July 16, 2008  THE SALMONFLIES ARE STILL HERE

McAtee Bridge July 6, 2008

The flow of the Madison is 1,380 CFS and has been dropping for the past 5 days: Upper Madison Flow at Cameron.  The entire Upper Madison is clear and in great shape.  The Good Times are here.

There is enormous pressure throughout the entire river.  Salmonfly Madness continues. 

It's a good idea to line up your shuttle early in the day or even the day before. There is no longer any shuttle service at the West Fork.  The three shuttle services in the Valley have not been able to keep up with the demand this past week and people are coming to the river and not being able to arrange shuttles.

The major part of the salmonfly hatch is now from Lyons all the way to below Varney--a bigger hatch than has been seen for decades.  The golden stone hatch has also been fabulous and is starting to dominate.

The surface salmonfly activity has really taken off.  Nymphing remains hot--with large stonefly patterns, caddis emerger patterns--all the way from size 14 to size 6, and PMD nymphs, size 16 and 18. 

There is a smorgasbord of hatches coming off now, in addition to the salmonflies--several species of caddis, ranging from olive to dark brown, several species of PMDs, as well as pale evening duns, golden stones, yellow sallies--with marked variability as to where on the river they are happening.  So have a lot of bugs in your arsenal and keep cycling to find out what they're eating.

The streamer fishing is quite good, if you're on the river early or late. 

June 25, 2008

The flow of the Madison is 2,740 CFS and rising: Upper Madison Flow at Cameron.  Hebgen Conservation Pool is 99% full.  PPL plans to increase the flows out of Hebgen to match the inflows over the next several days.  With the very hot weather predicted for this weekend and with all the input from the West Fork and the creeks, the flow below Indian Creek may well approach or exceed 5,000 CFS before the major part of the melt is over.

These high flows and the mud from the West Fork and Indian Creek have made fishing very difficult below the West Fork.  These conditions have markedly increased the fishing pressure above the West Fork, where the fishing remains good to excellent.

Once this runoff subsides-- probably in early July-- the fly fishing on the Upper Madison is going to be spectacular--especially the dry fly fishing. 

There is some dry fly action above the West Fork with little yellow sallies and big caddis.  Once the bug hatch starts on the float section, which is just days away, the dinner bell will ring and we'll be able to catch fish again, even in the dirt.  Once we get the mixture of PMDs, caddis, and stoneflies, the float section of the Upper Madison is going to bust loose.  But we're all waiting for that to happen now.  Once it happens, it's going to be good all summer.

The streamer fishing is spotty. 

June 11 , 2008

The flow of the Madison is 2,350 CFS and has been dropping for the last 6 days: Upper Madison Flow at Cameron.   The water clarity is around 18 inches above the West Fork and around 12 inches below.  It is snowing outside the Beartooth Lodge as this report is being written.  Warm weather in the seventies is predicted for this weekend, which should start the dry fly fishing--big time.

If you don't already have plans to fish the Upper Madison this summer or fall, make them now.  Once this runoff subsides--probably sometime in June-- the fly fishing on the Upper Madison is going to be spectacular--especially the dry fly fishing. 

Marty and Brad fished above the West Fork on Saturday afternoon, in the muddy, high flow water.  Marty caught a lot of fish, fishing big nymphs tight to the bank.  The hottest nymph was the #6 Delektable Braided Flashback Big Red.  They were also hitting the Delektable Hurless Stone and Delektable Mega Prince. Marty caught his fish on a rebuilt 60 year old Granger bamboo rod that Dan and Marty had just finished rebuilding.  Both of these were caught on the Big Red:

Fishing has been very good with nymphs between the lakes.  Please be careful of the pea gravel spawning beds.  The water is somewhat discolored, but the fish are feeding actively.  Notice the color of the water behind fly fisherwoman Catalina and her Bow.  This was caught on a #14 Hogan's Red Headed Step Child:

The streamer fishing has also been excellent.  Two boats within the last two days have scored heavily on the Delektable Screamer Olive Black, and a full range of other colors and styles, between Lyons and Mac.  Streamer fishing is also hot between Varney and Town.

To see the Delektables™ go to: Delektable Flies Gallery