Fly Friday: Mastering water temperature trends...

Trout being cold blooded critters as water temperature trends upward toward (or downward away from) the ideal (60 degrees give or take a couple depending on species) so goes metabolisms and....And thus go our fishing propects.

Given water temperatures hovering in the mid-30s to mid-40s usually equates to slow fishing regardless but should the water temperture suddenly drop, such as late afternoon when the sun settles behind yonder hill, the fishing is almost certain to shut down, like slow-mo to non-existent in a flash.

Water temperatures generally trend the same as air temperatures only slower; one notable exeception being the warm sunny afternoon in spring when the snow suddenly starts melting infusing said river with many gallons ice water...not so hot.

Cold water and low temperture downward trends do not affect trout health wise. Though prolonged cold snaps plummet water temperatures to near freezing, metabolisms all but shut and some might lose an ounce or two not eating. The flip side is another story. Prolonged high water temperatures (81 degrees is deadly) can be fatal, especially so if we anglers add to what is already a really stressful situation.

As water temperatures trend above 70 degrees the effect on trout metabolisms is similar to sudden downward trends and extreme low water temperatures. Trout stop eating, activity slows to a crawl and if trend continues for more than a day or so migration to cooler water is imminent.  Cooler more oxygenated water is ideal but just getting to cooler water is paramount to survival--spring holes, colder tribs even the bottom of deep mostly shady pools. Unless trout have become somehow acclimated to high water temperatures (like the Firehole) little, if any feeding or activity, for that matter, occurs in 70 degree water.

The best thing for us is to leave them alone, hope for a change in the weather. Montana's so-called hoot owl mandate is designed for just that reason...to get us the hell off the water until conditions improve.

Birding Trails Montana: Bird photography...

...is not easy: Starts with a plan, add a decent lens (in most cases 300mm is bare minimum), a tripod helps big time but is not always possible, so image stabilization comes in handy and lucky sure doesn't hurt. But even so like with most things in life some days you get steak: the killdeer is a prime cut.

Some days you get chicken... alas this shot of a junco is close but..OK, the pose is spot on, the eye sharp, the background none too shabby, though cast a keen eye and you will see Mr Junco is not quite tack sharp...My excuse is poor light (juncos tend to hang in dark, forested places), hand-held, too slow shutter speed and sticking with a too low ISO 100...As I say chicken baby and be damn glad to get it for...

 ...had this fumbled hairy woodpecker shot been judged best in show...Well you know, like no din-din tonight unless of course the dog is willin' to share...over and out...

On another track a rare afternoon of almost no wind we packed it in at the office and scurried to the lake...Hardly a ripple, hardly any competition (as it soon became obvious MIAs knew something I missed) and not a single bump. Despite diligently offering up several choice looking jigs, a couple nymphs and a woolly or two; yup, two hours up near the dam and a half hour so at Horse Prairie and nothing, nada; flat out skunkoed go figure? If any consolation I noticed the four brothers plying the dam face were pretty much, no make that, summarily skunkoed as well...Skunkoed. Sort has a nice ring don't you agree...

Montana Outdoors: Old Montana

Another day of howling wind and no fishing (as I said not for me) we spent the day hiking and poking around the Birch Creek country not far from town. Lots of history here, ranch homesteads, Farlin silver mine and smelter and so on...Obviously scenic too...This shot is as it came out the camera...The rest are cropped and tweaked in Lightroom; heavy on the presets...obviously. Hope ya like 'em...

In case you are interested the presets allow you to tweak the look of the photo; in the above photo the settings accentuate the rust and of course gives the entire photo a lot more pop...not for everyone I know but since this is my party...

 This old shanty is slowly settling into the sagebrush; the roof is all but long gone; but as this crop shows what's left is still pretty damn plumb, level and square...at least to the extent log construction and minimal hand tools allowed way back when. Can't say how many hard working miners this one housed but since is only about 10wide X 8deep X 6 feet high...sure hope they got along...

Whoever built this one knew what he was doing; note the careful fit of the logs especially around the window frame; the inside even sported a fiberboard ceiling and walls. Evidently someone used it after the mines shut down (hunters) and had big plans for restoring juding the pile of new metal roofing stacked outside; but again judging the broken windows, doors ripped from hinges, ceiling and wall smashed and other signs...a bunch low-life vandal bastards ended those dreams?