs offer better living conditions than much lower summertime flows and warmer in-stream temperatures. So many fish move down into Ririe Reservoir. Streams with a more constant flow such as from springs (Birch Creek, Big Elk Creek, Henry’s Fork above Island Park Reservoir) or with upstream lakes that add sub-surface water(Palisades Creek, Fall River in Yellowstone Park) will not be impacted as much this time of year.
Yellowstone Park 7-23-13
These bright, warm days make for tough daytime fishing on all streams, but on meadow streams in particular. So in such as Fall River Basin streams, Duck Creek ( see recent article), Gibbon River, and Slough Creek timbered reaches are likely to offer the best fishing. For Bechler River and Boundary Creek this means the forested reaches above the meadows. For Fall River it means timbered reaches between each meadow. For Duck Creek it means the south side above the upper meadows; for the Gibbon River the timber above Gibbon Meadows. For Slough Creek it means the under-fished timbered reach between the first and second meadows above the campground. Hoppers are becoming important on all streams, but “fish early, fish late” applies. When doing so, do not overlook trying a hair mouse pattern!
Henry’s Lake 7-23-13
Action has become slower on the lake due mostly to warming water. The best fishing locations remain in front of Duck, Howard and Targhee Creeks, but “fish early, fish late” applies. Try the flies and strategy Everet suggests in his 7-13-13 report. We drove past the south side of the lake yesterday and observed no boats in front of the cliffs and in front of Duck and Hope Creeks. That observation hints at slow action.
Henry’s Fork 7-23-13
Even though the flows are slightly higher than normal, the lower river is already in the summer doldrums because of the early warm weather. In the Last Chance-Harriman part of the upper river, all the drake hatches are over and some PMDs remain, but fishing has slowed because of warm weather and recently increased flows out of Island Park dam. When speckled duns and hoppers become important look for fishing to pick up big time. “Fish early, fish late” applies until then. Same applies to the lower river, and don’t overlook trying your favorite streamer during sunset to twilight or around sunrise.
Today at Jimmy’s
Hey everybody, we just received a bunch of cool new stuff from Derek DeYoung. We have a bunch of new coffee mugs, drinking glasses, and even oar wraps! We will be getting a bunch of iphone cases from him any day as well. Come check this stuff out!
Big Lost River 7-2–13
With flow out of Mackay Dam still close to 500 cfs, wading is limited. The flow is sure to drop, and make for easier wading to meet flav and terrestrial insect and later trico activity. Floating the river to fish is possible, and caddis, PMD, flav life cycle patterns will work. Likely some golden stoneflies remain. We will post decreases in flow here as soon as such happens.
Duck Creek in Yellowstone Park
There are duck creeks all over the Rocky Mountain west just as there are elk creeks, moose creeks, and spring creeks. But Duck Creek in Yellowstone Park is special amongst the duck creeks. Situated between the intensely media targeted Madison and Gallatin rivers, it is overlooked by so many fly-fishers. But for those seeking very large trout and owning a high skill level for successful large trout encounters, Duck Creek is the equal of these two famed rivers. Where one first sees it crossing US Highway 191 about eight miles north of West Yellowstone and just south of the Quake Lake junction, Duck Creek looks hardly worth any attention. Here it looks like a stream of gradient such as the South Fork of the Madison River crossing US highway 20 west of West Yellowstone, but in more degraded environs. But if one takes the turn-off to the right at the Montana State Highway Maintenance Station just to the south of this crossing from Highway 191, one can be in for a great discovery. On the turn-off, drive past the subdivision and on to the Park boundary indicated by a series of posts. The road bares to the left along the posts and ends at a turn-around. Flowing past the turn-around on the north, Duck Creek exits the Park to enter a private pond bordering the subdivision. On the east side of the turn-around one can see a trail going east through the sage brush. This trail is the remains of an old access road now blocked from motorized travel. To one’s left Duck Creek is partially visible, and its change of character begins to hint at what is ahead. At the end of the trail, a few hundred yards from the turn-around, a scene of meadow creek splendor confronts the visitor. See the evening scene in the picture above. “Why, thinks the first time visitor, have I not visited this place before?” “Ah, it is so great to be back, thinks the fly-fisher of much Duck Creek experience.”
So how does one fish this classic meadow stream? Let’s begin with this time of year and discuss other times of the year in future articles. Have you heard the term ” Henry’s Fork Hunchback” born on the Henry’s Fork in Harriman State Park? The “Duck Creek Crawl” is more appropriate here, for any adult of close to average height or more will be the tallest object in the more than mile-long meadow in view. Within that meadow the creek winds about three miles and has a deep hole with undercuts at every bend. The trick is to bring that big brookie, brown, or ‘bow that can range up to several pounds out of that bend to take your false offering. It means stealth to the greatest degree with all effort to keep out of view. The further one progresses up the meadow, the smaller the stream becomes, but trout up to very large sizes remain. Throughout, it means drifting your offering downstream on a long, fine leader, drag-free at the same time as the meager current while keeping out of sight as much as practical. For the dry fly enthusiast, PMD, terrestrial, and damselfly patterns are the best choices. Do you have a small grass snake pattern? Don’t laugh; you will surely encounter few trout by presenting such, but one you do could bethe fish of the year. The same applies with a hair mouse. For presenting both, the axiom “fish early, fish late” applies and it turns out this is the best way to fish Duck Creek with any fly pattern this time of year. There is a bonus for fishing here if you do not mind walking up the meadow about a mile. That is a series of beaver ponds where the creek turns to the south side of the meadow. Bring your favorite leech pattern to try in these. Above, where Richards and Gneiss Creeks come together forming Duck Creek, further access is not possible as these streams border the west side of a bear habitat closure. So yes, it may be wise to carry bear spray and occasionally give a blast from a claxon horn. True, the presence of bears help keep down the number of fly-fisher visits to the upper meadow, but in my hundred or so of such visits, I have seen only one grizzly. He was as impressive as any in this region, but caused no harm. Here are a few other thoughts. Wading wet is very appropriate as there are several creek crossings where water is not even knee deep. It is, however, best to stay out of the creek as much as possible because stirred up sand and silt will alert downstream trout that something is amiss and it is time to hide in that undercut. Bring potable water. And don’t forget “fish early, fish late!”