Madison River Fishing Report for January 31st, 2020
Dam: 900 cfs
Kirby: 994 cfs
Fishing on the Upper Madison has been good this January, and temperatures have been relatively mild for the most part. Some folks have been taking advantage of the nicer weather and floating recently, as most of the boat ramps from Windy to Town have been accessible. That could certainly change here shortly, as the forecast is calling for a decent amount of snow starting on Sunday and throughout the following week.
Wade fishing in the upper stretches between Reynolds and Lyons has been really good and is usually a little more sheltered from the formidable Winter winds that can creep up on you downstream from Palisades. As per usual, basics nymph patterns like zebra midges, $3 dips, hare’s ears, and jujubee midges have been the staples as of late, and you can never go wrong with a small stonefly like a Pat’s Rubber Leg most days. Just make sure you have enough split shot to get down on the bottom and target the deeper holes where the current is moving at a walking pace or slower and you should get into them. We have also seen some fantastic dry fly fishing from late morning through the early afternoon on adult midges and midge clusters so make sure to have some dry flies with you if you head over this way.
