Montana Water

Looks like snowpack for the Clave area is very low and, like in
Colorado you had some early melting. But also like Colorado, there's
been some significant moisture over the last week. Weird weather year.
Anyone have any feeling on the water situation and how it will
effect the fishing come Clave time?

Willi

I have been trying to find out, Willi, and my current "impression" is:

that everything is likely to be ahead of schedule ( hatches) ... BUT
that has slowed a lot the last couple weeks in the colder, wetter, weather

I've called Blue Ribbon, Henry's Fork Anglers, TroutHunter and a couple
area friends in the last week or so and the "educated guesses" I've gotten
have ranged from "probably a lot like last year" to " probably close to
normal" ... in reference to hatches and fishing .. clearly the water
situation is critical in most of the West regardless of how many fish we all
catch

To put that in perspective, last year was, imho, ...poor ( compared to
what it can be ... I still caught rising fish every day and some real nice
ones, but only had two or three days when you could tell what it can really
be like on the Fork or Madison )

IMHO, if, this summer warms way up to record temps like last year ( no, Mr
George Bush Jr, global warming isn't "proven" .... no, neither is evolution
.... those silly 99% of the scientists and their junk science can't be
trusted ... you just continue to believe what the oil companies tell you to
believe, that's what you do best )
...oops, sidetracked ..... if the weather stays "normal" or cooler than
normal for the next month ... it may be really wonderful fishing around
clave time
... but, last year by mid-July the Madison(YNP), Firehole and
Gibbon were closed to fishing because the water was too hot and it was very
rare, on any area water, to find the bigger fish feeding on the surface,
hatches were just too sporadic ... even the caddis were coming off after
dark, not just late Spinner falls were the most reliable action (
besides chuck and duck ... but who the hell drives 1500 miles to nymph? )
Even the higher areas like Slough Creek were an inferno by mid-July ... my
log shows me complaining about the too damn HOT day there, on July 16th

ANYway ... I'm expecting better fishing than last year, poorer than what the
area can really provide ...but I'm no expert, and I haven't found anyone
willing to stick out his neck and really commit to a prediction ... as Willi
says, " Weird weather year."

There's always the other side of the story .... just checked the weather in
Alaska and was very sad to see it's raining and expected to for the next
several days .... my wife is there and I'd like her to have sunny and warm
..... can you imagine what a bitch it would be to be the weathergod and
actually try to please everyone ??

take a look at these, Willi, Warren sent me the link

ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/snow/update/id.txt

and

ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/snow/update/mt.txt


the snow pack percentages look real bleak, but the overall precipitation
figures aren't nearly as scary Several people I've talked to have told
me that the current rains and wintry mix seem to be soaking in, not running
off. In that case the water might actually be better for the rivers than an
equivalent amount of water in quickly melted snow, replenishing the rivers
and keeping them cool over a much longer part of the summer

Larry L wrote:

take a look at these, Willi, Warren sent me the link

ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/snow/update/id.txt

and

ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/snow/update/mt.txt


the snow pack percentages look real bleak, but the overall precipitation
figures aren't nearly as scary Several people I've talked to have told
me that the current rains and wintry mix seem to be soaking in, not running
off. In that case the water might actually be better for the rivers than an
equivalent amount of water in quickly melted snow, replenishing the rivers
and keeping them cool over a much longer part of the summer



Thanks for the links. Very similar to the situation in my part of
Colorado. My guess is that if we don't get an extreme hot spell like
last Summer, the rivers in the area of the Clave should be in what I
consider excellent fishing condition, relatively low but still nice and
cool, when we're there. That's my hope anyway.

I think Warren picked a good time, August is going to be rough again
this year I think.

Willi

"Willi" wrote


I think Warren picked a good time, August is going to be rough again
this year I think.



yes, I agree that Warren "done good" ..... if I had to bet my money on the
largest number of different YNP area waters being "prime" at one time, I'd
pick the same time frame I hope to meet you and Warren, maybe some of the
other roffians.

But I'm probably going to move out of the area about the time the clave
starts ... why? ... because it should also be prime time on another river
( new to me ) I want to fish, one suggested by a Russell, and one that looks
( I've been there, but never fished ) exactly like "Larry's kinda place"
The problem is that prime time is prime time in too many places at the same
time.

Then we get August, and it's hard going even in a good year ...feast or
famine. Well not famine really, Tricos .... I love 'em G

Larry L wrote:
"Willi" wrote


I think Warren picked a good time, August is going to be rough again
this year I think.




yes, I agree that Warren "done good" ..... if I had to bet my money on the
largest number of different YNP area waters being "prime" at one time, I'd
pick the same time frame I hope to meet you and Warren, maybe some of the
other roffians.

But I'm probably going to move out of the area about the time the clave
starts ... why? ... because it should also be prime time on another river
( new to me ) I want to fish, one suggested by a Russell, and one that looks
( I've been there, but never fished ) exactly like "Larry's kinda place"
The problem is that prime time is prime time in too many places at the same
time.

Keep us posted on your where abouts like you did last year. I enjoyed
those TRs. When you get to that place I hope to maybe meet up with you
there. Might be shaky though. My fishing prospects for the summer are
looking kinda bleak. We bought a new house last fall and SWMBO says the
basement must be finished.

Have fun,

Russell