2011 Season Report, 2012 Outlook
I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of the clients who joined me--and the rest of my guide crew--last season. It was my busiest season since I returned guiding full-time in 2005.

2011 was a season marked by record snowpack. There was widespread flooding around Montana in June, when heavy rain fell on snow or saturated ground. In the Livingston area, we feared major flooding on the Yellowstone, as cool, wet weather continued to build the snowpack well after Memorial Day--by the time runoff started, snowpack levels were nearly 200% of normal. As it turned out, we didn't have damaging flooding on the Yellowstone, but flows on the river stayed very high--even the bravest souls didn't start floating until around the 1st of August, nearly a month later than normal. Since I spend so much time on the Paradise Valley spring creeks, my schedule was not much affected by high water, but it was a short season for many of the local outfitters who depend on floating the Yellowstone.

The outlook for 2012 is a lot different than last season. Snowfall has been spotty, with very little snow around Livingston and Bozeman--just ask any local skier. But snow in the higher elevations in the Park has the Yellowstone drainage at about 90% of normal, so we shouldn't have to worry about extremely low flows. Years with lighter snowpack often give us more fishable water conditions at key times--look for a better shot at dry fly fishing during the Mother's Day caddis hatch in April/May and salmonflies in late June.

Back to New Zealand!
As many of you know, I traveled to New Zealand for the first time last February. A friend who has fished new Zealand extensively for decades warned me before my trip: "You'll love it, and you'll kick yourself for not going 20 years ago." He was exactly right--on both counts! As I told friends all last season--it is the same sort of sight fishing I love to show clients on the spring creeks, except the fish are three times bigger.

In fact, it was such a great trip that I am going back again this month. I'm sure I was a bit unsufferable with New Zealand stories last season. Be warned--I hope to have a lot more to relate this year!