Archived Upper Madison Fishing Reports: 2010
November 3, 2010
We had a great ending to an Indian Summer in November, floating from Lyons to McAtee with two of my guide buddies. Bernie Sundell, Allan Muchmore, and I caught some nice Browns and Rainbows on my new jointed streamer patterns.
I sure love that R&D!
Dan
October 9, 2010
I enjoyed a great day of fishing on the famous Madison River just a month or so before my 88th birthday. I spent the day with my fishing partner, Steve, and guide Marty.
It was a beautiful fall day with sunshine and warm temperatures for our trip from Lyons Bridge to Ruby Creek; one of my favorite floats. The first hour of fishing was slow, but once the warmer temperatures arrived, the fish went on the feed. The rest of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon gave us good fishing with brown and rainbow trout, along with some rather large whitefish. Steve landed the biggest of the trout that day. I don't know why we didn't get a picture of that one but here are a couple trout he caught.
Steve and i both caught a good number of fish of different sizes, along with some big ones that got away. My best fish, a big brown trout, came off after it went under the raft and I tried to horse it back to the net...Oh well. I did have some choice words I won't repeat in reaction to that moment.
All in all, it was a great day of fishing on the Madison River.
Grandpa
September 24, 2010
A great day was had by all. Four people in the raft; three fishing from the boat at the same time and Dan rowing. It was an incredible Indian Summer Day; punctuated by smiling faces catching fish. I found a great lunch spot to take a swim; not on purpose, but a refreshing dunk in the Madison. Justin, Judy, Watson, and I enjoyed all of the above.
Dan
September 19, 2010
The guides and boats are taking a short respite at Beartooth for maybe a day or two. It’s been a very busy summer at the lodge and fly shop, including a just completed four-day, multi-boat trip. More trips, and groups, are coming; the hectic season isn’t done yet. But for now, we have a few days to catch up on other work, while enjoying sunny skies and cooler temps.
But enough about that; let’s talk fishing.
We enjoyed another great week with our favorite men’s group who enjoyed four days of fishing on the Madison River. We are blessed to play a part in the adventures of this group. The pictures tell the stories; relaxation;friendships renewed; laughter; and a spiritual feeling the Madison River valley provides. On a special note, all of us at Beartooth Flyfishing missed Ken Tada this summer. He needed to be home looking after his wife Joni. We would like to offer prayers for both of them.
Along with some great fishing, we also experienced a wide variety of weather, from sunny and warm to cold and rainy. While the sunny, clear spells felt great, the best fishing came during the colder, wetter periods.
Pictures from different days and groups during the week are shown. We had a fun guys reunion group, two brothers and a friend, and a women's group including some of the wives of the adventure group. A mix of patterns and techniques caught fish, lots of fish. And happily, many enjoyed a good bit of quality dry-fly action. And surprisingly enough, some of the best dry-fly fishing came during the worst of the weather, with big fish taking the top-water offerings during dark, cold and even rainy periods. Throughout all the conditions, the most consistent rig was a dry with a nymph dropper.
The nymphs that caught the most fish varied from Girdle Bugs, Prince Nymphs and Delektable Little Spankers in a variety of colors and sizes. The Olive Micro May Fly in #16 continues to be a great pattern, and an assortment of Caddis nymphs also worked.The best dries were hopper patterns, especially the #8 Delektable Slammers, in Cream, Yellow and Bubble Gum. Half-Down Hoppers also drew a lot of strikes, including the biggest fish of the four-day trip.
With our fairly settled, cool weather pattern, the fishing should remain strong. So grab your gear and go fishing!
The Delektable Crew
September 15, 2010
A day of flyfishing on the Madison River in Montana on a guided float trip.
The three of us, myself, John Delekta proud father from the famous fly shop, Beartooth Flyfishing, our guide Dan Morrill, and my fishing partner Steve. It was a warm sunny beautiful day. The fishing for the first two hours was slow catching: six smaller trout. As the day warmed up the fishing got better. The next hour I hooked and netted a fat fighting 18" Rainbow Trout. My partner Steve and I in the next four hours caught and released numerous smaller Rainbow and Brown Trout from 8" to 15". The later part of the day I caught a jumping and fighting 19" plus Brown Trout. Steve and I later caught about 10 Rainbow, Browns, and Whitefish up to 16". As usual I was fishing my two nymph rig experimenting some with a streamer on top. Steve experimented from dries to nymphs and some streamers. The nymphing flies that worked included the Copper John in Copper and Red, the Delektable Lil' Spanker in silver, red, and pheasant tail, and the lightning bug.The best sizes were #16 and #18. This was another beautiful day on the Madison River. Thank you Dan for doing a good job and getting us into fish.
