Madison River
Dam: 921 cfs
Kirby: 959 cfs
It’s been more of the same on the Upper Madison this week, with unseasonably high temperatures making for very pleasant fishing conditions. The nymph bite is still holding steady with midge larva and pupa imitations such as zebras and #18 $3 Dips doing the most damage. Smaller Pat’s Rubber Legs in black have been good choices throughout the Upper River in addition to Iron and Tungsten Sallies in #16 as well. The dry fly fishing has continued to hold its own between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. when the wind holds off enough to keep the adult midges on the water. While $3 Bridge and Raynold’s are definitely our favorite places to look for heads this time of year, they can also be a little more susceptible to the wind than other spots. If the wind does come up try heading to Pine Butte, around the West Fork, or Between the Lakes and that should give you a little more shelter. Streamer fishing isn’t typically red-hot during the Winter months, but water temps have been warming up enough to make it worth your while– Smaller sculpin imitations, Cone head barely legals, and even Sex Dungeons should not be overlooked as quite a few browns in the low 20″ range have been looking for a bigger meal over the last three weeks.