Michael’s Birthday in Montana…

September 1, 2024 marked Michael’s 40th. Birthday. This trip to Montana, with the family ( minus Nadia and Miles ) was a celebration of the event. Those guys made a morning trip over to Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park, while I worked on the evening’s meal for the group…

Looking towards Ennis from the Madison Angler’s House at 7 AM…

Cairo at the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River…

Michael and Cairo catching raindrops at the Falls…

Steamy pool at Biscuit Basin…

Posing by the sulphur stink…

Outflow from one of the pools in Biscuit Basin…

Location and map of Biscuit Basin in YNP…

Sapphire Pool…

More pools in Biscuit Basin… stay on the boardwalk !!!

Elevated view of Biscuit Basin…

Firehole River at Biscuit Basin…Fly Fished here since 1977…

Cairo’s favorite creatures in Yellowstone National Park…

The marinade for the steaks…heavy on the garlic…

The usual stand-by for munching while preparing food and cooking…

Steaks in the marinade…

It was really storming at the house while the food prep was in progress…

another view…

Michael and the crew came back from the Park and headed down to $3.00 Bridge for a Birthday Trout…

Rainbow Trout to net…

Michael with his Trout…released for another day…

Last shot of $3.00 Bridge at sunset…

Montana brewed booze for this who imbibe…

Cairo’s back to run the show while Nick scratches his head…

…looking West at sunset…storm has cleared…

…just after sunset…

Dragon salad and veggies…

French Fries of course…

Steaks BBQ’d by Nick…

Dinner at almost 9PM…

 

 

Next: Traveling back to LA…

 

 

PT/TB

 

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To Finish…Cairo Eastern Sierra – Montana …

Been busy and have a lot of stories and photos to catch up with. Will finish Cairo’s trip up to the Eastern Sierra with his Mom & Dad and then an awesome trip to Montana with most of my family…

Cairo and Mr. Rainbow at Little Virginia Lake in the Eastern Sierra…

Arriving in Montana, August 26, 2023…

$3.00 Bridge on the Madison River at sunset, August 28, 2023…

 

Next: To be continued…

 

PT/TB

 

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Midges…Spring 2023

I had intended to have these Midge patterns up in the Fall of 2022. I  wasn’t able to get my ducks in a row to make it happen. So here they are because in most  tail waters, midges are always present. I would suggest to those who want to up their midge game to follow this link to Pat Dorsey’s Colorado Guide Flies, scroll down and read. This book contains a ton of midge patterns that will work almost anywhere. Several inspired the patterns I am posting…

Completed Midge Box….

MAMBA MIDGE…

HOOK: TMC 2488, #16-#20

THREAD: UTC Black, 70 Denier

RIB: Lagartun, Fine, Silver

WING: Krystal Flash, Pearl…coat fly with Hard As Hull or UV Resin of choice

Materials, Mamba Midge…

Midges are an important food source on the Lower Owens River in the Eastern Sierra…

SKINNY MIDGE… Wells / Variant

HOOK: TMC 2488, #16 – #20

THREAD: Body – Uni, Olive Dun –  * coat with Hard As Hull or UV Resin… Thorax Forward – Veevus 16/0, Black

RIB: Ultra Brite Floss, White

THORAX: UV2 Peacock, Natural

BEAD: Tungsten, Nickel, sized to hook

Materials, Skinny Midge…

White thread makes a excellent ribbing material for midge patterns. It remains white and lasts a lot longer from Trout teeth if coated with glue or resin…

BLACK RUBBER MIDGE…

HOOK: Daiichi 1120, #18 – #20

THREAD: Abdomen – UNI , Lt. Cahill…Head, Veevus 16/0, Black

BACK: Rainy’s Round Rubber Leg – Fine

WING: Zelon, White

Materials, Black Rubber Midge…

The above, $3.00 Bridge on the Madison River, MT, would be a perfect spot to use this pattern. Using rubber or silicone for the back, opens up almost endless possibilities for different colored variants of this pattern…I’ll be trying it out there with Michael, Miles and Cairo this coming September…