Grandpa
September 10, 2010
It was a little chilly on Friday, but the guys were bundled up and ready for action. Our two-boat float, Dan and I, hit the river under mostly cloudy skies with a chance of rain, but the moisture stayed away from us.
Recent trips had produced great catches with hopper and ant patterns, but the cool snap, which put a dusting of snow on the mountain tops, had put the bite down below. So the ammo of the day was streamers and nymphs.
Fished in tandem, usually slow behind an indicator, gave us a mixed bag of catches, with several nice fish making it into the camera and, of course, the big ones “that got away.” It was a great day on the river, with quality fish and great clients. As we say back home; “We passed a good time.”
The streamer that produced the best was the Black/Olive Delektable Screamer. A variety of nymphs got fish, including the #18 Olive Micro Mayfly, #18 Serendipity in various colors, #18 Delektable Little Spankers in various colors, #18 Pheasant Tail Tungsten Flash Bug, and #14 Gold Lightning Bug.
LOOKING AHEAD
As of this writing, sunny and warm weather has returned, and so has some dry-fly fishing. The streamers and small nymphs are still the best producers, but we are also seeing some action on top with hoppers and ants, along with the usual rotation of caddis and mayfly patterns.
Marty
September 3, 2010
Sometimes, just being on the water in beautiful weather is all it takes to have a good day. And sometimes, the fishing is also good, making the experience wonderful! Such was the case Friday.
I had the pleasure of guiding Ken and Carolyn. Carolyn isn’t a fisherman, and floated for half the trip to view the scenery, it was enjoyable having her ride along for part of the trip. And she couldn’t have picked a better day for the scenic float, with sunny, warm weather highlighting the day.
For Ken, the fishing started quickly, with one of the biggest fish of the day caught on one of the first casts of the trip. It was morning, and still rather cool, so the little piggy was caught on a Brown Pat’s Rubberlegs, size 8. A mixed bag of trout was also taken on the Olive/Brown Pat’s Rubberlegs, size 8, along with Red Delektable Little Spankers, size 18: Delektable Flies Gallery. Another large rainbow, the classic “one that got away,” hit an Olive Micro Mayfly, size 18.
As the weather started to warm later in the morning, we switched our tactics to terrestrials. The hopper/ant combo got attention immediately; well, half of the combo got attention, with all of the strikes coming on the ants. That remained the case, with a variety of hopper patterns being flatly refused, but the tasty ant morsel kept getting whacked. After a while, the hoppers came off, and we fished double ant rigs. And while straight ant patterns were getting their share of attention, it was the general attractors, Royal Trudes and Royal Wulffs in sizes 14 and 16, which really drew the strikes.
Another beautiful day in Paradise!
Marty
August 23, 2010
A day of fishing on the famous Madison River in Montana including myself, John Delekta, friend Steve, and our guide Jim Morrison. Our float was from Windy to Storey Ditch. We started our float about 10:00AM. The day started with a cool morning but warmed up during the rest of the trip. The first hour was slow fishing. As the weather got warmer, the fishing heated up.
The next four hours I caught and landed four large brown trout. Two trout were over 18 inches and two were over 19 inches. Steve caught a 19 Inch Brown Trout plus a number of smaller fish.
Later that day I caught the biggest fish of the day, an over 20 inch Brown Trout and a fat Rainbow Trout over 18 inches.
You know I will fish whatever it takes to get the trout and I like whitefish but I was doing really well with a two nymph rig and sometimes a nymph off of a streamer. Steve was working the dries pretty hard and was catching smaller trout with the dries. Sometime after lunch Steve converted his rig to add nymphs and soon after he had another really nice trout landed. This was another great day of fishing. Nancy and Dan think I look ten years younger every time I fish. At 87 years going on 88 I can use all the help I can get. I am going to try to fish more and fish harder. Thanks Jim for doing a great job guiding and thanks Steve for taking the pictures. What a fun day!
Grandpa
August 16, 2010
A day fishing on the famous Madison River in Montana with Jim Morrison, our guide, my friend Steve, and myself, John Delekta, Chairman of the Board at the best fly shop in Montana, Beartooth Flyfishing Shop and Lodge with the hosts Dan and Nancy Delekta. You can tell this is a proud father.
