Well it felt a lot like winter when I woke
up yesterday morning and that was a blessing after such a dry couple of months. With predicted rain and highs in the mid 50s and low 60s the forecast is looking good for everyone’s favorite fall festivity, STREAMER FISHING! Flows are at 861 c.f.s. below Hebgen Lake and 970 c.f.s. down at Kirby.
Speaking of streamer fishing it has been 
pretty good as of late, best in the mornings and evenings but I expect it to be an all day affair with the upcoming weather. The fish are in their normal hiding places (undercuts, boulders, logjams, etc.) feeding on their usual prey (whitefish and sculpin). Some of the bigger flies are starting to get more attention like the Delektable Double-Screamer, Circus Peanuts, Silk Kitty, and Sundell’s Bad Boys as well as the go to smaller stuff like Double Bunnys, Delektable Single Screamers and Sheila’s Sculpins.
The recent snow probably put down some of the hoppers but it usually takes a couple cold spells to get rid of them for the season. Good news is the water temp is right down to Calabaetis and BWO levels so keep an eye out for those to start hatching. The bigger caddis are lingering around the banks in the evenings but we’re still waiting for them to show up in any numbers which shouldn’t take long at all.
Nymphs are still the best option if you’re out there looking for hook ups. Mornings have been most productive but that may change with the water temps. They’ve been taking some of the bigger soft hackles and/or caddis emergers like Delektable Hammerheads and soft hackle Copper Johns as well as the smaller bead-heads such as tungsten Studlys, Delektable Lil’ Spankers, Formerly Known as Princes, and Shop Vacs.
Keep checking in for more up to date fishing reports and as always call or stop in the shop for any other tips you may need!
As we work our way into September day time temps are scheduled to drop into the 60s by the end of the week and some rain here and there will be a nice change from the smoky skies we’ve had. The Madison is flowing at 985 c.f.s. below Hebgen and 1130 c.f.s. down at Kirby.
Fishing has been good below the surface with streamers and nymphs. Let’s start with the nymphs; lightning bugs are still killing it and Delektable Big Spankers and Hammerheads, Two Bit Hookers, Shop Vacs and small Rubberlegs are all doing their job as well.
Streamer fishing has been pretty good as the sun comes up and as it goes down. A few of our top flies have been black/olive or white Delektable Screamers, Sculpzillas, olive Mini Loops and Trevor’s Sculpins. The Browns are sitting behind the rocks waiting all night for something meaty to swim by so take advantage!
We’ve had some good action on the surface in the middle and end of the day as well. Small black caddis and some bigger caddis are starting to hatch in the evenings and the hoppers and small chubby patterns are still getting action during the day. Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis and other small elk hairs are good in the evening along the banks. Yeti Hoppers, Sheila’s Hoppers, Delektable Slammers and Chubbyness in UV cinnamon or royal are all good options during the middle of the day.
experienced the Solar Eclipse on the river and Kevin provided shots from Idaho. We had a mixture of fun fishing experiences including us and many friends and new friends. We had special surprise guests for Dan’s 60th birthday. And…we shared an incredible birthday cake Elle made totally in honor of Dan and “Scar Tissue”. It was quite the week of incredible experiences, fun fishing, great reunions, fabulous cake and terrific food too. Life at Beartooth can be so much fun. Thank you for sharing.
hasn’t changed too much throughout the month of August. The biggest change we’ve seen over the past week is that bigger fish are eating a little more readily, let’s hope that lasts. Flows are up slightly from last week below the dam to 1,040 c.f.s. and 1,190 c.f.s. at Kirby Ranch. 
good even though sometimes we end up with a totally Tyke bite for a day then bigger fish the next day. Big swarms of flying ants can be seen from Storey Ditch down past Varney Bridge later in the afternoon but they’ll eat them almost all day. The Delektable flying ant in Purple or Cinnamon has consistently been our best pattern. Quigley’s glitter ant and the smaller Yeager’s 409’s in red are doing the trick as well. Early in the day a small Adams or Purple Craze has brought success while pseudos are about and hoppers are still producing as well. For those, the cast and location is important. The Delektable Chubbyness in #14’s and #16’s is still a good pattern with best results in UV Purple, UV Cinnamon, and Royal this week. Hoppers in pink, yellow, and cream underneath are still working.
small princes, small Delektable pheasant tail Lil’ Spankers, tan/brown or olive/brown Rubberlegs, bigger Delektable Hammerheads, Hare’s Ears and Delektable Big Spanker Warriors. Lightning Bugs in Silver and Pearl are still good. These flies have all been pretty good all day but best During the late morning and early afternoon.
continue to improve. We’ve seen some good action into the hottest part of the day the last couple days. Some of our best bugs are the Delektable Single Screamer in white, the Sculpzilla in White or Tan, Mini Loops, Silvey’s sculpin leech and the Conehead Bow River Bugger. Using a sinking leader has helped with Slow strips and dead drifts around the boulders. You could even add a trailing small nymph from the list above. The smoke remains in the mountains and less so on the river.
Well it’s late August, we’re flowing at about 1,000 c.f.s. below Hebgen and 1150 at Kirby. Fishing has been without much change over the past couple weeks with most fish being caught on terrestrial dries or nymphs. The forecast is calling for more warm and bright days coming up which is just fine to keep the hopper bite going.
We’ve experienced some good pseudo action hatches in the mornings and in the evenings of the same. Starting the day with a #18 or #20 parachute adams or purple craze would not be a bad idea. As it gets warmer later in the morning I’d recommend going back to the ants and hoppers. The purple Delektable Flying Ant, Dave’s Hopper, the White Cloud Hopper, Quigley’s Glitter Ant, Delektable Slammers and Fat Alberts have all been bringing fish up. There are still Spruce Moths in the early part of the day in the upper so think about trying variations of that including: Delektable Twisted Baby, Sister, or X in Tan Brown or try purple for whatever reason it is okay, purple is always a special trick color.
Our guides are catching fish on nymphs pretty consistently. Some of the top flies have been Pat’s Rubberlegs in olive/brown, Delektable pheasant tail Lil’ Spankers, Delektable prince Hammerheads, Wire Worms, Prince Nymphs and Rainbow Warriors. Any two of those under a bobber or under a streamer should produce something for you at any time of day.
Stop in the shop or give us a call for any more info you may need on how to have the best experience possible on the Upper Madison or any of our nearby waters. Enjoy the rest of the Summer!
