June 27th 2008-Wrapping up June



June is quickly coming to an end, and July is right around the corner. Fishing really responded this week with the Lower Fork really beginning to light up. Caddis, PMD's and Green Drakes were out in enough numbers to get the fish tuned into the surface. Nymphing has remained good as well with a variety of beadheads that imitate those same bugs. The Box has been a little tougher this week because of the sheer number of boats utilizing this great fishery. As many other rivers start to come into shape look for the crowds to thin here. The Madison has fished very well, especially in the wade stretch. The Madison below West Fork is still running high and off color, but with a little work a good day can be had concentrating on the slicks downstream of big rocks, and in the convergences of two channels. big stonefly nymphs are the way to go, as they are beginning to get active in preparation for the upcoming hatch. Cross your fingers that water levels, water clarity, weather, moon phases, what you had for breakfast , the stock market, geological events, presidential decrees, and your favorite color all come into play and those stars to align for a great fishing season with the Salmonfly on the Madison. The Gallatin, Lamar, Slough and Soda Butte are still at least a week away from beginning to fish. However, I do think we have seen the peak of run-off here and all rivers are showing the signs of  retreat. Look for the next 3 to 4 weeks to potentially be some awesome fishing with lots of bug activity. Stay Tuned!

posted by Admin at 6:17 AM 0 Comments

June 24th 2008-Summer Babee!


Hey Everybody, I just wanted to say a quick thanks to all the folks who joined us for the second week of the Firehole Ranch season. The Stoner family and the boys who rocked the Slide. Shauneen and Larry whose infectious laughs made BBQ awesome. Craig and Roy's pleasant disposition made the whole week fun for everybody, and Roy's first big Rainbow was awesome. Big Grant and Little Grant who fly fished for the first time and hopefully will be lifelong converts. We all had a great week and we look forward to seeing all of you again soon! 

Another sunny day in paradise as the guides look out at their daily office we realize how lucky we are that we get to share these beautiful summer days with the guests at the Firehole Ranch. Fishing has started off well this week, with the Madison taking top billing. Even though the river is still high and only has around 2 feet of visibility the resident Brown and Rainbows are on the prowl, and a well presented SJW, Rubberleg Stonefly, Shop Vac, and Crystal Dip have been filling their bellies. A few of the more adventurous fish have even been known to rise, but yesterday we failed in figuring out the mystery bug that attracted their attention topside. The Fork is fishing good with the Box Canyon and Warm River to Ashton the best options. Nymphing is still the name of the game, but Sunday we saw glimpses of the dry fly potential that the Lower Fork can produce. The Firehole is also good, with mornings being the best bet. We have two strong contenders for the FHR 1st annual Whitefish Bonanza. Check back later this week for a picture or two! 
Rowan

posted by Admin at 10:12 AM 0 Comments

June 23rd 2008-Coming Down, Kinda...

Hey Everybody, what a beautiful 10 days we have had. Sunny and 70, could it be much better. Such a long winter, and a cold spring, and everybody here is soaking up the sun. The symphony of birdsong is incredible and I think our winged friends are lovin' this summer weather as much as we are. The Mule's Ear and Narrowleaf Balsam Root are in full bloom, causing fields and hillsides to turn yellow and white. I think it might be  an epic wildflower year. The area's rivers are still quite high and even slightly off color, but the fishing is chugging right along with the flows. The Madison has been very solid in the wade stretches, with numerous nice ones falling for the old SJW trick. The H-Fork is also fishing well, as the hatch cycle begins to wind up. A few Green Drakes were spotted down low, and PMD's are in full swing. The Firehole is also holding steady with good caddis and PMD's. A few salmonflies remain on the Maddy in the Park, and the Gibbon is starting to fish with large attractors and beadhead nymphs. Fishing continues to improve on a daily basis, and soon it is going to totally let loose, and it is going to be quite hard to decide where to go, because there will be so many possibilities. Fish On!
Rowan

posted by Admin at 6:31 AM 0 Comments

June 19th 2008-An Early Contender


Hey Everybody, well the fishing did not quite shape up this week as I was predicting and hoping. While fishing was good and solid, I really thought the warm weather might let the fishing loose, but instead the snow is what came loose, as many of the area's rivers entered a second stage of run-off. Both the Madison and Firehole Rivers have come up and have remained off color. The Madison while not hot, has been steady with nymphs-SJW's, rubberlegs, crystal dips, shop vacs, and Baetis thin mints. The Henry's Fork is fishing well, but the dry fly fishing has been slow to come around. The Salmonflies just petered out and never made a banner appearance in the Box, but woe is the tale of the Salmonfly. Goldenstones have showed up though and the fish are looking for these sunny and juicy morsels. Take notice of the ealry entry and strong entry into the Firehole Ranch First Annual Lovin' the Whitefish Contest. 

