Upper Madison River Archives - Page 10 of 42

June 1st – 14th | Madison River Fishing Report

The season is really upon us now! As we watch the snow come down the mountains with the rain and hot weather, the river comes up. And up. And up. We can’t help but be our trout bum selves and get in the muddy water anyway! The water is a little mirked up higher on the Madison and pretty muddy everywhere else north of the West Fork and Indian Creek. The bigger bugs and streamers have been the ticket as usual for this kind of spring weather. Don’t be afraid of a little color, the fish can see and/or feel just fine with that lateral line. Streamers and big nymphs make a little more commotion in the water and help the fish key into them a little easier. There is also a fine line of mud after the West Fork if you would like to play that game. The game of Good vs Evil, Dark vs Light, Clear vs Mirk…That will be going on for a while yet.

Some of the flies that have been working are as follows:

Dries:

March Browns (sz 14-16)
Caddis (Bomber sz 10)
Black caddis (sz 16-18)
Various Brown and Black beetles (sz 10-16)

Nymphs:

Pheasant Tail (sz 12-16)
Delektable Pheasant Tail Lil’ Spanker (sz 14-18)
Delektable Prince Brandon (sz 14)
Shop Vac (Sz 14-16)
Brown and Black Pat’s Rubber Legs (Sz 6-10) …mostly 8 though
Delektable Mega Prince Standard (Sz 4-8)
Delektable Stonefly Candy (Sz 8) in a few darker colors including the Bitch Creek
Curved hook Caddis Beadhead (sz 10-14)
Delektable Worm (sz 10) in red, pink and wine

Streamers:

Delektable Double Screamer Spawning
Delektable Double Screamer Black and Olive
Delektable Single Screamer White
Delektable Single Screamer Badger
Bow River Bugger (Sz 6)
Copper Zonker (Sz 4 and 6)
White Streamers
Black Streamers
Olive Streamers
Big Streamers

We hope to see you all soon, please swing in and say hello to us, the crew, for any of your flyfishing needs. Happy Fishing!!! -DANG

May 27th – 31st | Madison River Fishing Report

The water is high and muddy, but the Mighty Madison River is fishing considerably well! These are the times where the big streamers and the big nymphs are working the best. The bigger flies and streamers push and move through the water better than all the smaller stuff and the fish pick that up with their lateral line. The water might seem high and fast but focus on the sides of the banks and the pockets of water closer to the bank. The fish feel a little more comfortable with this color of water not having to worry about the birds and people as much. As far as the little flies and beadheads go, the guides have been putting them to them! The March brown has been a heavy hitter in a few different sizes but mostly 14’s. The BWO still picks up a fish or two here and there. Even the Squalla has been getting them in the net still. Soon we will be experiencing some warming weather and the snow will all be coming down, so get ready for the higher water and a little more color.

The flies that have been working have been steady going.

Dries:

Delektable Royal Chubbyness (sz 10)
Adams (sz 14)
Purple Haze (sz 14)
Caddis (sz 14-16)
Brown Drake and spinners (sz 12-14)
Midges (sz 18-20)

Nymphs

Delektable Mega Prince Standard (sz 4-8)
Delektable Stonfly Candy (sz 8)
Delektable Pheasant Tail Lil’ Spanker (sz 16)
Delektable Prince Brandon (sz 16)
Wire Worm (all sizes)
Wooly Buggers (sz 6 and 8)
Nyphicator (sz 16)
Prince nymph (sz 16)

Streamers

Any and all sizes will do, they are on it. When the bite is on, its on
The Delektable Double Screamers in most of the colors have been hot
The Delektable Single Screamers in White, Black , Badger and Black/Olive
Wool Heads on single hooks
Deer hair heads

Hope to see you out there enjoying the Big Montana Sky! Happy Fishing!!! -Dang

May 20th – 26th | Madison River Fishing Report

Runoff came for a few days and it left, the river has dropped about 500 c.f.s. at Varney since our last report. Visibility is just about perfect with 2 feet or so and a great blue/green color. We expect to see the creeks dirty back up by the end of the week so get out there and take advantage of the float section while it’s good! The water above the West Fork will remain a good option throughout runoff.

Most fish are being caught on nymphs, of course but the streamer fishing has been really great over the past few days as well. Dry fly fishing can be had either up around Three Dollar and Raynold’s Pass with Baetis and Midges or down below Varney with Caddis and March Browns. Our best patterns are as follows:

-Delektable Lil Spankers
-Delektable Prince Brandons
-Shop Vacs
-Morrish’s Anato May
-Zebra Midges
-JR’s Coneheads
-Flash Fry
-Sex Dungeons
-Sparkle Minnows
-Zonkers

-Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis
-Purple Craze
-Parachute Adams

Varney Bridge is expected to have another closure to float traffic under the bridge this week, weather depending. We will do our best to keep you up to date on that project and we also recommend keeping an eye out for signage at the access sites throughout the river for info on the project. Check out our last report for a link to the Montana Department of Transportation’s website for more info on the Varney Bridge construction.

