Ranch 101 (865 cfs)

Its not the only way, but its usually the best way, and the Ranch way.  First, watch and wait.  A lot. 

I like to sit down and wait for it to start.

 

Scan the water for a riser

 

Look for a hot fly that might match

 

Maybe there's one in here

 

Oh, just tie on the Rene' Harrop Last Chance Cripple

 

Position and cast down and across, carefully, to the target.

 

Nice fat Ranch rainbow eats cripple.

 

Thanks Mr. Fish.  See ya next time.  Rinse and Repeat.

The 'Fork (630cfs)

Sunday brought sunny skies back to the Henry's Fork.  But not much for bugs.  An ant and beetle here and there, and just enough march browns to see a few in the air, but not for the fish to notice.  About 10 am, there was one fish feeding below the triangle rock.  It took awhile, and two different attempts and approaches, but it was a nice way to end the morning.  I finally caught it around 11:30.  Then it blew some more.

 

There were still some fish to be had mid to late afternoon with march browns in the wind.  Everybody left the river, and the fish came up.  Even some more around the triangle rock.  A couple caught, a few more eats. 

 

The Park

Just a long weekender to be sure its all still there, ya know.  Windy.  Really rainy on day one.  Plan was to fish the Fork Friday, and opening day on the Firehole Saturday.  Well, the Fork didn't have much going on Friday morning, and a lot of lightning, rain, hail and wind all afternoon.  I got to cast to one fish before the minimal hatch of march browns was blown away and the rumbles started.

Saturday I made it into the park, "opening day," and to the Firehole after a 2 1/2 hour buffalo-jam in Firehole Canyon.  (They need to greatly reduce the number of those stupid, worthless things in that park!)  The fish were rising to PMD's and caddis on the Firehole, but man, what's all the hype about all those 8-12 inchers?  I saw a couple that might have gone a whopping 14, but really?  The place was packed!  License plates from all over, including a ton of locals.  I get its unique and a cool place to fish, but with all the great water that surrounds it?  I hadn't fished it in over 20 years.  It may be that long again.

I left shortly after noon, and drove back down to the Madison.  At the second pullout I checked, there were some pretty nice heads taking bugs (baetis) along one long cut bank, eating within inches of the bank.  Just what I like.  It was "splendid," as Charlie Brooks once put it.  I spent the afternoon in one 1/4 mile stretch, that I had all to myself no less, casting to rising brown trout of respectable size.  Not big, but they'd eat those Firehole rainbows for breakfast.  They ate caddis and adamses too.

Low Flow Light Hatch (860cfs)

Mostly sunny, just windy enough to screw it up, some BWO's in between gusts, and too much company.  I had the day off, it was warm (60's), and I wanted one more Baetis fix.  The water was covered in midges all morning, but the trout no longer appreciate them.  Its amazing how much things change from early March to early April.  Far less water, and far more people.

A casual fisherman here and there has sprung into pairs and threesomes all up and down the river.  Look behind you, and two have moved in.  Up ahead, there's people frothing it up all the way up the bank.  They pass on the trail toting two rods, each rigged with two flies.  I see nothing but bright bobbers, and streamers big and ugly enough to scare small children.  Nets big enough for a small deer drag from the back of the vests and packs.  Backpacks full enough for a weekend on the continental divide.  Some carry coolers and folding chairs to "set up" for the day on the island.  Hollering across the water to one another, "How close is your point fly to to the bead head?"  What the hell is a point fly, anyway?  The atmosphere has just gone to hell.

Soon there will be too many guides, assorted floating devices of all sizes, and recreational rafters taking over.  Walk/wade fishing will be out of the question.  The hordes are coming, and my sights are now set on different crowded waters, those of Idaho and Montana, as spring becomes summer.  The big bugs are right around the corner now.

This is my last visit to my home water until spring goes away, summer passes too quickly, and fall gives way to another winter. However, I did manage to catch a handful of fish before I put the "midge/bwo" box away for summer.  Just wasn't the finale I had hoped for on an early April Monday.

Midges. What's not to like? 2100-1330 cfs.

Midges.  What’s not to like?  I know, in May and June I’ll be laughing at my midge box, if I can find it, while fishing PMD's, Caddis, and Drakes on 4x.

I can't believe I’m saying this, but on days like these, I don’t miss summer.  By now, I’ve been casting only size 20’s and 6X since October, so it feels “normal.”  I can see the fly, get the drift, and not break  off with the soft glass rod. 

 

Like fall, fishing is on banker’s hours, preceded by breakfast, instead of that sunrise madness.   No crowds, no splash-and-gigglers, and rising fish all day.  I fish only a couple 100-yard sections of river, as nobody is putting them down.  Just work up the bank picking off each head. Other fishermen are mostly courteous, giving space and exchanging a pleasantry.

 

The winter sunshine is warm, so skip the jacket.  Still February, I feel like I’m getting away with something, a small misdemeanor in between snows.  Really it’s just taking advantage of the brief pause in wind and cold, which miraculously occurs on the same day.  Not often, but it’s appreciated.  My fishing buddy drives 400 miles to hit it.  I’m 45 minutes away.

Come late-afternoon, fish still rise above and below where we stand, but we know when to say “when.”  Enough is enough, they’ve been eating all day.  Walking out, we admire the rising and catchable trout.  “That’s a nice one there.”  Mixed feelings of satisfaction and temptation, so there’s a couple more casts even though we’re done.  Both the fishing and catching couldn’t have been any better.   Maybe February was actually better than June?

Some hate this river because “it’s too crowded,” the fish “don’t fight,” the water "gets jacked up and down," and there’s “no hatches.”  MmmHmm.

Hope for this gunslinger yet.

This is what a fly rod is supposed to look like.

New pattern.  Bent Point Griffiths.

Right in the nose.