Approximately three million years ago the 3,472 square mile area that we call Yellowstone National Park was the site of some very violent volcanic activity. This action ultimately gave rise to the geysers, hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles. During the past 300,000 years three different Glaciers covered the region. These also contributed to the sculpturing of Yellowstone, which in turn attracts millions of people to the Park each year. Though many travel to view the natural attractions some travel to fish. In 1872 President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill that created Yellowstone National Park. The northeast quadrant of the park contains the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek, arguably two of the finest fisheries in the park.

The landowner asked me to come back and fish the pond again. He has been using water out of the pond. It was down another couple of feet. I went in with two bamboo rods. I am addicted to them. I have to go out some days and use the other rods. If I have a bamboo with me I don't use the graphite rods much. I have a yellow boa yarn leech and a black furl tailed leech on the two rods.

Michael Radencich is acknowledged as one of the finest Atlantic Salmon Fly Tier in the world and, in my opinion, is one of finest Atlantic Salmon Fly historians. His attention to detail and the thoroughness of research is outstanding with this volume. Michael is also a highly accomplished photographer and he enlisted the help of some of the finest Atlantic Salmon Fly Tiers to construct the patterns list in the monumental volume and his photo's so their work very well. 

Surprisingly this version of my ByColour Nymph is easier to tie than the original; perhaps because the materials go on in a more traditional sequence.

For clarity I have tied this example on a long shank size 12 hook. The ones I tie to use myself are usually on size 16 or smaller Swimming Nymph hooks.

Intently focusing through the early morning glare cast upon the water, my gaze followed the little green indicator as it drifted toward my downstream position. It followed along the small seam formed by the upstream barrier wall, and then danced its way in a lazy circle as it turned into the small eddy formed where the gravel bar I was standing on forced the water to my right. Did it bounce? My mind rushed to keep up with the information it was receiving since the window to strike was such a short second. Then "YES" as the indicator ever so slightly dipped below the surface, signaling me to raise my arm. The pulsing weight on the end of my line let me know that my timing was correct, and a fish was on the other end.

Either visiting anglers to Montana or local fishermen everyone enjoys fly-fish during the breath-taking Montana summer. So do I and that's why fly-fishing guides are needed and how they make a living in Montana. However there are several rivers in Montana that are open year around. Around Livingston, the Yellowstone River accepts and challenges us all year around. If we drive a bit, we can fish Lower Madison as well.

When I first read the works of Dame Juliana Berners, Colonel Robert Venables, Charles Cotton, James Chetham and Richard Bowlker I marveled at their abilities to take trout using wooden fly rods that were twelve to twenty feet in length and by using a fixed length of braided horse hair fly line and leader.

I was first introduced to midges when I was fishing Michigan's Au Sable River. It was in the mid-60's and the regular mayfly hatches had been reduced to a scattering of Trico's in the early morning. We noticed that there were some very small insects buzzing around the surface of the water and the trout seemed to be feeding on them. A quick trip into Jack's Fly Shop in Roscommon produced some suitable imitations; small black flies that consisted of nothing more than a black thread body and a couple turns of hackle. As I recall they were tied on size 18 and 20 hooks.