Important Notice: May 23rd River Closed Under Varney Bridge

Important Update from the Montana Department of Transportation:

Construction crews will begin removing the Varney Bridge on Monday, May 20. Work to remove the existing bridge is expected to take several weeks. A temporary river closure is anticipated to take place on Thursday, May 23 as crews remove the west side of the bridge.

During the Bridge Removal:

Boats are restricted to a 6-foot maximum height clearance at the Varney Bridge.
Buoys in the river will direct boats through the construction zone.
The river will be temporarily closed through the construction zone on Thursday, May 23 when the steel structure is removed.
The Fishing Access Site on the east side of the river will remain open for boats to exit the river.
Notification signage will be placed upstream and downstream of the bridge.

Please visit the construction camera here for up-to-date views of the Varney Bridge and information about closures and restrictions.

May 13th – 19th | Madison River Fishing Report

It sure feels like spring time these days with this past week spending most of its time in the 70’s and the upcoming forecast showing mostly 40’s and low 50’s for daytime highs. The creeks are on the drop at the moment after a few days of kicking in some dirty water which should be good for the fishing.It’s been mostly nymphs and streamers that are doing the bulk of the catching. Delektable Double Screamers, Trevor’s Sculpins, Sparkle Minnows and Buggers have seen their share of success out there.We’ve been fishing a good variety of nymphs as the conditions are changing almost every day. Delektable Lil’ Spankers, Copper John’s and Pheasant Tails are good for the March Browns in size #10 or #12. Smaller bugs like Delektable Ranch BWOs, Lightning Bugs, Serendipities and Princes are the Baetis/BWO lineup. Pat’s Rubberlegs, Delektable Stonefly Candy and Worms are working for the other stuff.The drop in temp seems to be keeping the March Browns and Caddis under the surface once again. Shop Vacs and other Caddis Emergers will work. If you’re dying to get some dry fly fishing in you can still find some fish eating Midges and Baetis here and there. Sipper Midges and small Adams should be all you need or try a Purple Haze.

April 29th – May 5th | Madison River Fishing Report

Your Madison River fishing report today is brought to you by the Beartooth Flyshop boys and the letter W. If you have been out lately you have been playing in some fun weather involving the dub, clouds, cold, rain and snow. The rainbows are in full swing with the spawn, so be careful out there not to be walking on reds. That also makes for really good fishing in the spring! Right now you will find the fish you catch will be all kinds of colored up. The upper river is fishing well, the middle stretches of the river are fishing well and the lower is also fishing very well. Wherever you go, be sure to realize while you are out there, that you are alive and in it and it’s not really the fish we are all after, it is the life and opportunities the river and fish give us. So, the bugs…

The Stoneflies that are working: (Squalla Stones and Regular Salmon Stones)

Delektable Stonefly Candy UV Black and the UV Black/Rust Sz 6

Delektable Mega Prince Olive Flashback and Standard Sz 6-10

Pats Rubber Legs Black or Brown/Black Variegated Sz 8 and 10

Pats Rubber Legs Olive/Black Variegated Sz 10 and 12

The Mayflies that are out: (March Brown and BWO)

Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant tail Sz 14 and 18

Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver Sz 12 and 14

Pheasant tail Sz 14

Olive Pheasant tail Sz 14

Prince Nymphs Sz 12-16

The Caddis Hatch: (Mothers Day Caddis coming up)

Delektable Prince Brandon Sz 16

Delektable CDC Prince (CH) Sz 14-16

Prince Nymphs Sz 14-18

Pheasant Tails Sz 14-18

The Worm hatch:

Red Wire Worm

Red/Orange Wire Worm

Delektable Worm Red Sz 12

The Streamer bite:

Trevor’s Sculpin Black

Trevor’s Scuplin Olive

Delektable Single Screamer Black/Olive

The One Sculpin Black

Sheila Sculpin

So as far as the future goes, we can expect the Mother’s Day Caddis about to pop starting on the lower working their way up. So get your dry game ready, because when its on it is really on. If you have any bug questions or questions about the Upper Madison, stop in at the Beartooth Flyshop and see us! We are OPEN 8am-6pm now and will be open later as the season starts to pick up. Feel free to give the shop a call anytime for anything!

Well, that’s it for now, get out there!

Happy Fishing!!!

-Dang

April 15th – 28th | Madison River Fishing Report

Flows have been slowly rising out of Hebgen Dam and the weather has been outstanding with most days in the mid 50’s and we even had a couple days touch 70 degrees. This upcoming week is forecasted to be in the mid 60’s most days so get out and enjoy it!

Dan and Nancy had a great time floating the river Saturday for Nancy’s birthday and caught some nice fish on some Delektable prototype streamers earlier in the day and on nymphs in the afternoon.

The fishing has been fairly consistent with the biggest change from the last report being some moderate Baetis hatches, especially closer to town. With that being said, make sure you’ve got a few small Adams or Purple Crazes in the fly box along with your Midge patterns.

