Out Like A Lion

March came in like a lion this year, and is going to leave Wyoming in the same manner. The past week around here has been very snowy and windy, with moisture continuing to pile up in the high country. We're seeing some rain fall in the valley tonight with temps still in the 40's. We currently have near record snowpack in the Teton, Gros Ventre and Wind River Mountains. It's been a great ski season with one storm rolling in after another, virtually all winter long. Since the nights are still cold, and the valley still has lots of snow, runoff and dirty water has not been a factor yet for anglers. These slightly warmer days have been cranking up the Midge activity on the Snake and South Fork; the cloudy conditions are creating the icing on the cake for early season dry-fly enthusiasts.

The folks at the Bureau of Reclamation are already looking ahead at what will likely be a high water year. Typically at this time of year, the Snake is running around 400 cfs near Moran (just below Jackson Lake Dam); the South Fork typically rolls along at about 1,100 cfs for early April. Hydrologists are now waking up to the reality of our snowpack. They have begun ramping up the flows on both rivers, to make room for the impending snowmelt. The South Fork has been raised up to 10,000 cfs over the past seven days, and the Snake will be brought up to 1,500 cfs over the next week or so. Although they are higher flows than we would like to see for April fishing, it should help avoid a situation in June or July where we have really high water. Local water experts are very concerned about flooding this year. The Upper Snake River Basin and Upper Green River Basin are both at 120% of normal for snowpack and snow-water equivalency. These are high numbers, considering that April and May can often be very snowy and rainy months that can add even more moisture. Images like these first two will likely be seen again this year...high, muddy water...a riverbed filled bank-to-bank. Once the water does clear this year, it is likely that it will still be higher than normal for awhile. The South Fork of the Snake, in particular, could be running large come Stonefly time in July. This river can be a very demanding piece of water to navigate in these conditions. Losing local guides Phil Blumquist and Rob Merrill last season to the river has made me think a lot more about river safety this year. Don't take rowing your driftboat for granted, it only takes a split second to get into trouble. You don't want to land your driftboat in a situation like these guys...or worse!

I sent a couple of buddies up to visit the Big Hole River this week in South Central, Montana...one of my favorites! It sounds like the nymph fishing was good on the lower river, but no Skwalas yet. It's still been cold and snowy up there too. I often hit the Big Hole this time of year, but I think I'll wait a couple more weeks until things warm up a bit. The river above Divide is apparently still completely under ice, and there's a lot of snow on the ground in Melrose still. More soon!

Snowflies

I kicked off the start of my fly-fishing season last week with a day wading the South Fork with my good buddy Charlie Howarth. We drove over to Swan Valley early last Saturday to secure our spot in one of my favorite sidechannels. The weather called for a high of 41 degrees, and partly cloudy skies. Not so much. During the 6 hours we were on the water, we literally saw everything from blue skies and calm, to blinding snow and wind. It's what we call springtime in the Rockies...anything goes. As far as the fishing...the streamer bite was nonexistent, and I threw everything I had at them. The nymphing and dry-fly fishing was more productive, though. Cutthroat and Whitefish were coming to the net subsurface on Midge larva.
During some of the cloudier, calm periods, I found Cutthroat were rising to adult Midges in quiet water. Since I prefer to dry-fly fish, it was great to see some fish eating on top. Although Midges can hatch any time of year around here, they seem to receive the most attention from anglers in the springtime. When the air temps are still cold, and the snow is still flying, it is typically the only hatch that you will encounter...so if you want to fish dry flies, make sure that you have some Midge patterns ready. They are sometimes called "snowflies" for this reason. I'll see midges all summer long, but when they are hatching alongside large Mayflies, Stoneflies and Caddisflies, they get little attention from anglers.
Many people I have fished with often use the term "Midge" to describe any small fly that is hatching. They are actually not a Mayfly at all (which many assume), but are their own unique group of bugs. Adult Midges, and their larva, are an extremely important food source for trout in this region. The fish I found feeding on Saturday were clearly eating adult midges...I could see them on the water and landing on my body. Since it's so early in the season, though, I was able to fish a simple Parachute Adams (which is much easier to see), instead of an actual midge imitation. If you're on the water around here in the next month or so, keep your eyes peeled in slack water for noses up on these tiny bugs. Incidentally, we didn't see a single Brown or Rainbow around that day. We hit all the obvious water, but they just did not want to play. Here's my bud Charlie with a nice bent rod...good to see you Charlie! Haven't heard much new this week on the Montana House Bill threatening stream access up there...as soon as I do, I'll pass it along.

Happy 100th Liz!

