22 March 2010
Montana Snow Pack-Should We Worry?
)Published on March 22nd, 2010 @ 10:11:21 pm, using 753 words, 2354 views
Hints of spring have released me from the office allowing me to spend some time on the Yellowstone and Boulder. The sun seems to hang higher in the sky each day which has helped keep daytime temperatures inviting. Some foggy Baetis hatches have also made rising trout irresistable. While the Rainbows continue to stack up in spawn, Browns have been slamming streamers in the deepest parts of the river. It’s just plain hard focusing on work especially when the line no longer exists between it and play.
Our current snowpack hasn’t been receiving good reviews with most areas sporting below average scores. It might be a little too early to predict what the summer will bring. It’s certainly way too early to allow any negative predictions to not look forward to spring. Last year’s heavy run-off didn’t allow the river to clear until mid-July. Prior to that, eight years of very low snow pack and hot, dry summers worked together to close the Yellowstone River to fishing for the first time in history.
The aquifers continue to flow on the ranch with the upper lake at normal levels, our lower lake continues to flow down over the hill and into a duck pond, then on to the river. I’ve not seen the springs run this well for the past 10 years. The Yellowstone flow is quite low, but appears healthier after last seasons scouring. This could be a great year to catch the Salmon Fly.
UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN
BEARTOOTH LAKE
9360 11.8 22.5 52 11.0 19.2 57
BOX CANYON
6670 4.9 9.8 50 7.9 11.6 68
BRACKETT CREEK
7320 17.3 19.8 87 20.8 23.6 88
BURNT MTN
5880 4.5 5.8 78 10.1 13.7 74
CANYON
7870 7.1 13.2 54 8.7 14.7 59
COLE CREEK
7850 12.6 14.4 88 9.5 14.9 64
EAST BOULDER MINE
6335 3.9 -M * 9.1 -M *
EVENING STAR
9200 15.5 28.2 55 16.9 24.2 70
FISHER CREEK
9100 19.4 33.3 58 18.9 34.7 54
MONUMENT PEAK
8850 13.2 19.5 68 12.8 20.0 64
NORTHEAST ENTRANCE
7350 4.8 10.9 44 7.7 12.1 64
PARKER PEAK
9400 15.3 20.6 74 10.8 15.4 70
PLACER BASIN
8830 12.4 16.4 76 13.5 17.6 77
PORCUPINE
6500 4.5 6.6 68 9.0 10.9 83
SACAJAWEA
6550 13.1 13.7 96 19.8 21.2 93
SHOWER FALLS
8100 16.2 20.5 79 16.8 22.5 75
S FORK SHIELDS
8100 13.5 16.1 84 17.4 18.5 94
SYLVAN LAKE
8420 11.0 21.4 51 13.4 20.0 67
SYLVAN ROAD
7120 5.4 12.3 44 9.2 17.0 54
THUMB DIVIDE
7980 7.0 18.2 38 9.9 18.1 55
TWO OCEAN PLATEAU
9240 16.1 26.6 61 13.3 26.5 50
WHITE MILL
8700 13.7 23.1 59 12.8 25.8 50
WOLVERINE
7650 5.7 11.4 50 6.0 12.3 49
YOUNTS PEAK
8350 8.2 16.4 50 6.9 15.4 45
—– —–
Basin wide percent of average 63 66
If the river is calling you, get out there, listen. It works for me. I’ve intentionally tried to stay away from any spawning fish and concentrate my efforts where I might find some big Browns. This means a lot of mid-river fishing where there’s some obvious depth and no bottom visible. The Yellowstone carries so much nutrient rich water rarely is it perfectly clear and always seems to have that green tint, which definitely benefits predators like us and keeps the mystery in enough shadows that only a deep-drifted nymph or heavy streamer will reveal it’s secrets.
If there’s one thing the mild winter will help it’s our elk. Seems they’ve been taking a beating for a few years, new predators, rough winter, limited water, food and overall habitat with no less hunter pressure. You can bet we’ll do our part in making sure more calves survive this year. FWP has also decided to make the brave call of not offering a late season hunt. This isn’t welcomed by everyone, some of us counted on a leisurely cow hunt to harvest some tasty winter meat. Trophy hunters will have to look elsewhere for bones. Maybe guides will be more accepting in accepting meat as a tip from a healty cow or young bull versus one of those crippled old park bulls.
Will We Have Free-Roaming Wild Buffalo in Montana?
This battle continues to heat up, but there’s some bright lights that are beginning to show that not only can hunters work together, but even more important, people can work together for a common interest regardless of their own singular agendas. Most everyone agrees that seeing Bison roam the hills and valleys of the Yellowstone will be a welcome sight, a monumental moment in history that we can all be a part of. Right now, politics and drama are getting washed off. Like the Bison itself, made to walk into the storm. If ever an animal deserved to represent wide-open spaces, it’s this special creature. Please comment-I’ll send you a hat if you can email me a copy of your comments that I may share on my blog-while others fight to protect our country, maybe some of us should be fighting to protect what their fighting for. Click on this link and follow the directions.
http://fwp.mt.gov/wildthings/management/bison/
Thanks again for stopping by. I’m looking forward to getting out into the hills this week to see how our elk are doing, perhaps clean up a bit for them now that they’ve started discarding last years head gear. It’s time for a new hat anyway.
See You on the Mountain!
Jim “JB” Klyap, Outfitter #7843
Dome Mountain Ranch
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