S.O.P MIDGE ( Silver, Olive, Peacock)…

HOOK: Gamakatsu C12-B, #18 – #20

THREAD: Danville #61, 6/0 Light Olive – Abdomen / TMC 16/0, Black Thorax Forward

RIB: Sybai Silver flat wire, Fine…

BEAD: Firehole Stone, Sterling Silver, sized to hook

HARD AS HULL: …or UV Resin to coat the abdomen for durability
Materials, S.O.P Midge…

After tying up a bunch of Perdigons, I found that many of the materials for abdomens and ribbing lend themselves to Midge Patterns. I will be incorporating more of these materials into standard nymph flies as I continue to experiment…

FIVE BRIDGES MIDGE…

HOOK: TMC 2488, #16 – #18

THREAD: Danville 6/0, #47 Tobacco Brown

RIB: UTC Silver, x-sm

WING: Mirage Opal Accent, 3 strands

BEAD: Hi-Lite Glass, Brown Metallic, small

Materials, Five Bridges Midge…

Wild Trout Section …

Below Five Bridges…

Five Bridges is located on the Lower Owens River, near Bishop, CA in the Eastern Sierra. It marks the end of the Wild Trout section of the Lower Owens River, where special regulations are in effect. No kill and barbless hooks – the game warden will run a cotton ball over where the barb was removed ( if the hook is not barbless ) and any residue left on the hook now costs $500.00 or more depending on attitude…The regulations do not apply below Five Bridges and the Trout are a lot larger…I have found the color Danville #47, Tobacco Brown to be effective almost everywhere in the West…I fish glass beads patterns as trailers, off a dry to imitate an emerging fly but most frequently about “3-6” off the bottom of the water column…

KRYSTAL MIDGE…Hyatt / Variant…

HOOK: Daiichi 1120, #18 – #20

THREAD: UTC 70 Denier, Black

RIB: Lagartun, Fine Gold Wire

WING: Krystal Flash, Pearl, 3 strands

THORAX: BRF Zelon Dubbing, Midge Black

BEAD: Killer Caddis Diamond Glass Bead, small

*Coat abdomen with Hard As Hull or UV Resin for durability

Materials, Krystal Midge…

An alternative to the ubiquitous Zebra Midge. Fish as trailer or just off the bottom…

TWO TONE MIDGE…

HOOK: Daiichi 1130, # 18 – #20

THREAD: UTC 70 Denier, Olive – Abdomen /  Head, Veevus 16/0 Black

OVER ABDOMEN: In spaced turns, Micro Tubing clear

• Swipe a black Sharpie over the tops of the spaced Micro Tubing

Materials, Two Tone Midge…

…another pattern that may be used in numerous colors. Use a seine net to kick up the bottom and observe the Midge Larva captured…

GREEN HORNET MIDGE…

HOOK: Daiichi 1130, #18 – #20

THREAD: Gudebrod, 8/0 Chartreuse

RIB: UTC x-sm Black Wire

BEAD: Killer Caddis Chartreuse, x-sm

Materials, Green Hornet Midge…

An attractor Midge, using up a bit of the 8/0 Gudebrod Chartreuse thread that I still use for midge patterns. There are plenty of places, particularly tail waters, where these will take good Trout…like here…

Between the Lakes, Madison River, MT…

BLACK AND BLUE MIDGE…

HOOK: Firehole 633 #18 – #20

THREAD: UTC 70 Denier, Black

RIB: UTC Gun Metal Blue wire, x-sm

WING: DNA Holofusion, White

BEAD: Firehole Sterling Silver, sized to hook

Materials, Black and Blue Midge…

One more midge in black that I would use on almost any tail water instead of a Black Zebra Midge…this pace comes to mind…East Walker River, Eastern Sierra…Midge patterns work all season long…

CREAM MIDGE…

HOOK: Daiichi 1130, #18-#22

THREAD: UTC White, for Abdomen / Veevus 16/0 Black Head

RIB: Lagartun Fine Copper wire

• Coat with Hard As Hull or UV Resin

Materials, Cream Midge…

I tie a lot of Cream Miles for use in the Eastern Sierra and some other place we frequent. One of the largest Brown Trout I have caught in the last fifteen years took a #20 Cream Midge on the East Walker River. Someone who is knowledgeable told me that there are as many as 8000 Cream Midge larva per. cubic square foot present, in that water, in the Spring…

