Madison River
Dam: 880 cfs
Kirby: 1,110 cfs
Varney: 1,370 cfs
The Upper Madison is still fishing very well in both the wade and float sections, and water temperatures have remained relatively good for the most part. Salmonflies and golden stones have come and gone, but there are still plenty of opportunities for the dry fly angler out there– It won’t be quite as impressive as it has been over the last three weeks, as the afternoons have been far more productive by switching over to the sub-surface side of things. With sallies and PMDs on their way out as well, it is mostly a caddis and eperous game out there, but attractors, small terrestrials and nocturnal stoneflies are starting to fill in the gaps– We got reports of fresh shucks around burnt tree a few days ago so we should start to see a little more of everybody’s favorite entomological vampires in the Upper River with each passing day. Mornings and evenings are still your best bet for dries, but the indicator fishing has remained consistent all day long. Caddis pupa, small pat’s rubber legs, serendipities, and midges have been some of the better nymphs as of late and dries such as X-Caddis, goddard caddis, small stimulators, ants, and rusty spinners have been flying out of the bins. Streamer fishing is still good early and late, but the bite seems to be dying around 9:30 a.m. most days. However, if you are lucky enough to be out there when the clouds roll in (preferably with a little rain in the mix) it has been really REALLY good.
