The Madison River is fishing as good as it can be right now! The water clarity is about 2-2.5 feet now up here at McAtee Bridge. It gets dirtier below Indian Creek and keeps picking up more water further down the river. The water levels have been staying consistant with the rain and snow melt because of the lower temps the past few days. With the water temperature peaking around 5 o’clock or so, the fish have been turning on around 1:00-200. Brandon was guiding Eric and the legendary Vernon Gallup on the river while Big Dan was with Tim Miller on the 10th later in the day. Both caught out of the boat with big dry flies and big nymphs. The water is still murky with a foot or two of visibility, so it is perfect. Brandon’s crew went out in the morning from McAtee Bridge to Varney Bridge with the nymphs and dries and tried a bit of streamer action, while Big Dan went out in the afternoon for an evening float from McAtee to Storey Ditch chasing dries. The nymph action is still big stones and caddis patterns, while a march brown mayfly nymph is getting to be what they are keying in on. The pheasant tail nymph and the prince nymph were the champions underneath for the march brown. Also the Delektable Lil’ and Big Spanker series was working very well for the mayfly nymph. The March Browns are out and about in the afternoon, so the there was dry fly action to be had for Tim and Dan the day earlier but later in the day! The size 10 parachute adams and big purple haze’ were the ticket for that, but the fly that worked best for Tim was Dan’s new fly called the Delektable Royal Chubbyness in sizes 14-16. This fly is about to come out here at the shop, so look for it coming soon to a fly shop near you! Tim just rolled in a few hours before the float for his first time back this year, so the dry fly fishing in early May right off the bat was a treat to be had!! The big stones and caddis nymph patterns have been working very well in the underwater department as the water is perfect spring water at perfect levels right now. The dry fly action is just too good to throw nymphs.  Hope to see you all this summer!!! Stay tuned for a Big Hole Report as Dan and Tim are headed there on the 11th in hopes to hit the mother’s day caddis hatch (fingers crossed). Happy fishing!!! -DanG

Good day to all of you checking up on us out here!!! We are very excited as the season continues to roll into full tilt here in the next couple of weeks. The fishing has been very,  very good as of late!

The big nymphs are still on the food tray along with a slight caddis hatch turning into a massive one later this week…I am sure! This brings me to last night and the mother’s day caddis. They are about to explode in the next couple of days here. Some adults are out and about now, but they have only been here and there over the past week. Case patterns and caddis emergers have been the ticket on the small game.

Make sure you have some peacock in those caddis patterns as they are olive and almost black in color. Size 14 and 16s are working but, don’t be afraid to go even a little bigger with a large 12. In other worlds, the nymphing is stellar and still remains about 80% of a trout’s food menu, don’t forget. Double rig on the stonefly is an awesome catcher still. Stonefly/ caddis nymph combo is most likely to succeed until the weather gets a little warmer (today). The fish will then be keying in on the dry once the temperatures (water and air) are right.

We have received some heavy wet snow in the mountains that is greatly appreciated adding to not only to the snow-pack levels, but to the water table as well. With this low year of snowfall we are very grateful for any more before the summer kicks in!!! The water on the Madison is a tiny bit colored. It is perfect. Happy Fishing!!! -DanG

Hey everyone!!! The season is here…actually, it never really stopped:) Young Dan

here, hoping to see you all again this year as we kick off the new season! It’s March and the weather is absolutely gorgeous out for it being spring. All the action is still below McAtee Bridge as the Upper Upper Madison is closed for spawning until the 16th of May. The squalla are moving around now and the fish are gobbling them down hard. The Delektable Mega Prince in Olive and Standard, the Delektable Grey Hurless and Pat’s Rubber Legs all in sizes 6 and 8 are working really well with a caddis nymph or May Fly underneath. Double stonefly rigs are working well without weight. Caddis are always a good choice to fish with anytime of year around here. There are many caddis patterns out there that would probably work well, but the hot ones we are using are the Delektable Olive Big Spanker size 14 and 16,

Delektable Silver Spanker size 16 and 18, and a regular silver lightning bug of either size 14 or 16. You will also start seeing BWOs around. A silver or pearl lightning bug in a 14 or 16 is perfect for that BWO nymph. Well, we hope to see you guys out there soon and in the shop as well!!! Happy fishing!!! -Dan

October 2014 has seen a range of weather from some cold snowy days in the mountains and valleys to some 70 degree bluebird sunny t-shirt weather days.

For the locals, it’s time to take a deep breath with the busy season passing and get out and enjoy the outdoors on this treasured Montana shoulder season.

The browns have been moving about and eating hard in preparation for their spawn. Larger stonefly nymphs like the Pats Rubberlegs in brown, black, and camo green along with Delektable Mega Prince have produced a number of fish and are always great choices for this time of year. Smaller BWO, baetis, and caddis in combination with the larger stonefly nymphs have slain fish. Delektable Egghead Twisted Wires in red and ginger brown along with Delektable Little Spankers in silver and green are some examples of flies that are working.

 
But for the streamer addicts, this is the time of year to be throwing large, meaty streamer patterns. The more articulations the better to get those big ones! White has been my go to color but olive and black have also produced some large fish. Modulate your stripping patterns and colors if it is slow for you, but keep to the hope that a very large brown has the chance of eating your fly! Happy Fishing!

John

“Best of all he loved the fall … the fall with the tawny and grey, the leaves yellow on the cottonwoods, leaves floating on the trout streams and above the hills the high blue windless skies. He loved to shoot, he loved to ride and he loved to fish.”
-Ernest Hemingway

Catch & Give for the Ennis Community Children’s School continued through the first week of October and there was record catching and corresponding donations for the kids. Thank you to all for participating and donating. Special thanks to Howard, Raymond James and Friends of Raymond James, and the Friends of Howard who generously helped with donations.