posted by Admin at 6:17 AM 0 Comments

June 17th 2008-A little more run-off


The beautiful sunny weather of the past couple of days has been absolutely gorgeous. I love the summer evenings that we get here in Yellowstone country. Fishing has been inconsistent this week so far as the warm weather has loosened up the remaining snowpack (which is still significant), and several of the area's rivers have risen and cooled off. But I suspect the fishing will quickly adjust and fishing will be as good as ever as the week progresses! 

posted by Admin at 6:28 AM 0 Comments

June 14th 2008-Summer, Summer, Everywhere


Hey Folks, we are finally experiencing summer. What a difference a couple of days makes. After having 6 inches of fresh snow on Wednesday, we hit a beautiful 70 degrees today. Sunshine, blue skies, a few white fluffy ice cream cone clouds. Wow! There may not be much better than a summer evening in Yellowstone country. Welcome to all our guests this week, many of them here for the first time. I am excited about the fishing possibilities this week, as the warm weather ought to kick start some more salmonfly activity in the Box Canyon, caddis on the lower Fork, and PMD spinner falls on the Firehole. Salmonflies could also make an appearance on the Madison in the Park and Firehole Canyon. The Lower Madison should continue to fish well with meat flies such as SJW's, Buggers, and Rubberlegs, but smaller beadhead nymphs will also begin to make a showing. Look for the monster midges of June to pepper Hebgen on the calm warm mornings and evenings. Thanks to all the folks (Patrick, Patrice, Bob, David, Darren, Rob, Jeannie, and Michael) who slugged it out in the snow, wind and rain last week. After many consecutive days of sloppy weather, Suzanne, Pat, John, Brian, Greg, and Geoff all got to see a little sunshine at the end of the week. We hope to see all of you again real soon. As for this week, continue to check in for updated fishing reports, the first annual whitefish contest, and more photos of what will hopefully be a week of fun in the sun!
Rowan

posted by Admin at 9:10 PM 0 Comments

June 11th 2008-Winter-Summer?



6 inches of wet fluffy snow blanketed the Firehole Ranch this morning, as a classic western squall buried the Yellowstone area in white. Despite the harsh conditions, anglers at the Ranch hit the stream with gusto and glory. Buggers and Worms were the ticket, as Rainbows and Browns gorged under nasty conditions. The Madison has been fishing very well the last few days as it continues to drop from its near capacity flows of a week ago. Another day of snow is forecasted for tomorrow but summer is just the weekend away as high's of 70's are in the card for Sunday. It is definitely true, that if you wait 10 minutes or move 10 miles the weather will be different here in Montana. The First Annual Firehole Ranch Whitefish Contest has officially begun, and there has already been a few entries, keep in tune for future photos of these beauties! 

posted by Admin at 9:09 PM 0 Comments

June 10th 2008--The Summer Season begins in Soggy Fashion


The Firehole Ranch has hit the rivers and the fishing has been good. Our first two days on the water saw the guides and guests on the Firehole, Henry's Fork, and Madison Rivers. Good PMD's are a daily occurrence on the Firehole, although the Rainbows and Browns only average about 9 to 10 inched this time of year, what they lack in size, they make up for in spunk. Salmonflies are beginning to show in the Firehole Canyon, but the forecasted snow on Wed, might slow this hatch down. The Madison continues to shape up, and Josh floated Pal to Mac yesterday with good results with large streamers and nymphs. The wade stretch of the Madison has also been good, despite the higher water and slightly stained look. Hitting the pockets and slicks with SJW's, woolly buggers, and BH Princes has been the ticket. A few Baetis and March Browns remain, and a few heads can be seen in isolated pockets. The Fork is also chugging along with the Salmonlfies making their way up to Box Canyon, warmer weather will help this hatch out, but it remains to be seen if that forecast is going to happen this week. Summer is coming, it has just been a little slow this year!

posted by Admin at 6:02 AM 0 Comments

June 8th 2008-Let's get ready to Rumble!!!