Our float trip was from Ruby Creek to Varney Bridge. Steve was fishing dry flies and I was fishing a two nymph rig. Steve was the first one to catch a good size brown trout. I missed the first two good fish I had on. They were in the 18 to 20 inch range. Jim and I both witnessed the one fish broke my line and the other one jumped and spit the hook. I did better the rest of the trip and landed all the rest. Two of the brown trout I caught were over 19 inches long. Steve and I also caught a bunch of browns and whitefish in the 16" to 17" range.
All in all it was another great fishing day on the Madision River.
Grandpa
August 14, 2010....CHANGES!!
The last couple weeks have been very interesting on the Madison River, with many asking, “This is August, right?” Bright, hopeful mornings have given way to nearly daily afternoon thunderstorms, with quickly dropping temperatures. Some days were outright chilly, and there was even a hail storm or two thrown in for giggles and grins. But fishing remained good; except during the hail storms, of course; with fishermen scoring on a combination of nymphs, streamers, and dries, depending on conditions. We have had some great adventures.
Still, the cool, wet weather kept the grasshoppers at bay, with the constant question being heard every day in the shop; “When will the hoppers start?”
Well … Good news! … The hoppers have started!!!
The last couple of days have produced enough consistent hopper action to report and are what we’ve all been waiting for. And with a sunny and warm forecast for the next several days, the action should only get better. Also mixed in with the hopper bite are the Spruce Moths, which have been producing fish throughout the unusual weather. Earlier this week we had a great Father/Son day with both sets of fathers and sons catching some nice trout enjoying regular action on both dries and nymphs.
A variety of hopper patterns have been working, mostly in sizes 12 and 14. The Spruce Moth patterns with the most consistent success have been the Half-Down Hopper in #14, Gold Tarantula in #12 and #14, and the Delektable Twisted Baby, Tan/Brown, in #12, #14 and #16.
And don’t forget the ant patterns. Fished in tandem with a favorite hopper, these tasty little morsels can be deadly. A variety including the Delektable Flying Ant in Cinnamon in all sizes have been working.
Along with the surface action, nymphs, whether fished alone or as a dropper under the hopper patterns, are still a great choice. Stoneflies, especially Girdle Bugs, in a variety of colors in size 8 and 10 have been good, along with the normal mix of Mayfly patterns, such as the Lightning Bug, Copper Johns, Red-Headed Stepchild and Delektable Lil' Spankers, in a variety of colors, all in #16 and #18. Caddis patterns, and Caddis Emergers such as the Serendipity, are also an excellent choice.
So get out there and enjoy the sunny, warm weather. The hoppers certainly are!
GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS
First, the bad news; it’s been a while since we posted our last fishing report … Too long.
But the good news is, it’s because we have been SO busy, we haven’t had time to publish one. What an incredible season it’s been so far! Our other excuse is true, Nancy is still recovering from her spine surgery and can't be living at a computer keyboard so much. The pictures we posted in this report cover two weeks to yesterday.
For those who have been languishing in the interim, waiting for a new fishing report, we greatly appreciate your continued interest in our reports, and we apologize. As we continue through this very busy and successful season, we will strive to publish reports as often as is feasible.
We graciously and sincerely thank you for your consistent interest, patience, and support. Without you, our loyal, fishing enthusiasts, who are downright fun, and interesting customers, we would not be enjoying such success. We have the BEST customers in the world. You guys and ladies ROCK!!! It has been fun at Beartooth Flyfishing and you are very much a part of our daily adventures in the shop and on the river. Thank you!.
Tight Lines!
The Delektable Crew
July 21, 2010
A day fishing on the famous Madison River in Montana. Jim Morrison was our guide and myself going on 88 years and my fishing partner, Dry Fly fisherman, Steve. It was a nice sunny warm day on the Madison as we started our float trip from Windy to Storey Ditch. The first two hours I caught two big Whitefish and Steve and I caught about 6 smaller Rainbow Trout. The next few hours Steve caught an 18 inch Brown Trout on a dry fly.
Unfortunately, we had technical challenges in getting a photo of Steve’s fish. It was a great catch. I hooked a monster trout that took off in back of the boat and broke my leader off. Later that day I caught a 19 ½” Brown Trout and an 18” Rainbow Trout. It was a grand fishing trip and was enjoyed by all. Thanks Jim for doing a great job of getting us into fish.
Grandpa
July 20, 2010
Nymphs: great; Dries: good; Streamers: so-so
Flow: 1,040 and stable
The nymphing has been out of sight. A #12 or #14 Prince nymph has been a great lead fly, followed by any number of PMD, Caddis, or Yellow Sally nymphs. Our favorites have been: Yellow Superflash, Silver Lightning Bug, Delektable Silver Lil' Spanker, Soft Hackle Hare's Ear, Bead Head Caddis Emergers-olive and tan--all in #16.
