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August 31st, 2015 North Country Report
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Dear Winston,
August 31st North Country Fishing Report
So far this has been a challenging year in the North Country!
- Weather
- Low then high water
- The Green Drake hatch was flooded out
- The Flav hatch was delayed
Ants provided a few good days in August.
And my favorite fall hatch - The Mahogany Duns are just starting.
Let's hope for a magnificent autumn in the North Country.
'Best of all
he loved the fall'
Ernest Hemingway's autumns in Idaho
On a warm autumn day in 1939, Ernest Hemingway stood in the Ketchum Cemetery and methodically read aloud what some local friends believed to be one of his finest works of prose. It was a eulogy for his friend Gene Van Guilder, a publicist for Sun Valley Resort who had been killed in a tragic bird-hunting accident in the Hagerman Valley, near Twin Falls.
"He loved the warm sun of summer and the high mountain meadows, the trails through the timber and the sudden clear blue of the lakes. He loved the hills in the winter when the snow comes," Hemingway said. "Best of all he loved the fall ... the fall with the tawny and grey, the leaves yellow on the cottonwoods, leaves floating on the trout streams and above the hills the high blue windless skies. He loved to shoot, he loved to ride and he loved to fish."
Best,
Bob
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Water
Flows:
- +/- Henry's Fork below Macks Inn - 320cfs (LT Mean = 386)
- + Henry's Fork below IP Dam - 724 cfs (LT Mean = 955) See Note!
- + Henry's Fork @ Ashton - 1,420 cfs (LT Mean = 1,780)
- - Henry's Fork @ St. Anthony - 923 cfs (LT Mean = 1,270)
- + South Fork @ Heise - 9,780 cfs (LT Mean = 8,280)
- - Snake @ Moose - 2,560 cfs (LT Mean = 3,660)
- - Yellowstone @ Outlet - 1,420 cfs (LT Mean = 2,450)
- - Madison @ West - 323 cfs (LT Mean = 418 cfs)
- - Madison @ Kirby Ranch - 982 cfs (LT Mean = 1,060 cfs)
- Green River @ Dam - Daily Average =1,700 cfs (LT Mean = 1,860 cfs) 4:00 AM - 2:00 PM = 1,700 cfs; 2:00 PM - 9:00 PM = 2,160 cfs; 9:00 PM - 4:00 AM = 1,160 cfs. See detailed release schedule
- + Middle Provo @ River Rd Bridge - 520 cfs (LT Mean = 301 cfs)
Reservoirs (% of Full):
- - Henry's Lake - 88%
- - Island Park - 31%
- - American Falls - 18%
- - Jackson Lake - 77%
- - Palisades - 49%
- - Hebgen - 51%
Source: USGS National Water Information System
North Country Long Range Weather Forecasts
El Nino - EL NINO conditions are continuing to strengthen!
- Equatorial water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are more than 1 degree C above normal along the equator from South America to West of the Date Line. It is expected that the El Nino conditions will persist into the later part of the year.
- El Nino conditions are associated with increased precipitation in the Southwestern United States and lower precipitation in the Northwest.
Dec-Jan-Feb 2015-16 - Warmer and Dryer
Source: NRCS Climate Prediction Center
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Fishing Report
Henry's Fork - Flows up a little! Mahogany's starting!
Box Canyon - Hopper/Dropper time and streamers up against the banks, early and late.
Last Chance & Harriman Ranch - Start looking for Mahogany Duns in the slow water sections. Ants and beetles up against the banks during the day, especially if it is windy.
Lower River - Hopper/Droppers!
Silver Creek - Tricos are over! Afternoon Callibaetis have now take over. Windy? Go for ants & beetles.
Yellowstone Park - Permit fees stayed the same as last year - $18 for 3 Day, $25 for 7 Day an $40 for the Season. Expect higher entrance fees however. Road construction between Norris and Mammoth continues this year. Craig Pass (Old Faithful to Lake) opened June 15th.
Firehole - Give it a couple more weeks!
Madison in the Park - Rains have cooled the water and now fishing well! Up against the banks with hoppers, beetles and ants.
Gallatin - A "best bet"! Yellow Sallies and PMD's. Watch for Griz!
Gardner - Small hoppers, stims, royal wulffs and trudes.
Yellowstone Lake - Catch and eat a Lake Trout! Leaches & callibaetis at Gull Point.
Yellowstone River - Lower flows and great Cutts rising to attractors.
Slough, Lamar, Soda Butte and Gardner - Fishing well but lots of company! Expected rains mean "check before you make the drive"!
