West Yellowstone - 415 CFS.  Jumped up to 480 early this week after all the rain. 

Below Hebgen - 825 CFS. up from last week. Rain, Rain and more rain! And Snow. 

Kirby - 1110 CFS.  Again, up from last week. These are pretty solid flows for this time of year. 

Varney - 1360 CFS.  The banks looks really good through the entire float stretch. 

Hebgen is still FULL. More rain and some snow in the high country graced SW Montana the past several days -  our mountains are white and the valleys are as green as they can be.  We have been loving the moisture over the past month.  The next 7-10 days calls for sunshine, caddis, PMDs, Salmonflies, Golden Stones and plenty of rising fish. Get out there!

BETWEEN THE LAKES

Flows at Hebgen bumped up this week but should remain stable. Cabin and Beaver are a little off color and with the snow/rain are higher than they have been. Nymphing stone flies, small bead heads or stripping streamers was the name of the game over the past week with all the cloud cover and rain.  It will continue to work this week as well. Lots of bugs are hatching right now of the caddis, stonefly and mayfly varieties. Don't forget to carry bear spray either, by now, it should just part of one's daily attire.  

A #8 black rubber leg, #16 olive hot spot jig, #18 Pheasant tail, #16 serendipities, #16 Shop Vac, #16 black Zebra midges, #16 and #18 Juju Baetis, #14/16 Rednecks are all great choices for nymphing. Dries - Iron X Caddis, Corn Fed, Missing links of various sizes and colors, Jojo's PMD, Riffle Riser PMD, Para-shuck PMD, Parashuck Flav, Jojo's Drake.  Cover water and you''ll find some good fish looking up. 

WADE SECTION

Fishing has remained solid down in the Wade Section.  Fish are eating nymphs, jiggy streamers and a plenty of fish are rising at the right time and place. Caddis seem to be on the minds of rising trout, however one should carry PMDs and some smaller attractor stone flies like Royal or Tan Chubbies in #12-16. Cover water, move quickly and then slow down when you start catching fish and pay attention to the water fish are coming out of. Nymphing has been productive with jigs, Shop Vacs, Red Necks, Olive Dips, Zebra midges, Juju Baetis, 101 Stones, Two Bit Stones and  Rubber Legs.  BFE, Olive Bouface, Sparkle Minnow, Scuplin Snacks and the Swing Mint are all great streamer patterns. Dries - Iron X Caddis, Corn Fed, Missing links of various sizes and colors, Jojo's PMD, Riffle Riser PMD, Para-shuck PMD, Copenhaver Rusty Spinner and Chubbies of all colors and sizes. There are some Salmonflies and Goldens around, all of the cold and clouds slowed them down, but we should see them flying here this week. 

FLOAT SECTION

Caddis and mayflies are hatching, bringing fish to the surface throughout most of the day. Fishing this past week has been solid in the upper reaches and fish are cooperating all the way down to Ennis. We have been nymphing or fishing dry flies from bank to bank. The river is in really good shape.  Rubber legs, golden stone fly nymphs, small mayfly nymphs, caddis pupa will work just fine if you need to bobber fish. Fishing a chubby and a bead will also do the trick. Or you could fish a single dry fly with a reach cast along the banks, around the gravels bars or in the slicks. Dries - Iron X Caddis, Dusty Old Bat Caddis, Missing links of various sizes and colors, Jojo's PMD, Riffle Riser PMD, Para-shuck PMD, Micro Chubbies of various colors. Yes, there are Salmonflies and Goldens around - that said the hatch has been a little off this year and these big bugs can be found in the upper Float Section.

 Do your part and treat the fish with respect. 

1. Pull over and release those fish on the banks.  
2. KEEP THEM WET. Leave those fish in the net to take pics, or keep them as wet as possible.  Dry hands are terrible for the fish. Try taking a slow mo video of releasing your catch back to the river. 
3. If your trout swallowed the fly, cut the tippet and leave it in there, no need to jab those hemos down it's throat and make it bleed. 
4. Fish barbless.  Just do it. 
5. Fish heavier tippet whenever possible. I fish 3X to my #14 dry flies and 1X(or 8lb Maxima) to the big bugs. 

Treat those on the river with kindness and respect - you will actually catch more fish if you follow this simple rule. When pulling off the bank, give plenty of room to the boats up stream working their way down. The Madison is moving fast and most folks new to rowing a boat don't realize that 100 yards is NOT enough space. When launching your boat and taking out, be efficient, get things done and exit the ramp area. Also, please anchor your boat on the bank when taking a break. Bouncing your anchor down the river is bad form, don't be that person.