Dries have been getting fish regularly, but it's not off to the races, yet. Try your favorite PMD, Caddis, and Yellow Sally patterns, and Delektable PMD Teaser and PMD Squeezer-#16, Parachute Rusty Spinner #16, and Delektable Tan Sparkle Bug and Halo-#$16: Delektable Flies Gallery
The steamer fishing has been slow. Patterns with olive and black are working some. Maybe the bright weather we've been having, or all the insect food in the water, has not made the big fish eager to chase streamers for the time being.
Brad 
July 13, 2010
Fly Fishing the Madison River for the First Time
We have had some real fun the last few days with some fly fishers who were fly fishing the Madison River for the first time. The first was Hermon Bain, the superb Bahamian guide and owner of Hermon's Andros Island Bonefishing. Anyone who wants a great experience bonefishing will not go wrong by lining up Hermon.
Hermon had a great time dry fly fishing with the Big Bugs and caught a nice brown on a little fly--a #14 Rusty Spinner. He missed a great salmonfly take, but sure got a great charge out of it. He won't soon forget it.
Next were my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Gloria and Mike Ogden, from Houston, Texas. On Gloria's first day out, she caught an 18" Brown Trout on a Red Wire Worm--the first fish she ever caught on a fly rod. Her husband's fish, caught on a #16 Delektable Pheasant Tail Spanker: Delektable Flies Gallery wasn't quite that large. It was his second day fly fishing.
Brad
July 11, 2010
Great Times with Dad!
What fun it was to get out dodge for a few hours on Sunday and go fishing with my father on beautiful Madison! We didn’t get into the water until about 3:00pm and I was rowing for the first time (in a pontoon boat) and managed to survive with the only incident being that I lost an oar and had to chase it with my boat using one oar for about a mile until it finally snagged and I could retrieve it. What fun! I was really amazed with how far I could go down the river with one oar, still knowing that at some point I wouldn’t be so lucky anymore if I didn’t retrieve the other oar soon.
For old time’s sake I fished all dries with my dad and we did ok for a couple of rusty fisherman who hadn’t fished the river in around five years. Just goes to show what a busy schedule will do even if you live in fishing paradise. The fly’s that worked for us were a #16 Delektable Twisted Baby in Olive/Gold, # 16 sized yellow stone fly pattern (with yellow legs), # 16 olive caddis and a # 16 peacock hurl bodied stimulator. The fish would only take the smallest patterns we had and were very eager as long as they were small bugs.
I know it will be a day to remember for my dad and I both.
Jenn
July 6 to July 8, 2010
If I’m dreaming, don’t wake me up!
I’ve been fishing the Madison River for over 20 years, and I can easily say the last three days has been one of the best runs of guiding and fishing I have ever seen. It just doesn’t get any better!
And it doesn’t matter the fishermen’s preference; dries or nymphs, they’re all working. There were stretches where the dries worked better than the nymphs, and vice-versa. But there were also big chunks of the days when both worked equally as well … So many bent rods … So many fish … So many photos … So many smiling fishermen …
The three-day run was with seven clients on a four-boat float. At one point on the third day, the digital cameras were getting passed around as fishermen were comparing pictures of 20-plus-inch trout … Every boat was scoring lots of fish, and lots of big fish … What a day!
Punctuating the action below the water was all the insect life above the water. Small caddis, large Caddis, a variety of Mayflies, Yellow Sallies, Golden Stones and even a smattering of Salmon Flies; the air was teeming with activity. The Salmon flies have been around but not showing a big enough hatch to make noteworthy and report separately. The Salmon Flies are now from Varney up to Lyons. They have not visited the lodge and the front porch which is when we usually announce their presence. The other bugs around the Salmon Flies are what really made the week and they are still out there hatching away.
The list of flies that worked and could work is huge, so let’s talk food groups. On the dries: Stoneflies, especially Goldens, got a lot of attention, along with Mayflies in #16 and #14, and Caddis in #16 and #12. We even tried a large Royal Trude for a little while, for “old times” sake, and it didn’t disappoint. For the nymphs: Caddis and Mayflies in #16 and #14, and Prince Nymphs in #14 and #12 all worked well. But the real “kicker” was Yellow Sally nymphs in #16 and 14, which caught the most, and the biggest fish.
Am I dreaming? Heck no! … It’s the Madison River, the hatches are in high gear, and the fishing is great! … It’s time to go fishing!