Hebgen - Gulpers on the "West Side".
Madison River below Hebgen Dam - Flows are close to normal. Ants, beetles and hoppers are your ticket now. Time to try your Royal Wulffs and Trudes!
South Fork of the Snake - Flows are up. Focus on the riffles with PMD's, and Pink Alberts. Be sure to have some ants and hoppers if it gets breezy.
Green River, UT - Flows are sable. Rains? Stay above Red Creek! Hoppers, beetles and ants are now the ticket for the entire river. Caddis in the evenings are a joy! Remember these are strong healthy Green River fish - big fat 19"! Upsize your tippets.
Provo River, UT - Higher flows have cooled the water! PMD spinners in the morning. Hoppers, beetles and ants in the afternoon and caddis in the evening.
Frying Pan, CO - Really Hot! Flows are clear. Green Drakes, PMDs, BWOs, Caddis, Midges, Mysis Shrimp! Missed the Green Drakes in Idaho and Utah? This is where you need to be!
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Flaming Gorge Working Group
The next Flaming Gorge Working Group meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 27, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. to be held in the Utah Department of Natural Resources building in Vernal, Utah. The Flaming Gorge Working Group is an open public forum for information exchange between Reclamation and the stake holders of Flaming Gorge Dam. The public is encouraged to attend and comment on the operations and plans presented by Reclamation at these meetings.
For more information on this group and these meetings please contact Peter Crookston at 801-379-1152 or Heather Patno at 801-524-3883.
UC WebEx Host invites you to attend this online meeting. Topic: FG WG Date: Thursday, August 27, 2015 Time: 7:00 am, Mountain Daylight Time (Denver, GMT-06:00) Meeting Number: 803 171 183 Meeting Password: fgwg ------------------------------------------------------- To join the online meeting (Now from mobile devices!) ------------------------------------------------------- 1. Go to https://ucbor.webex.com/ucbor/j.php?MTID=m5cd216c7befbc7a910e8ae84da9c5da8 2. If requested, enter your name and email address. 3. If a password is required, enter the meeting password: fgwg 4. Click "Join". To view in other time zones or languages, please click the link: https://ucbor.webex.com/ucbor/j.php?MTID=m75e6d6f04e9a662c8e260b49134a5786 ------------------------------------------------------- To join the audio conference only ------------------------------------------------------- 866-916-4287 Host Passcode: 7478889 Participant Passcode: 5287707 ------------------------------------------------------- For assistance ------------------------------------------------------- 1. Go to https://ucbor.webex.com/ucbor/mc 2. On the left navigation bar, click "Support". You can contact me at: scasale@usbr.gov 1-801-524-3784
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Island Park Outflows to Remain Low
The Island Park Drought Management Planning Committee has agreed to keep Island Park outflows as low as possible for the remainder of the irrigation season to minimize use of reservoir storage and maximize the amount of water available for winter flow.
Outflows will remain below 960 cfs, with small adjustments in the range of 100 cfs made as necessary to keep river flow at St. Anthony around 1,000 cfs. Island Park Reservoir is projected to reach a minimum of 30,000 acre-feet (22 percent of capacity) on September 10.
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Event Calendar:
Henry's Fork Foundation
The Voice of the River
San Francisco Reception - Friday November 6, 2015
Fall Board Meeting
HFF Hosted Trips:
http://henrysfork.org/hff-hosted-trips
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Greater Yellowstone Coalition
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Yellowstone Park Foundation
Interactive YPF Projects Map
1872 Society Fall Weekend
October 10- 12, 2015
Flyer
Yellowstone Photo Winter Expedition with Tom Murphy
February 9-13, 2016
Flyer
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Guide Notes:
Mahogany Dun
Paraleptroghlebia bicornuta, P. debilis
Red Quill
Seasons:
Henry's Fork
August 20 - September 30
Yellowstone - Gallatin
July, September - October
Habitat:
Live in silty, weedy, slower sections
Size:
#16-18
Nymphs:
Stout Crawler, Poor Swimmer
Squared Head, Three Equal Tails
Dark Reddish Brown
Mature nymphs move to slower water where leaf and other detritus accumulate.
Look for them in trailing plants and moderate currents.
Floating nymph may be most important stage to fisherman
Emergers:
Mid-morning to mid-afternoon nymphs crawl several inches out of the water on sticks, rocks, and plant stems.
Some may emerge on sticks or plant stems underwater.