Under the surface things are pretty much the same as the last report. The nymph fishing is by far the most consistent tactic. Flies like the Delektable Stonefly Candy, Delektable Epoxyback, Delektable Lil’ Spankers, Serendipities, Princes, Copper Johns, Worms and Eggs will all get ‘em in the right time and place.

The streamer bite has been pretty good and this is one of our favorite times of year to fish big flies as fish are hungry and a little extra opportunistic when the water is faster. Delektable Double Screamers, Sparkle Minnows, Mini Loops, Zonkers and Sheila’s Sculpins should be all you need to find a few fish.

April 1st – 14th | Madison River Fishing Report

We’re getting used to the spring weather and all the fishing opportunities that come with it. It’s a great time to get out and fish before the water comes up for a while. We enjoyed kicking off the season with a group from Nueva High School’s biology program.

The fishing has been great and they’re moving from their winter lies to some of the quicker water and have been eating a bigger variety of bugs. Delektable Mr. Rubberlegs, Delektable Epoxybacks, Delektable Lil’ Spankers, Pat’s Rubberlegs, Worms, Eggs, Pheasant Tails, and Copper John’s are all good choices for under the old bobber.

The streamer bite has been picking up but they still want it to be moving really slow. The Delektable Single Screamer in Black/Olive, Sheila’s Sculpin, McCune’s Sculpin and Zonkers are all good options.

The dry fly action has been inconsistent but we’ve seen a few Skwalla Stoneflies around and there are still plenty of midges out. Blind fishing a small chubby has convinced a few fish to come up to the surface and a dropper nymph never hurts while looking for an early season dry fly bite. The midge patterns remain the same with Griffith’s Gnat’s, Sipper Midges and CDC Midges being our top picks.

We’ll be in the shop from 8:30-5:30 every day so call or stop in with any good fish stories or questions about the river.

March | Madison River Fishing Report

Spring has arrived in the Madison Valley and boy does that feel good after the February we all had. We were too cold to fish in February which is rare for us so no February report. Now most of our access sites have melted out enough to drive in and to get boats in and out; everything from Lyon’s bridge to Burnt Tree Hole is good to go. It’ll be some time still before we see the ramps at Ennis or Valley Garden but there are plenty of places to get out and enjoy the river. Some places like Three Dollar Bridge still have snow to walk through so be careful.

The fishing has been great all the way through the month of March. Most fish are being caught on nymphs. Stuff like Delektable Mega Princes, Delektable Hurless Stones, Delektable Stonefly Candy, Delektable Epoxy Back, Delektable Surestrike, Delektable Lil Spankers, Pat’s Rubberlegs, Copper Johns, Prince Nymphs and Midge Pupas are all good choices. My best advice is to experiment with your amount of weight before changing flies too fast. On the Stone fly patterns size #8 has been better.

With that being said, the dry fly bite has been great as well if you find yourself in the right place at the right time. The midges start in the early afternoon and if it’s not too windy they’ll last into the evening. Griffith’s Gnats, CDC Midges, Small Adams and Sipper Midges should do the job.

Streamer fishing has been inconsistent but if you’re willing to work for them you’re likely to get into a few good fish. The slower the retrieve the better; Sparkle Minnows, Zonkers, Delektable Screamers and JR’s Coneheads have all seen some attention from the local trout over the last couple weeks.

Varney Bridge is officially closed to through traffic as construction for replacing the bridge has begun. The fishing access site and boat ramp are still accessible but you’ll have to get there from the highway side via the dirt road as you won’t be able to get across from the other side. For construction updates text “VARNEY” to 22828 or call (406)-465-3350.

We’re in the shop from 8:30am to 5:30pm every day so call or stop in with any questions we may be able to help with.

January | Madison River Fishing Report

January has been a cold month and we are glad to see it leave as it means we are one month closer to Summer. With that being said, January did pose some great fishing if you were able to take advantage of the rare days with warm enough weather. Even Dan himself braved a very pleasant day in January. The river was predictably stable with about 1,000 cfs flowing at the Kirby gauge. The fishing has pretty much been the same game as December, Nymphs being number one and Dries working on select days. The river is starting to look very slushy down towards Ennis.

The nymph game is working well, we have mainly been only using Stoneflies but you could also you use Midge patterns to the same effect. The flies we have been using are Delektable balanced Flashback Mega Princes, Delektable Standard Flashback Mega Princes, Delektable Hurless Stones, Delektable Stonefly Candy, Delektable Twinkles, and Zebra midges.

The dry fly bite has taken a while to come back but can at those times when you see clear blue skies or cloudy over cast conditions coupled with the important part which is less or no “W”. Know that the midges will be hatching in full force and the fish will be looking at the surface of the water to eat them alive. The flies we have been using are the Griffith’s Gnat, Adams Midge, R.B. Midge, and Galloup’s Goober Midge. You could also try a Delektable Teaser pattern in Adam’s or Purple.

It has been easy fishing but it hasn’t been easy weather. So if you are part the brave few put on those waders with plenty of layers underneath and find some eager trout in the river.