Feels like Summer
Great weather and great fishing lately. Today is bright and sunny the other day we had some snow, eh it's Montana. The Salmonflies are hatching on the Madison and Big Hole. Great mayflies and Caddis hatching all over as well. We are geared up for one of the best fishing seasons in decades in Montana so we hope to see you on the water this year, preferably holding a bent rod.
UPPER MADISON: 2,260cfs
A little less visiblilty than last week the Upper has about 1-2ft. of visibility currently which is really plenty enough to have a great day of fishing. Spectacular nymphing with the heavy stonefly, mayfly nymphs, and the dirty worm imitations. The streamer bite is hit or miss but well worth the effort for me. A few dry fly oppertunities with caddis, stonflies, and attractor patterns with the never sink trude being my favorite.
dries: BWO film critic, BWO tilt-wing, PMD film critic, PMD squeezer, chubby chernobyl, low rider yellow sally, yellow stimulator, para Adams, purple Adams, royal wulff, Purple wulff, never sink trude
nymphs: Rubberlegs, stoners, rock n roller stone, tungsten yellow sally, iron sally, gold lightning bug, bubble back BWO, red copper john, olive soft hackle, sex fly, blue + PT spankers
streamers: screamers, dream catchers, zonkers, bow river buggers, yellow yummy, JJ's Special, sculpzilla, deer hair bugger, silveys sculpin leech
LOWER MADISON: 3,210cfs
The lower has been fishing just great lately. There are a few Salmon fly sightings but the fish are not quite keyed into them, maybe a bit better luck into the Bear Trap canyon. A little cloudy in terms of water clarity but you still have about 1ft-18" of visibility. The fish are hammering the crayfish and sculpin still with a smaller mayfly nymph trailer is good to go all day long. The PMD, Baetis, and Caddis adults are coming off wonderfully in the afternoon for the dry fly crowd. I like yellow, black, and especially white streamers in the slightly off color water.
dries: never sink trude-black, royal wulff, JC's special, film critic BWO + PMD, Para Adams, purple adams, tilt-wing baetis, Comparadun PMD, PMD squeezer, chubby chernobyl, rogue river salmon, terranasty
nymphs: sex fly, PT spanker, lightning bug, bloom's soft hackle-brown, red headed stepchild, copper john, tungsten yellow sally, silveys primetime pupa, mangy caddis, good n plenty, twisted wire ginger, iron sally
streamers: JJ's Special, white zonkers, bow river buggers, double badger screamer, silveys sculpin, sex dungeon, crispy critter, big gulp sculpin, sparkle minnow, snapping craw, turkey back crayfish
MISSOURI: 7,220cfs
Decent flows and nice weather have some awesome mayflies hatching come midmorning and again in the evening in the from of PMDs. Nothing better than dry fly fishing to the pods of fish in the Missouri between the dam and craig. The nymphing is great with smaller mayfly and mdge nymphs if you need the fishy fix quick. Definately the Missouri can be very rewarding to those who have patience with the dry fly and good notice of the different insect life stages that the trout key into. Either way it's all good stuff and however method you choose may there be a bend in the rod.
flies: Sparkle dun, sulphur dun, Para Adams, film critic PMD, Para PMD, tilt wing PMD, micro may, red headed stepchild, bloom's soft hackle brown, lil spanker PT, lightning bug, zebra midge, ray charles, primetime pupa, copper john, hunch back scud, sow bug, sculpzilla, mini-loop, zonkers, sparkle minnow, crayfish
THE BIG HOLE: 3,000cfs
The salmon flies are flying and the fishing has been great with both the adults and nymphs of the big beautiful stonefly. The big hole is pretty and clear rightnow with a fantastic streamer bite. Grab a handful of big black, olive, or yellow streamers and bang the banks hard. Some real nice browns been taken latley on the double articulated monsters. Great nymphing to be had as well with stonefliy nymphs and caddis pupas.
flies: Terranasty, rogue river salmonfly, orange stimulator, orange chubby chernobyl, silveys sculpin, sex dungeon, screamers, dream catcher, zonker, bow river bugger, JJ's special, yellow yummy, rubberlegs, tung yellow sally, hare's ear, pheasant tail, stalcup's baetis, tung ready baetis, para adams
YELLOWSTONE: 12,000CFS
A big muddy mess. Real fast still i'd give it another ten days to two weeks before a float.
GALLATIN: 2,350cfs
Pretty fast but you could catch a fish in the soft water with a rubberlegs nymph. pretty tough and dangerous wading at this flow still.