Slow to moderate currents
Duns:
Light Dun/Smoky Gray unmarked wings, Three tails, rounded hind wings
Dark reddish brown bodies
Duns remain on the water a long time while drying and extending wings
Spinners:
Can be heavy and important
Mid-morning and mid-afternoon
Males have dark bodies and white abdomens
Females have dark mahogany bodies and pale wings
Presentation:
Dead drift
Quartering down and across
Time:
10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. (Civilized)
Place:
WR #16, and "The Lower Ranch"
Strategy:
- Rainbow trout are especially fond of taking nymphs in the surface film.
- Work individual trout rather than casting to groups, study the riseform and feeding rhythm.
- Use light and long tippets and a reach cast upstream or downstream for drag free drift with bug reaching the fish before your leader.
- Patterns with a post or upright wing are easier to see so make a good lead fly with a flush floating dropper.
- Work current seams, slow, shallow margins around plants and weeds.
- Use a low profile and casting angle, keep false casts away from fishing area.
- On the delivery, place only the fly and tippet in front of the trout. Do not let your fly line land close to the trout, or it will spook.
Patterns:
- Fur Nymph
- Floating Nymph
- Sawyer's Pheasant Tail
- Loop Wing CDC Emerger
- Thorax Mahogany Dun
- Sparkle Dun
- Mahogany Dun Parachute
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Guide Bench:
Mahogany Dun Cripple
HOOK: 12-#14.
THREAD: Dark brown or black 6/0.
TAIL: Dark brown pheasant tail
RIB: Dark brown 3/0 monocord.
ABDOMEN: Dark brown pheasant tail
THORAX: Dark brown dubbing.
HACKLE: Brown
WING: Black or slate deer or elk hair.
Mahogany Dun Floating Nymph
HOOK: TMC 100 #16-24
THREAD: 14/0 Gray
TAIL: Dark Dun Hackle Fibers
RIB: Fine Copper Wire
ABDOMEN: Mahogany Superfine Dubbing
THORAX: Dark brown dubbing.
LEGS: Dark Dun Hackle Fibers
WING: Nature's Spirit Nature's Finest Dubbing, Gray
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Yellowstone National Park's July Visitation Highest on Record
Yellowstone National Park had the highest recreational visitation on record in July with 980,702 visits for the month-a 14 percent increase over last July and a 2 percent increase over the previous July record in 2010.
For the first seven months of 2015, record breaking recreational visits totaling 2,279,557 are up 17 percent over last year and 13 percent over the previous record year in 2010.
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Recreational
Visits
2015
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Recreational
Visits
2014
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Change
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January
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28,091
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26,778
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+ 4.90 %
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February
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34,343
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28,233
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+ 21.64 %
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March
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22,989
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18,778
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+ 22.43 %
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April
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46,600
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31,356
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+ 48.61 %
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May
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383,670
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310,039
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+ 23.75 %
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June
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780,768
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669,642
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+ 16.59 %
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July
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980,702
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858,856
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+ 14.19 %
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Total Year-To-Date
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2,279,557
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1,943,684
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+ 17.28 %
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Each of the park's five entrances showed increased visits for the month of July, with the North and West entrances both continuing to record the largest increases over July of last year.
| Traffic Counts 2015 |
East Gate |
North Gate |
Northeast Gate |
South Gate |
West Gate |
West Gate % of Total |
| May |
19,845 |
33,664 |
8,719 |
23,739 |
64,088 |
42.71% |
| June |
37,881 |
62,417 |
20,366 |
59,375 |
118,534 |
39.70% |
| July |
48,656 |
75,822 |
26,221 |
74,598 |
150,456 |
40.04% |
| 3 Month Total |
106,382 |
171,903 |
55,306 |
157,712 |
333,078 |
40.40% |
Visitation statistics are calculated by taking the actual number of wheeled vehicles entering the park gates, and using a person-per-vehicle multiplier to calculate the number of monthly recreational visitors.
July is typically the park's peak visitation month, followed in order by August, June, September, and May.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 408 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
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Best,
Bob Springmeyer
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Thanks: Special thanks to Craig Mathews of Blue Ribbon Flies, Dick Greene of Bud Lilly's Trout Shop, Henry's Fork Anglers, Silver Creek Outfitters, Will Sands of the Taylor Creek Fly Shop and Steve Schmidt of Western Rivers Flyfishers for the information in this report.
Stop by their shops, book a trip, thank them and buy some of their special bugs.
Special thanks to Alan Chidester for the excellent image in the header and to David Emmitt for producing the header.
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