TOBACCO MIDGE…

HOOK: TMC 2488, #18-#20

THREAD: Giorgio Benecchi 12/0 Tobacco thread 

RIB: Lagartun Fine Gold Wire

THORAX: Ice Dub UV Gray

BEAD: Killer Caddis Diamond bead small

• Coat abdomen with Hard as Hull or UV Resin

Materials, Tobacco Midge…

I usually fish glass bead heads ,without a wing, deep in the water column… about 3″-6″ off the bottom…

BIG MAC MIDGE…

HOOK: TMC 200R, #18 – #20

THREAD: Abdomen, Danville 6/0, #60 Olive / Thorax Forward – Veevus 16/0 Black

RIB: Spaced between Midge Tubing – Datam Glo-Brite Floss #3 Red

OVER ABDOMEN: Midge Tubing, Olive

THORAX: BRF  Zelon Midge Dubbing, Black

Materials, Big Mac Midge…

Right in here , with Michael and the boys, this September…yes, it can snow there at that time of the year above $3.00 Bridge, Madison River, MT…

RORO’S AMBER SIERRA KRYSTAL BH DIP…

HOOK: Daiichi 1130, #18-#20

THREAD: Lagartun 74 Denier, 8/0 Amber 

RIB: UTC Amber wire, SM

WING: Pearl Krystal Flash, 3 strands, long-ish

BEAD: Firehole Stone, flat Black

Materials RoRo’s Amber Sierra Krystal BH Dip…

RoRo…the Sierra Angler

CUPCAKE MIDGE…

HOOK: TMC 2488, #16 – #20

THREAD: TMC 16/0, Brown

RIB: Sybai, fine flat wire, Bright Pink

THORAX: Ice Dub, UV Pink

BEAD: KIller Caddis Glass Diamond Bead, small

• Coat abdomen with Hard As Hull or UV Resin for durability

Materials, CupCake Midge

…another black alternative to the common Zebra Midge…

PRIMROSE AND PEARL MIDGE…

HOOK: Firehole 633, #18-#20

THREAD: UTC 70 Denier, Yellow

ABDOMEN: KrystalFlash, Hot Yellow over working thread

RIB: UTC Fl. Yellow wire, sm

THORAX: Ice Dub Hot Yellow

BEAD: Copper Tungsten, sized to hook

Materials, Primrose and Pearl Midge…

Something snazzy to break up the doldrums here…Lower Owens River on a crisp Fall day in November…

PERIWINKLE MIDGE…

HOOK: Daiichi 1130, #18 – #20

THREAD: UTC 70 Denier, Olive , Abdomen / TMC 16/0 Black, Thorax Forward

RIB: UTC Wire, Black, x-sm

THORAX: Ice Dub, UV Lt. Olive

BEAD: Ruby Glass Bead x-sm

Materials, Periwinkle Midge…

Right in here…This Spring…when it’s running about 700cfs….work the edges…

MAMBA MIDGE…

HOOK: TMC 2488, #16 – #20

THREAD: UTC 70 Denier, Black -Abdomen / Head- Veevus 16/0, Black

RIB: UTC Gold wire Sm or x-sm

WING: Flashabou, Pearl – 3-4 strands – long-ish

Materials, Mamba Midge…

A flashy, black midge emerger to brighten things up when the water is a bit off color…

GREY REEFER MIDGE…

HOOK: Firehole 633, #16 – #20

THREAD: UTC 70 Denier, Dark Gray, Abdomen / THC 16/0 Black – Thorax Forward

RIB: UTC Hot Orange, SM

WING: Mini Flat Fly Braid, Pearl – picked out

THORAX: BRF Zelon dubbing, Midge Black

BEAD: Killer Caddis Purple Glass, SM

Materials, Grey Reefer Midge…

A variant on a North Platte Midge pattern that would work in most tail waters when grey toned emerges are about…

 

NEXT: Veteran’s Day Weekend, November 2022, with these guys…

 

 

PT/TB

 

 

 

 

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Last Days in Montana…Back to Bridgeport…

All good things gotta’ come to an end. Ten days of great times and unexpected weather…Saved the best for last…

Entering the parking lot at $3.00 Bridge with a hint of sun for the day…

First ones to arrive !!!

