Madison River
Dam: 942 cfs
Kirby: 994 cfs
Varney: 1,050 cfs
Fishing has slowed down a little bit over the last four days, particularly with the streamer bite, and it seems we must wait again for colder temps to move in and stir the proverbial pot. Don’t get us wrong…You can still go out there and get some fish on bigger streamers, but it’s not quite as hot and heavy as we saw the week before. The Zonker/nymph rig is still the way to go in the morning below Lyons, but expect that to drop off around noon-thirty–We’ve been doing better on small baetis nymphs, midges, and caddis larva in the afternoons. We’ve had a couple reports of decent hopper fishing in the wade section, but don’t expect to kill it out there on top these days, as it has been a very inconsistent terrestrial bite this year. Nymphs are still the way to go if you’re looking for numbers between Raynolds and Lyons, and you’ll do best by keeping your flies pretty small…like #18-20 small. Black Zebra midges, baetis nymphs, $3 dips, Krystal Dips, and even a few caddis pupa have been the ticket under the indicator, but it never hurts to try a black rubber leg this time of year either. We should start to see temperatures start to drop around here by Monday, with a possibility of rain throughout the week, so we’re hoping that will get things going again.