Marty
July 9, 2010
Palisades day use area is open. The camping area will remain closed for one to two weeks while the work is being completed.
June 30, 2010
Palisades will be closed on Weekdays until road work is completed!!
Unfortunately, the road workers experienced too many conflicts with the traffic going in and out of the day use area. Palisades will be closed on weekdays effective immediately until the project is completed. Please plan your float and fishing locations accordingly. The day use area will be open on weekends only. We will post a notice when the status changes.
June 27, 2010
My girlfriend Jeanne Williams, owner of the Rainbow Valley Lodge and I had a great day off with Gunnar Folsom as our guide. Our days off are few and far between so we really make the most of them. The weather was sunny, warm, and light on the "W" factor. The river was pretty clean in most places. We did see some light dirt kicking in at Ruby and at Indian Creek but it was so light, you could see through it. The water temps were pretty cool. The fish bite was never consistent but there were some really nice trout to be caught. If you were on the river that Sunday, you would have certainly heard us. Both of us like to scream and giggle when we get a fish bite and we talk to the fish. When we land a nice one, watch out and plug your ears! There were some very gracious folks along the river who survived our screams, thank you.
We did not see any of the Big Bugs on our float from Windy to Storey. One day later one or two were spotted in that stretch but nothing to announce yet. We saw Caddis in different sizes, and Yellow Sallies in various sizes.
The bugs that worked included an assortment but no one fly worked for a long period of time. The twigs and branches on the bottom took some of our bugs. We learned quickly to pull up the flies and not leave them in too long to get snagged. The Delektable™ Hurless in Gray #6 or #8 was possibly my best bug. The other bugs that worked for a short time were the Pat's Rubberleg in Brown #6, Delektable Stoners in Black/Orange and Brown #6, Delektable EH Twisted Wire in Red and Green #14, Delektable Lil' Spanker in Red and Green #14 as a trailer to the big bug, a couple different Caddis emergers, the Delektable Badger Screamer caught my nicest trout, and a brief dry experience with two bites on the Delektable Royal Teaser behind a Twisted "X". I tried some Salmon flies with a dropper and no reply. The Whitefish really wanted the Prince Nymph..
You can see we caught some really nice trout. There was a quiet spell in the afternoon and we have heard mixed reports of others having that quiet spell at different times, some later, some earlier. There was no steady pattern. We really had a great time and hope to get out again soon, maybe in a month or two. FYI, as of the writing, the dirt is gone. Thanks Gunnar for taking good care of us. Thanks to Ed and Dan for covering for us back at the shops.
Nancy
June 18, 2010
After a morning of work, and staring out the windows at an absolutely gorgeous, sunny day, the boss said “no mas!”. We had lunch, wrapped up a couple minor projects, then loaded up the truck and headed to the river for some wade fishing.
As usual, it was the right call. That’s why he’s the boss. The fish were as happy to see the beautiful weather as we were; and oh boy, were they biting! We started our trek with a very short drive, straight down the hill behind the lodge. It wasn’t long before the “woo-hoo!”s started, as rods bent, time and again, with hungry Madison River trout, punctuated with majestic leaps into the crisp air.
After a good run of fish behind the lodge, we started working our way up the river. A handful more trout accepted our offerings at another of our favorite holes, then we made the move to our third stop. We again fished in solitude, with no other waders in sight. And like the first two stops, the fish were hungry and eager, the only difference being, they were even hungrier. Dan, “The Man,” caught 10 trout in one section; six of them coming from one hole … My ears are still ringing from the whooping and hollering.
My highlight of the day, along with the beautiful trout I was landing, was the fact that I was catching them on my favorite wading rig; a 60-year-old Granger bamboo rod, rebuilt by Dan, and a 50-year-old Hardy reel … Catching wild trout on the Madison River with vintage gear … Priceless!
The bugs the trout just couldn’t refuse were the Delektable™ Olive Flashback Hurless #6, Delektable Grey Flashback Hurless #6, Delektable Brown Stoner #6, Delektable Red Worms Gone Wild #8 and Delektable Lil' Spanker #14 in Red, Silver and Pheasant Tail: Delektable Flies Gallery
Oh, and the reports we are still hearing about the Madison being blown-out. Well, for lack of a better term, they are blown-out, of proportion. Just check out the water in the pictures. It’s not muddy. There is a stain, but with good clarity … And, as I may have mentioned already, the fish are biting -- hard! Customers who stopped at the shop for a shuttle called later today to confirm their good fishing results and success with the same flies we used and streamers too..
