All This Snow Has To Go Somewhere (TR)

Time to get out while there's still some wadeable shoreline.

Teakettle still has a bit

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Flathead is looking good (had a bit of color and was definitely up 5 days later)

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South edge of the Park is holding on to it, too

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Banks are even with the top of the truck; all destined for the Middle Fork

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Great Mexican food here in season (get there by 4:30 or you'll wait)

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Dropping onto the Res; things were pretty grim there this winter

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No trees to hide the views on the east side

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Strange beasts still roam this land

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Started seeing fauna along the way; pronghorns first

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Not pronghorns here but couldn't figure out what they were

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Flyover solved that mystery; thought Tundra Swans had vacated Freezeout by now (just over the hill to the east) but everything's running late this year

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Decided to scout some stillwater possibilities if the river was a bust; guess I could try trolling with a snowmobile

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Back to Plan A

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Magic number; hopefully I'll get a decent campsite

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Turns out that won't be a problem, just me and one other guy; glad I got my favorite spot but the sparse attendance makes me wonder

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Word at the shop was SLOW; slow in the upper section, slow in the canyon and nothing much at all happening down past Pelican.

Flows holding steady around 7900 cfs, temp about 39.

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Midges everywhere but no word of anything looking up (never saw a fish rise in 5 days). Time to find some slow, inside seams

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Nothing but skunk on day 1 so back to camp; dinner guest

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Started the next morning at a spot that has been generous in the past; picked up a fishing buddy

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And blew the skunk off (only brown fish I saw all week)

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Place is full of life; never saw this many goldeneye

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Or iggles (20 one day); only phone shots here, camera battery went tango uniform

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Long-tailed weasel in mid-leap

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Herky Bird out of Malmstrom (buzzed us later flying nap-of-the-earth but caught me by surprise and couldn't get the camera out fast enough)

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Great circle of life and all that

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Explored the canyon lands without success

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A more pastoral setting

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yielded success

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Siren up at the dam means more water coming thru the gates (500 additional cfs, with another bump to come Monday), which effectively ends my good fortune. Back to camp
watching Mr. Redbreast chowing down on the midges

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And a last drive up to the cell phone lot to say goodnites

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Checkout time at 8:30; signs of life stirring in town

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Decided to stop by Freezeout on the way back to see if any of the big birds were still there.

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They were gone but there were thousands of ducks - buffleheads, ruddys, scaup, redheads, pintails, goldeneye, gadwalls, cinnamon teal, shovelers, mallards, as well as western and red-eared grebe, Canada geese; stunning place

Heading back the way I came; hope that white stuff keeps the rivers full this year (and the fires down)

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Regards,
Scott

Very interesting. Good rundown on the wildlife. Thanks.