MADISON RIVER FLOWS 

West Yellowstone – 296 CFS

Below Hebgen - 903 CFS

Kirby - 965 CFS

Varney - 1100 CFS 

A couple things to note:

1. Hebgen Lake is roughly 2.5 feet from full pond and dropping due to diminished INFLOWS into Hebgen.  
2. Flows below Hebgen have dropped in the last week to help conserve water in the lake.  

BETWEEN THE LAKES

We’re in the heat of summer hatches at this point in the season, and fish are looking up. With terrestrials, spruce moths, caddis, and relatively consistent mayfly hatches be sure to have a variety of smaller, light-colored dry flies on you. #12-16 chubbies, spruce moth patterns, small hoppers, a mix of PMD and caddis dries will be essential. As the summer pushes on these fish are becoming smarter each and every day. Scouting with a single dry will be your best bet these days. As always, use the clues around you and pause before continuing to cover water to notice what’s going on around you. Busy minds often overlook whats in front of them to notice what fly you should tie on the end that will of your line. Sit down and watch the river, the menu is in front of you and changes by the minute sometimes, most especially these days with a variety of options.

With a large variety of bugs continuing to hatch at the surface, you can expect eager fish to eat just about any stonefly, mayfly, or caddis imitation you put in front of them- with the right presentation. A variety of hatches can be a good or a bad thing if you’re getting your flies where they need to be in the water column. Patterns of choice here recently have been the 101 Stone from Cat3 or Heames’ Jig Rubberlegs in #8 or #10 paired with a #14/16 Redneck or Olive hot-spot perdigon hung below. For caddis larva and pupa - the AZ Hares Ear, Shop Vac or Blow Torch are great choices. 

Swinging soft hackles along seams in the early afternoon during a morning hatch is a good alternative to bobber fishing if you’re looking for some ways to switch things up from nymphing.  Early morning or late evening streamer fishing can be productive right now as well. The Sparkle Minnow, BFE or Bouface Leech patterns are tried and true for fishing early mornings or late evenings on the Madison.  The dry-dropper rig is as effective option these days as anything. Hang any of the above nymphs two feet below a Chubby and let it roll. 

Mayflies, caddis and Spruce Moths are the main game down there for now.  Patterns of choice are as follows - Chubbies of all sizes and colors (we like #14 and #10),  , #14 Iron X Caddis, #14 Elk Hair Caddis, tan X caddis, #12 & 14 Dark Missing Link, #14 Jojo Riffle Riser, #14 Yellow Missing Link, #14 PMD Sparkle Dun, #16 Jojo PMD, #12/14 Copenhaver Rusty or Cream Spinner, Jojo Rusty Spinner, #12/14 Fat Head Moth, #14 Corn Fed Moth

WADE SECTION

Raynolds and $3 are seem to be less busy this past couple weeks as anglers are turning their attention to the waters of Yellowstone National Park. Please remember to be courteous to your fellow angler and give others plenty of room to enjoy their day. 

The fast, shallow water seems to be where fish have been starting to hang out as the summer rolls on. Shallow riffles, soft pillows in front of boulders and edges close to the bank all are worth taking a good look at before moving upstream while wade fishing. You’ll notice more and more fish tucking tight up to the banks, so always make a cast upstream before you continue walking.  Cover water quickly, slow down when you find a fish and observe the type of water said fish came out of.  Then find more of it! 

A skilled nymph fisherman might pick up more fish with a bobber, stonefly, a caddis larva/pupa or mayfly nymph - but is it really about quantity?  While it's fun to catch piles of fish, there is also a time to realize that maybe you have caught enough and that the challenge has gone away.  Nymph patterns are the same as BTL. 

Dry fly patterns of choice right now are as follows - Chubbies of all sizes and colors (we like #14/16 and #10), #16 Chubbinator, #14 Iron X Caddis, #18 Elk Hair Caddis, tan X caddis, tan Iris Caddis,  #14 Dark Missing Link, #14 Jojo Riffle Riser, #14 Yellow Missing Link, #14 PMD Sparkle Dun, #16 Jojo PMD, #12/14 Copenhaver Spinner in Cream or Rusty, #14/16 Paranymph and Jonathan's PMD Klinkhammer. For moths - #12/14 Fat Head Moth, #14 Corn Fed Moth,#14 Elk Hair, #14 Chubbinator for the Moth (hint - cut of the trailing shuck). 

FLOAT SECTION

Flows have continued to drop in past weeks, and floats from Lyons to Ruby, Windy to Story or Ruby to Varney are great floats for a longer day.  The tribs in the valley are dropping fast, but are flowing cold.  Its now time to size down your flies and fish caddis, smaller mayflies and maybe an ant from time to time.  The Tan Caddis, aka Hydropsyche, are still hatching.  Hoppers are def in the rotation, bring along and assortment of yellow, pink and tan. Nocturnal Stoneflies have been crawling out on the banks and the gravel bars and leaving their wet shucks behind.  If you pick rocks around those spots you'll find a nervous #8 stonefly frantically running away from you.  Twitching a big dry fly early in the morning could produce some bass like strikes to your fly.

There is no time like the present to fish dry flies on the banks and around those sexy mid river gravel bars. #14 Elk Hair, #16 Compara Buzz, #14/16 Chubbies, #14/16 Chubbinators are great choices. A #12/14 Copenhaver rusty is a great choice as well as is Jojo's Rusty.  For hoppers and the nocturnal stone - Thunderthighs, Morrish Hopper, Sweetgrass Hopper, Pink Chubbies or Jojo's Nocturnal will bring fish to the surface. The bank water is full and holding fish, get your fly into the bank, as deep as you can with a good reach cast and you will be rewarded. Do it all day perfectly and you will understand why we love the Madison River so much. For moths, anywhere in the float stretch where the pine trees come near the banks, there should be Spruce Moths.  Patterns of choice are  #12/14 Fat Head Moth, #14 Corn Fed Moth, #14 Elk Hair, #14 Chubbinator(hint - cut of the trailing shuck). 

The dry/dropper fishing is producing and a great way to start the morning until the bugs begin to hit the water.  Think sparsely dressed, fast-sinking droppers with a big tungsten bead. We’ve got a number of gnarly, 3.8mm bead perdigons in the bins that’ll do the trick — namely the Tungsten Jig Splitcase PMD in #14/16, and Roza’s Pink Hare’s Ear Jig in #14/12, Olive Hotspots, Shop Vacs, Prince nymphs, Pheasant Tail, AZ Hare's Ear, and Redneck’s in #14/16 will also fool plenty of fish. 

If you haven't used the Fly Banjo combined with your favorite fly floatant, than you are truly missing out on the greatest little dry fly secrets there is.  

Respect The Fish 

1. Keep the fish wet at all times. 
2. Get out of the boat for fish pictures, if you need one. Take those pics quickly and get them back in the water.  
3. Release played out fish on the banks where they can safely recover. 
4. Be cool to other boats and wade anglers. Give plenty of room to other anglers. 
5. Drop anchor on or near the bank when you need to change flies or re-rig. Bouncing your anchor down the river is complete nonsense and frowned upon.