Madison River Fishing Report

Madison River Fishing Report for July 2nd, 2016

Dam: 832 cfs

Kirby: 1,020 cfs

Varney: 1,280 cfs

Madison River fishing report.  Simply put, the Upper Madison is about as good as it gets right now.  With daytime temperatures peaking in the high seventies to low eighties and 300 cfs more water in the ditch since last week, the fish have been staying cool and have been very willing to eat dry flies throughout the day.  Right now expect to encounter Salmon Flies, Golden Stones, 4-5 different species of caddis, PMDs, Eperous, 4 species of yellow sallies, and even a few green drakes if you head out there.  The bulk of the Salmon Flies are currently between Three Dollar Bridge and Palisades, and you will find plenty of Goldens from the Slide Area all the way down to the Ruby Cliffs.  As far as the big bug fishing is concerned, this has been the best year we have had since 2013 and fish have been eating the big dry from daylight through dark when you dial in the right bug.  Some mornings have been a lot better than others, but the action seems to really heat up from late morning through the evening hours.  Some of our better patterns this week have been Chubby Chernobyls, Cat Pukes in Golden Stone and Salmon Fly variations, Half Down Stones, Carnage Stones, and Clook’s Floater in a Pool.  If you are getting refusals or no attention what so ever, keep changing up your color variations and sizes until they eat it like they should.  The evening caddis hatches have also been incredible over the last week from 6:30 p.m. until dark and a #14-16 X-Caddis or Butch caddis in tan or olive has been about all you need to know.  We’ve also been doing well dropping Kelly’s Downed Caddis behind the dry for the pupa or diving egg layer.

The nymph fishing has been good out there too, and we are still doing well on Pat’s Rubber Legs early in the mornings until the caddis start to hatch.  Again, we have been doing best keeping it relatively small with #14-18 caddis larva, #16-18 $3 Dips, Shop Vacs, Hare’s Ears, PMD Barr’s Emergers, Yellow Sally nymphs, #14-18 caddis pupa, and #16-18 lightning bugs being some of our better patterns right now.  These fish have been in their summer holding areas for close to a month now, so be sure to hit the heavy seams, buckets, and pocket water and you should do well.  Streamer fishing has been on the slower side with all the insect activity going on, which is pretty typical this time of year.  We have gotten a few fish to eat sculpin and bait fish patterns early in the morning, but the bite subsides dramatically once we start to see caddis hatching.  Be sure to keep checking back for another Madison River fishing report from the Slide Inn.

 

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