So grab your gear and go fishing!
Marty
June 16, 2010 The Rookies Truly Embrace the Dirt!
We fished from about 10:30 to 6:00PM near Three Dollar Bridge. It rained on and off all day. We tried different combos all involving a stonefly with either a Delektable Lil' Spanker trailer or a worm pattern. We caught smaller fish in the beginning of the day. Drew caught the largest fish of the trip; it was a brown.
The water was much cleaner. The stone flies seemed to be working the best. We established fishing routines each of us liked: Drew likes to fish around islands and where slow water meets fast water where he seems to catch the most fish; Joe likes to fish behind boulders and log jams, also along the sides of the river.The island fishing requires much more wading which results in more falling in. Yikes! that water is cold!
The family of geese were still there following us along with the goose above with one leg. We couldn't figure out how it was so balanced. This was our last day. We had a great time and will really miss Montana. We have our gear and knowledge to bring home with us to fish there. Until next time......
The Boys!
June 11, 2010 The Rookies Score in the Dirt on their own!
On our second trip to Three Dollar Bridge, we caught and landed five fish a piece, Yeah! On this outing we chose to cover a much larger area instead of focusing on any one specific area. It appears this was a better strategy for us because it resulted in a lot more bites.
Early in our fishing adventure, I caught a nice size Rainbow. While Joe was enthusiastic for me, he was also frustrated because he needed a fish fix. Luckily, Joe emerged today and caught some really nice fish, and our largest trout so far.
Our casting has greatly improved and is likely one of the major contributors to the day's success. We had fewer tangles and more accurate placement. This allowed us to spend more time fishing and getting the bugs closer to the fish instead of de-tangling.
The picture of me in the fast water, screaming, shows me as I retrieved a fly from the fast moving current. I was calling for help. Instead of giving me a hand, Joe took my picture. Do not try this at home! I made it to shore OK, but what an experience! The flies of choice were the same. The scenery was terrific. We caught and landed trout. We were also followed by a large family of geese, as curious about us as we were of them.
What a great day!
Drew 
June 4-8, 2010 Cleaning Up in the Dirt....
We have enjoyed some entertaining experiences with family visiting and learning about fishing the dirt. In between it all, we shared in the celebration of a dear friend, Eric Shores' 50th Birthday! Happy Birthday Eric!
Nancy's nephew, Drew and his buddy Joe came to the wild west to learn how to fly fish and to see the sites of Montana.
Part of their adventure included a drive across country. This is the first time they experienced the wide-open spaces that are so dear to all of us living in the west. In between the moisture, they had some really beautiful weather. The mountains still have snow on the peaks and it is green and flowery on the plains. While fishing they were near a mother moose and her calf. We explained they were fortunate not to have been charged.
The water is now fast and dirty. It's not for the faint at heart. Waders should use extreme caution.
But, you can really catch trout in the dirt. You need to experiment with dirt techniques.
The "master of the dirt" just loves and embraces it, and that be Dan the Man! The boys waded between Raynolds Pass and Pine Butte, using the raft for transportation. Of course Dan pulled a "Dan" on them at a wade spot before 3 Dollar Bridge,and caught 10 trout just showing the boys how. He caught three browns within 10 minutes at another spot. The boys had plenty of tugs. The challenge was how to land the trout, especially in the fast water.
Drew was very excited to land a Rainbow Trout near Three Dollar Bridge. The picture, and smile, tell the whole story.
The flies of choice included:Delektable Egg Head Black/Orange Stoner #6, Delektable Brown/Orange Stoner #6, Delektable Hurless Gray FB #6, Delektable Lil' Spanker Red and Pheasant Tail #14 and assorted Delektable Worms #10: Delektable Flies Gallery. The boys were using a two-nymph rig on a 9-foot leader with the indicator all the way up top. About 18" of tippet for the second fly was tied to the eye of the first fly. The larger nymph was the top bug and the smaller was the trailer. They cast mostly upstream hard, walked the dog, or let it drift down waiting for the tug. Additional shot was added above the first fly for deeper spots.
It was a fun adventure and included some white-water riding, too!
.......The Boys!
May 28, 2010
“Oh, the weather outside is frightful …” But the fishing is AWESOME!
The weather was wet, very wet, on Friday, and very cold, with snowfall following on Saturday morning as I write this report. This meant bundling up for a guides-day-off trip down the Madison River with my buddies, Allen and Bern.
But, oh boy, was the fishing great!