This rough water is loaded with nice Trout…

So are these areas around boulder…

A Rainbow first…

Michael found some small (#22) Baetis is the drift…

…while working this spot…

But it was this Blue Wisp Midge pattern that got him into fish…again…

A Brown for Michael…

Then it was the “old guy’s ” turn…

The “SHOP VAC ” version on the left, in size #20…worked it’s magic…

Michael holds the Brown for a close up…

It started to cloud up, get windy and a lot colder so I left Michael to wander around and take some parting shots…

A view down river with the foliage starting to change…

A wide picture of the Madison below Michael…

One last photo of $3.00 Bridge until the next time…

After breaking down our rods, we decided to take a ride up the road to visit Blue Ribbon Flies one last time…this is Hegben Lake on the way there…

This is now the only place…

…that I can find these Sports Tools Nippers. They are my favorite for hook eye cleaning and wind knots…I picked up several because it is the only place that has them in stock – anywhere…

Then we headed back to West Fork Cabins where Michael…

…whipped up a delicious steak dinner and packed up his gear to fly out of Bozeman the next morning…

Monday morning, September 25, we stopped in at the Ennis Pharmacy for a final breakfast…

…and the visited the Tackle Shop one last time…I first came to this shop in 1975 when it was the only fly shop in Ennis and the fly on top of the store was 10X larger…

Like this…

So we stopped at a couple of places in Bozeman before Michael boarded his flight to go back to NYC. I didn’t document that because I get really sad after spending a week or so with my kids and then they have to leave. I did take this picture of coming down the hill into Ennis on the way back from the airport…

Last Virgin Bloody Mary in Montana at the Driftwaters Resort just up the road from where we stayed…

I got up at 3:00 AM on Tuesday September 26 and headed back to Bridgeport, CA in the Eastern Sierras to spend a couple of days fishing in warmer weather and sunshine…

It took a bit longer than the time on the above map because of road repairs and flagmen in Nevada…I saw a lot of this…

Further along, but still in Nevada…

On the other side of this grade is the East Walker River and the cut off road to Rosaschi Ranch…

Finally. at about 5;30 PM this came into view…Bridgeport Reservoir…

 

Next: A few days on the East Walker River…

 

 

PT/TB

 

 

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WADE LAKE, BETWEEN THE LAKES and BACK TO THE BRIDGE…

Saturday morning, September 23 was cold and overcast. Michael and I decided to take a drive over to Wade Lake  West of $3.00 Bridge. He had spent a warm July day there with Aimee a couple of years back and wanted me to check it out since I had never been there…

Heading towards $3.00 Bridge …

Further West on the road to Wade Lake…

Getting out to stretch and look around…

Wade Lake is down there…

There are some real trophy fish in this as well as nearby Cliff Lake but we didn’t come to fish and were the only people there on this day…

Nope, nothing rising…

A dock for launching watercraft…

It was a little frosty across the lake…

Heading back out towards $3.00 Bridge…

Big sky in Montana…

Look South on the Madison River from &3.00 Bridge…

A close up view upriver, on the Madison…

Quake Lake on the way to the Madison River between the lakes…looks like we may get some sunshine…

A pull off point between the lakes…

The Madison between Hebgen and Quake Lakes…yay sunshine !!!

The Madison towards Quake Lake…

A perched Osprey who was fishing the same water as we were…

The Osprey was checking out this stretch of river and could care less about out presence…

Another perspective…

Michael works a streamer…

While I roam around and take some additional photos…

The tree without the Osprey…he was fishing...:-)

Two “Old Loners” on the Madison…

More water that Michael worked his streamer through…Here…

…and Here…

So Michael catches a Whitefish…

…and gets his left arm soaking wet in the process…

We pack up and head back downriver to $3.oo Bridge…

…and see this fellow where all the scree and talus is located in the photo above…

Arriving back a the starting point above $3.00 Bridge in the late afternoon…

Michael wants to give my Winston BIIIX Super 10′, 5wt. a workout…

Going for it…

Well now…a skinny Rainbow…

My turn…

Then this guy…

On a #20 Shop Vac…the thread version on the left…

From this spot…

Throwin’ some shade on that guy…

$3.00 Bridge at sunset…

Looking West at sunset…

Last guys in the parking lot…as usual…

End of a good day !!!

 

NEXT: Last day on the Madison…

 

 

PT/TB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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