A fresh dusting of snow has greeted our first guests of the 2008 "summer" season. So far this June we have had either rain or snow every day, and this reminds me of the good old days, where we got over 20 days in June with precipitation. All this cloudy, nasty weather, is making run-off trickle down and pretty much guaranteeing good streamflows all season long. The surrounding mountain ranges are simply beautiful, and the green meadows, dotted with glacier lillies and a dusting of snow is quite picturesque. The weather forecast is for more of the same this week, so break out your rainjackets and micro-fleece, and gaze into your mayfly box, for the hero fly this week is going to be a PMD imitation. The Firehole should be heavy with PMD's this week and you can be sure that we will be sharing this treasure with Firehole Ranch guests this week. Box Canyon should also be good as salmonflies have started to shake the air with the beat of their clumsy wings. Warm River to Ashton on the Fork should also continue to fish the rest of this month (and with all this water, probably all summer, YEA!), with PMD's beginning to show this week too! Today is also the official start of the Firehole Ranch Annual Whitefish Bonanaza. Keep in tune to the blog for this event all summer long! So grab your rod and let's hit the water!!

posted by Admin at 6:01 AM 0 Comments

June 5th 2008-Salmonflies on the Fork


Hey Everybody,
Only 2 days until the first guests of the season arrive at the Ranch, and the guide staff has been busy fishing too get ready. Several rivers in the area are fishing pretty good right now, with the Henry's Fork being on the top of the list. Salmonflies are moving up the river and should be in the Box by the time the Ranch opens. Warm River to Ashton is fishing well, but the high volume of water has put the dry fly fishing off a little. The Firehole is fishing well with Caddis, PMD's and Baetis. Look for salmonflies in the canyon by this weekend as well. The Madison in the Park has been spotty but good, and salmonflies should work their way down this river this week, increasing the chance to run into good fishing. Everything is greening up, glacier lillies are blooming everywhere and the season's first elk calves have been spotted. Looking forward to seeing everyone this season-let's go fishin'!

posted by Admin at 4:47 PM 0 Comments



Going to France as a family for the first was a great adventure. Leading to our departure we were all very excited about the trip. Kris and I had gone to France 20 years ago and spent an entire winter there. The flights on the way there and back were uneventful but long. Kris and Remy experienced their first security frisk in Amsterdam. I was glad to have a reservation for Citroen C5 {great French car} so we had more freedom to go to the Loire and central France when needed. We stayed in a beautiful place near Disneyland Paris but left Mickey waiting. AH! La Capitale. Even though the trees were bare and only budding, we found flowers and beautiful grounds everywhere we went. Chloe and Remy experienced their first train/ metro{RER} ride to Paris. We used it every time we had to go to and from our hotel. With 45 minutes ride we had plenty of time to organize ourselves and plan our day. We did a ton of sight-seeing and walking. Our favorite places were Orsay museum, Ste Chapelle cathedral, Eiffel tower, even though we opt not to go up because of the lines and too windy of a day{ 60 to 80 miles an hour}, the Marais district, the left bank etc... . We also took public transportation at all hours and found ourselves in rush hour commute stack like sardines in the metro. Also the #69 bus near Eiffel tower was a great way to see Paris all the way to the Pere Lachaise cemetery {closed also to high wind}. We ate as much street food and pastries as we liked. On to Versailles and Chartres. La France and all of its glory. Extravagance is an understatement when it comes to describing the rooms at Versailles. Silver and gold, tapestries and sculptures. We also enjoy the drive and the town of Chartres and the famous cathedral. The same day we pushed on to Blois and the next day visited some of the Loire alley and its gorgeous castles Amboise, Blois and Chambord, but Chenonceaux won our hearts with an easy self guided tour and beautiful gardens. Kris has always been a history reader and loved the fact that she found herself in one of Catherine de Medici's parlor and bedroom. We went back for a few more days to Paris and walked many of the Parisien arondissements. For the last part of our trip we drove to Vichy , the town where I was born and where my two sisters still live. Vichy is a well maintained middle size town with the Allier river passing through. the spas are open year round but tourist season is usually from May until October. Chloe and Remy spent a good amount of time with their cousins and got along so well with them. My family had a big dinner for my birthday {charcuterie ,farm chicken braised in cream and a lot of cheeses to finish it up}. Overall, it was a wonderful trip for all of us{thanks to many of you } with a lot of great memories for the rest of our lives, Bruno.

posted by Admin at 10:37 AM 0 Comments