The word for the day … STREAMERS! As is usually the case, the streamers weeded out the little guys, with only big fish biting our offerings … LOTS of big fish … Fishing was consistent throughout the float, punctuated with bent-rod doubles. Anytime there was a short lull, color selections were adjusted, and the bite was back on!
Oh, and the blown-out conditions we keep hearing about; not true! The water has a stain, but it’s not muddy, the clarity is good and, oh yeah, the fish are biting … HARD!
And the fun and great fishing didn’t end when we got off the river. As we pulled back into Beartooth with boat in tow, Dan was loading his truck for a late afternoon of wade fishing. Just like us, he absolutely hammered one big fish after another. The only difference was his fly selection, with stonefly nymphs providing his multitude of strikes; specifically, the #6 and #8 Delektable™ Black/Orange Stoner, and the #8 Delektable™ Olive Mega Prince Flashback.
My apologies for the sparing amount of photos. The seasoned veterans weren’t that concerned about taking pics, and my hands were so cold, I stopped taking them out of the protection of my gloves. In fact, after fishing a short while in the morning, I volunteered to row the remainder of the float, so I wouldn’t have to take the gloves off, and to keep the “internal heater” cranked up. Heck, even the local boys were feeling the effects of the cold, but I was much colder than them. … What can I say? I’m a Southern boy … I did get some photos of an unexpected highlight of our trip. We made a right-hand turn in the river and were greeted by a small herd of elk crossing the river, complete with calves. What a treat! This river, and valley, never ceases to amaze me with the natural beauty that fills it.
So grab your gear; and don’t forget to bring spare warm clothes and rain gear … and go fishing!
Marty 
May 21, 2010 The proof is in the pudding!
We received a great report back from friends and customers who stopped by for flies and fishing suggestions. Here are some pictures from their fishing on Friday.
"Hi my name is Jeff, I was in your shop yesterday with Marion from Helena. I just wanted to tell you that we had a great time on the river yesterday and thought that you have the best fly selection I've ever seen. Thanks for the selection you helped me with. (i'm the good lookin guy in the blue hat)"
Thanks for the great report Jeff.
Week of May 16-21
Despite reports to the contrary, the Madison River is NOT blown-out. The tail-end of the recent warm weather put some dirty water in the river, but it remained very fishable with only a ribbon of colored water on one edge. The cold temps of the last couple of nights cleared up the influx of the feeder creeks and the modest amount of "dirty" water has become only a stained tint in some areas. The vast majority of the river is clear and all of the river is very, very fishable.
May 16-17, 2010
I had the pleasure of guiding Matt and Pam on the Madison River, and the mild weather, along with crystal-clear, perfect water, accented two wonderful days on the river. .. And, oh yeah ... The fishing was great! Both anglers said it was some of the best fishing they ever had.
The first morning of fishing started a bit slow, with very few bugs in the air and only a handful of fish caught before lunch. But after our lunch break, we saw more and more bugs, with the occasional thick swarm of caddis filling the air, and a mix of mayflies thrown in for good measure. The bugs, like the weather, were off and on. There was a back-and-forth mix of sun and threatening rain, with fisherman putting on jackets, taking off jackets, putting on jackets, taking off jackets, etc. ...But no matter; when the sun was out, and the air was warm enough for short sleeves, the fish turned on! And along with the great numbers of fish, the big fish were eating flies hard, with multiple runs into backings and high, majestic leaps out of the water. The anglers were whoopin’ and hollerin’ down the river, and grinning from ear-to-ear for pictures. What a great day!
Our second day again saw a good number of quality fish, just not as many of the photo fish. It was also a flip-flop of the previous day, with the morning fishing hot right from the start, then becoming slower but steady though the middle of the day, and a very slow bite in the afternoon.
The couple left with huge smiles and a camera full of great memories.
Thanks guys for two fun, wonderful days on the river.
The bugs that worked were the #6 Delektable Egghead Brown Stoner, #6 and
#8 Pat’s Brown Rubberlegs, #18 Delektable Lil’ Spanker in Silver, Pheasant Tail and Red, #16 Beadhead Pheasant Tail Tungsten Soft Hackle, and #18 Olive Micro Mayflies.
Tight Lines!
Marty 
May 15, 2010
Opening Day on the Upper Madison....
Dan, Grandpa, and Nancy had a great opening day. It was a warm day with beautiful scenary. Tthe mountains had more snow on them and the sun was in and out. The valley is starting to show signs of green. There was a small amount of the "W" factor. Nancy started off catching more pretty large whitefish and Grandpa was getting jealous. He loves those native whitefish. We floated from Ruby to Storey Ditch because we had to be finished in time for a social outing in Virginia City in the early evening. Not too long after we started, the trout started to feed and we were all catching trout, both Rainbows and Browns and nice sizes.
