We feel that flows are important to list this time of the year as the fishing on the Madison River changes dramatically as these flows drop or rise due to snowmelt, rain, run off coming from the tributaries and of course Hebgen Dam.  Pay attention to the weather and watch the flows – this past week has seen a slight drop in flows and we are hoping that NWE will keep running things at Hebgen Dam at this level for the foreseeable future.  Pulse flows really haven’t started just yet as there has been enough water to refill Ennis lake each night.

MADISON RIVER FLOWS

Below Hebgen- 997 cfs

Kirby- 1250 cfs

Varney- 1670 cfs

BETWEEN THE LAKES- 

The chilly morning temps have continued around our neck of the woods which has kept the Madison nice and cold.  There are fish looking up for all kinds of different bugs -  caddis, mayflies and stone flies are all hatching on a daily basis.  Its been pretty busy down there, so make sure to treat other anglers with respect and give them plenty of room to fish.  No one likes a high-holer!

A Corn-fed Caddis, Jojo’s Chubinator, Iron-X Caddis, Iris Caddis, Jojo’s PMD, Copenhaver Rusty Spinner or Heames PMD Klinkhammer, Jojo’s Green Drake, Jojo Parashuck Flav and micro-chubbies will bring fish to the surface

WADE SECTION- 

Knot on a single dry fly, take off walking to your favorite haunt and start prospecting the banks and the slicks. If you find yourself unable to raise a fish or two, you should find some pocket water, sit down and observe your surroundings.  Look for caddis bouncing in the slicks, maylfies emerging from slicks, or the morning/evening dance of a mayfly spinner fall. There are now Salmonflies and Golden Stones in the Wade Section, use caution when knotting on your fly, we like 8lb Maxima or 0X if you don’t have Maxima. Take a headlamp and fish till dark, sunsets on the Madison right now have been splendid.

A Corn-fed Caddis, Jojo’s Chubinator, Iron-X Caddis, Iris Caddis, Jojo’s PMD, Jojo’s Rusty, Jojo’s Green Drake, Copenhaver Rusty Spinner or Heames PMD Klinkhammer , various Chubbies, Razorback Salmonfly, Razorback Golden, Jojo’s Golden, Jojos Salmonfly will bring fish to the surface. 

FLOAT SECTION- 

It’s been an interesting week from Lyons to Ennis, the salmonfly and golden hatch has been a bit of a mystery, to say the least.  Some days there are bugs flying and on the water and then the next day there is absolutely nothing at all through out the system. The big bugs have popped river wide in pockets and the hatch doesn’t seem to be moving upstream in the traditional fashion of years past. The most consistent dry fly fishing has been with caddis, PMDs, Flavs and Green Drakes.  These smaller insects are getting most of the attention right now.  A Corn-fed Caddis, Jojo’s Chubinator, Iron-X Caddis, Iris Caddis, Jojo’s PMD, Copenhaver Rusty Spinner or Heames PMD Klinkhammer will bring fish to the surface.  We have a great selction of micro-chubbies (#12-#16) at the shop, don’t overlook these attractor patterns this time of the year when searching for feeding trout.

If you just fished a Salmonfly like it was the only fly you had in your box and you had to eat trout for dinner, you will raise some good fish, but your fly will go uneaten at times so don’t fret. The bank water and mid river at times – for the banks get in there tight, fish heavy tippet(1X, 0X or 6-8lb Maxima), believe in your drift and hang on.  For those mid river drifts – keep the fly floating for a long time, the best spot for your fly is in the river. We like Lawson’s Salmonfly and Golden, Jacklin’s Salmonfly, Jojo’s Salmonfly and Golden or the Salmonfly Razorback.  Pick your poison and fish it hard.

If you want to or need to nymph, we like the following choices - Copper Duracells, Shop Vacs, olive perdigons, CDC pheasant tails, PMD Frenchie, Olive AZ Hares Ear, Rubber legs and the various Spanish Bullet Quill are all solid options to fish under a bobber or dropped off a large Chubby.