I want to wish my great friend and fishing partner Liz McCabe a happy 100Th birthday today! (That's right...100 years old!) I had the fortune of being introduced to Liz a number of years ago through my great friend Tom Montgomery, and since then, have had many memorable days with Liz and her family, on and off the river. Matt Mead, Governor of Wyoming, has declared March 20Th to be Liz McCabe day, since she has been one of the "great characters" of this great state. “She brings people of diverse backgrounds and regions together to enjoy the views from her porch,” Mead stated in the proclamation. “In that, she represents the best of Wyoming, where people from all walks of life and different milieus can come together and find they share many things in common.” We'll be thinking of you today Liz as you celebrate in the Cayman Islands.
Check out this article that just ran in this weekend's edition of the Jackson Hole Daily about Liz McCabe. I'm looking forward to another summer of fishing with Liz and her family.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Wow, is it already the third week of March? Although we just had another huge storm last night that dumped 17" of snow in the mountains, spring really seems to be just around the corner. Reports of good fishing on the Henry's Fork and South Fork keep coming across my radar. I'll finally be hitting the water for the first time in 2011 on Saturday...probably wadefishing the South Fork. Stay tuned for a report.
Late March also means something else for anglers in this region: Skwala Stoneflies. Although it is not typically a prolific or widespread hatch, the emergence of these mottled stoneflies on certain Western Rivers in March means anxious anglers can hit the water with large fly patterns in search of hungry trout. Most anglers flock to the Bitterroot River, south of Missoula, in search of these bugs this time of year. I hear it's already started. Don't count out the Big Hole River either...I've hit it pretty good up there too this time of year. For the latest report, make sure to visit with Ryan at The Sunrise Fly Shop in Melrose, Montana. In other news...I have not heard much since my last post on the Montana "Ditch Bill" that is ready to be voted on, stay tuned.
Enjoy some photos...Chris Stump with a gorgeous Big Hole Brown that fell for a Skwala a few years back; a nice image of a Skwala Stonefly; and...a shot of an incredible 25 pound Permit that I just found on Facebook. Supposedly this guy was on his first saltwater trip in the Yucatan and came across this behemoth...wow! More soon!

Montana House Bill 309 Update

Yesterday was the final hearing in Helena, Montana to voice opinions concerning House Bill 309, which could change Montana stream access laws for the worse. The bill, set forth by Dillon Representative Jeff Welborn, would revamp stream laws to "make any waterway that receives water diverted from a natural stream off limits to public recreation". In other words, depending on how the law is interpreted, your favorite fishing spot could now be classified as a "drainage ditch", and be deemed legally inaccessible. Welborn says that the bill is only a remedy to a recent Montana Supreme Court ruling on the Mitchell Slough, which was ruled to be a sidechannel of the Bitteroot, and not a ditch. Bruce Farling, the Montana Trout Unlimited Director, has said that "The measure is a sneaky attempt to undermine Montana's stream access law that guarantees the public the right to get to streams and rivers." Not only are local and regional anglers very concerned about this, but Montana fishing outfitters (who rely on access for their livelihood) are already getting correspondence from clientele concerned about coming to fish this summer, and how their access will be affected. Hundreds of guides, anglers and river users showed up to Helena yesterday to attend this hearing, and voice their disapproval of this measure. Check out this article in today's Billings Gazette for more info. Stay tuned for the latest on Facebook with Montana Troutfitters, who has done an excellent job of keeping us informed on all of this. Legislation like this would be terrible for Montana, its anglers and its tourism. Places like this sidechannel on the Big Hole that I visited a few years back with my good buddy Campbell Hough (pictured here) would be no longer an option for us under this legislation. Lets hope it goes down in flames. I know that many of my readers check in with me to see what is going on in Wyoming, but issues like this affect anglers everywhere. Fly-fishing is all about legal access...it's critical to our sport.

In Like A Lion

Yet another March has come in like a lion to Western Wyoming. The past week has seen nothing but winter weather, with a large storm just last night dropping 6" of snow in the valley, and another 15" or more in the high country. Rachael offered to stay home with the kids this morning while I went searching for some pure Teton gold. Scott Smith and I had an incredible morning of powder skiing at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort...thanks Scott, great day today! The water content in the Snake River drainage is back up above 110%, which is still great news. March can often be one of our heavier snow months, so it will be interesting to see just how much more snow we will get. It is shaping up to look like a mirror image of last season, with area rivers likely running high until mid-July or later. After skiing today, I took the family to the National Museum of Wildlife Art, just North of Jackson. For those of you that have not been there, put it on your list the next time you are in town. There is a great collection of original oils and watercolors as well as sculptures of some fantastic wildlife images. The view from the parking lot of the National Elk Refuge was perfect: hundreds of elk meandering the banks of Flat Creek.

Check out the latest issue of The Drake Magazine There's a great article on how urban hairstylists are integrating fly-tying hackles (chicken feathers) into hairdos. Local fly-shops around here cannot keep Whiting Hackles in stock. Orders are coming in from all over the country to local fly-shops for their feathers. Stylists are charging $40 or $50 per strand to be tied into a customers hair...seriously. The entire saddles only cost $40 or $50, so these guys are making a killing. Hilarious. Enjoy a recent shot of a Grand Teton sunrise. More soon.