The flies of choice included the Delektable™ Olive Mega Prince, Delektable Brown/Orange Stoner, and the Delektable EH Twisted Wire Brown/Amber.
For Grandpa and Dan this has been a tradition for many, many years. Grandpa will be 88 this year and still really loves to fish. The boys and I had lots of fun and smiles. Thanks for rowing Dan.
Nancy
May 13, 2010
Dan and Marty, along with four other local guides, Mike, Jim, Bill, and Shad, volunteered in the annual river float of the Ennis High School Science Club. Participants included Science teachers, Wes, a biologist, and the science students. The trip is a highlight of the club’s activities, and combines educational activities with a leisurely float trip on the Madison River.
The day began with an entomology presentation by Dan at the Beartooth Fly Shop. He explained the types and life-cycles of the various insect life in the Madison River. The lessons continued at the boat launch, as the students received another presentation by Mark about the fish of the river, including the fish shocking/counting process conducted by the state biologists and regulators. On the float, the students kept journals of the birds and other wildlife spotted while traveling down the river. This information, along with the presentations, was later compiled in written reports by the students.
An added highlight for some of the students was catching a few fish while floating down the river and spotting wildlife. It didn’t take much time to enjoy some great fishing as the fish were eating fast and furious! The young anglers quickly caught a lot of quality fish before returning to their club assignments.
Important lessons and time on the river, mixing education, the natural beauty of the river, and some fish thrown in ... What a great day!
It was, as always, a fun time for everyone involved.
May 5, 2010
One Crazy Weather Day on the Madison....
Two of our favorite fishermen, Michael and Travis, joined Dan for a 12-mile float on Wednesday. A true "deep end diver", Michael was determined to fish even though he was sporting a fracture boot to secure his broken leg from the same week. The day brought temps in the 40s and 50s until about 4 p.m. Then a storm moved in from the north with 30 mph-plus winds and snow. For the next two and a half hours, it was rowing the raft hard, backwards, just to get downstream.
Now for the good news....
The fishing was Kick-Ass, using #8 and #10 Delektable™ Flashback Olive Hurless Stones, #14 Delektable™ Lime Juice and #14 Delektable™ Egghead Twisted Wire nymphs.
One pool was briefly fished during the snowstorm, which produced a nice brown trout, but hypothermia and frostbite were threatening, so wisdom and good judgment ended the trip around 7:00 PM..
Dan
April 21, 2010
Dan escaped for the day with Ty Webb of the Bozeman Angler after completing multiple work projects.
We picked the section from Mac to Varney mainly for the solitude. The browns, rainbows, and whitefish co-operated by chomping the #8 Delektable Olive Hurless Stones and some of my new Egghead Twisted Wires in a #14: Delektable Flies Gallery. Great weather, fishing, and company with Ty. Springtime in the Rockies is my favorite time of the year.
Dan
April 18, 2010
This was an eventful day for sure. I had cervical spine surgery just over four weeks ago. After seeing the doctor last week I was given the go ahead to cautiously fish from a raft, no hard sides, no rowing, and no wading unless with arm support and great caution. I am healing pretty well. The major pain has subsided but the fingers are still experiencing numbness which is expected to hopefully heal with time. We planned for a short afternoon. It was nice and warm with light "W". Of course, more than once, Dan pulled his usual, while retrieving my fly, he caught multiple fish in the bucket I was working.
We launched at McAtee and finished at Storey Ditch. We had a great time and had plenty of nice fish on. The scenary was really nice.
I was not able to land the bigger fish without assistance from Dan. Normally, I would do both the landing and the netting at once but my strength isn't there yet. I needed to be cautious about lifting too much.
We did see redds along the way, but the rainbows were mostly gone from the redds and done with their spawning. Fish were biting in the deeper waters and riffles and near the bank. Some were taking it in the middle river riffles where there was nice structure. The flies of choice for me were double #8's using the Delektable Olive Hurless, Gray Hurless, Mega Pince Standard and Olive: Delektable Flies Gallery. Dan was getting good action on the #14 Delektable EH Twisted Wire in Chartreuse as a trailer fly with one of the #8's on top.
We watched a huge Bald Eagle leave his perch and fly away.
I was very excited to get outside and catch some fish. It was fun and I am alive!
Archived Upper Madison River Fishing Reports: 2009
Archived Upper Madison River Fishing Reports
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