Tag: caddis

July 4th-July 10th | Upper Madison Fishing Report

Happy Independence Day!!! Come and celebrate your freedom amongst the Madison Valley’s Purple Majesties and fish, FISH HARD because you earned it!! We want to send a Big Thank You on this holiday week to our brave Service Members and Health Care Workers, thank you for keeping us safe and protecting our home!

The Fireworks that started last week have continued this week; Golden Stones, Salmonflies, Yellow Sallies, Caddis and PMDs are here, and the fish are chowing down! Early Morning and late afternoon/evening have been the most consistent Dry Fly action with off and on action mid-day. Dry Flies fished in tandem with a dropper Dry or a dropper Nymph has been the ticket. And for those of you who love fishing those Nymphs, never fear as the Nymphing in the middle of the river has been on fire. Flows starting this week at Kirby were 1,330cfs and dropping by the 10th to 1,250cfs, at Cameron 1,970cfs the beginning of the week and dropping to 1,660cfs by the 10th. We have had some beautiful weather this week hanging in the high 70’s to low 80’s with some scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Looking to the next week we will most likely see the continuation of amazing Dry Fly fishing and big smiles from happy fisherman! In closing to truly show you the proof of the week, just check out those smiles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dries: Delektable Chubbyness Olive/Brown, Rootbeer, Little Yellow Stone #12-#14, Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis Tan #14-#16, Delektable Sparkle Bug Gray #14-#18, Paulson’s Golden Flutter Bug #10, Dornan’s Water Walker Peanut #8-#10, Delektable Mega 2 Tone Chubbyness UV Goldrush #8-#12, Purple Haze Split Wing Parachute #14-#16, Carlson’s Purple Craze #14-#16, Delektable Purple, PMD Teaser #14-#16, Delektable Halo Royal, Tan #14-#16,  Parachute Yellow Sally #16, Delektable Mega 2 Tone Chubbyness UV Goldenstone, UV Salmonfly, Orange #8-#12, Delektable Secret Stone UV Salmonfly #6-#8, Delektable Secret Stone UV Goldenstone #10-#12, Delektable Twisted X Orange/Brown #6-#8, Delektable Mega 2 Tone Chubbyness Goldrush #8-#12, Delektable Twisted Sister Salmonfly #6-#4, Delektable Twisted X Yellow with Red Butt #14-#16, Delektable Twisted Baby Brown #10-#12, Delektable Lil’ Chubby UV Cinnamon #14-#16.

 

 

 

 

 

Nymphs: Pat’s Rubberlegs Black #4-#8, Delektable BH Brown/Orange, Black/Orange Stoner #4-#8, Delektable Guide Stone Brown/Yellow, Black #6-#10, Delektable Mega Prince Standard #4-#6, BH Delektable Prince Brandon #10-#16, Formerly Known as Prince #12-#18, BH Lemon Drop #14-#18, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver #14-#18, Delektable Hammerhead GTBH Jig Hook Holo Green #14-#18, Delektable Mr. RubberLegs Hare’s Ear, Olive/Brown #12-#16, Delektable CDC Baby #10-#14, Delektable Rootbeer Float Gold, PMD Yellow #14-#18, Delektable Lemon Juice Yellow Sally, Lime Juice #14-#16.

Streamers: Trevor’s Sculpin Olive, Natural #4, Delektable Christmas Tree Original, Black, Olive #6, Delektable Screamer SS/Double/Single Olive/Black, Black, Yellow, Olive/White #6, Mini Loop Sculpin Natural #6, Trina’s Belly Dancer Olive #6, Coffey’s CH Sparkle Minnow Sculpin #6, Urchin Bugger JJ #6, Sex Dungeon Black, Olive/Black #4.

May 9th-May 16th Upper Madison River Fishing Report

The Midnight Rain Dances have worked here in the Valley! We are of this week at 100% snowpack and the valley is unveiling its spring beauty; green glory, trees budding and little wildflowers starting to peek out from the warming earth. We started the week off with temperatures in the 40’s and finished off the week with temps in the low 70’s! The River has been running steadily at 750-800 cfs at Kirby but fluctuating at 1,020 cfs earlier in the week, dropping down to 860 cfs mid-week and finishing at 1,050 cfs by the 15th.  We saw a touch of runoff on the 14th and 15th with the warmer weather but that has stopped with the cold front moving in. The Caddis and Mayfly’s have been seen and are working on the River, when the W factor isn’t blowing them all away, which has has been calmer this week. The fish that have been caught this week have been healthy and hungry and seem as eager as we for warmer weather! As always, the pictures tell the best story. And way to go Patsy and Joan! 

Nymphs: Pat’s Black #6 & #10, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver #16, RS2 Olive #18, Delektable BH Prince Brandon #16-#10, Delektable Mega Prince STD, FB & Olive #6-#10, Delektable Guide Stone Black #6-#10, Tungsten BH Jiggy Blow Torch #16-#18, Delektable TGBH Big Spanker Pheasant Tail #16-#18, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Olive Green #18-#20, Geppert Crystal Dip Black, Brown #16-#18, ShopVacs #14-18.

Dries: Delektable Twisted X Tan/Brown #16, Delektable Mega2Tone Chubbyness Royal #10, Delektable Lil’ Chubby UV Caddis Green #16, Purple Haze Parachute #16, Griffith’s Gnat #16-20, BWO Para Sipper #18-20, Delektable Teaser BWO #18-20.

 

Streamers: Delektable Screamer Single or Double SS Jointed Black, Olive, White, Spawning, Purple Black #6, Sculpzilla Olive or Black #4-8, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow #6, Zonker Natural #6, BH Dude Friendly Black/Natural #10.

June 19th – 25th|Madison River Fishing Report

Welcome to SUMMER!!! 

 

Our wonderful summer has started with a MASSIVE grand opening thanks to our great friends and flawless family the SALMON FLIES, GOLDEN STONES, Caddis flies, and May flies. The weather is ideal for fishing. So it is time to ditch those waders and boots and go for the river sandals and wet wade. The river is flowing out of Hebgen Dam at a CFS of 1280 and 1820 CFS at Kirby. The river is crystal clear on the upper sections; the runoff is gone and the fish can see everything. The river is still a touch above normal but not overflowing onto the banks, making them very walkable again. THE TIME FOR FISHING IS NOW!!

 

How would I approach the river you may ask? Great question, and I bet you can guess on your first try. Yup! Dry fly season is here; come one and all! Everyone is invited to the spectacle that is dry fly fishing, with the best of all the dry fly circus spectacles here, the Salmon flies. If you want to see monster eats and toilet-bowl flushes , start with the Delektable Chubbyness Little Yellow Stone #14-16, Dan’s Secret Salmon #6, Delektable Secret Goldenstone #6, and Delektable Mega 2-Tone Chubbyness Orange #6. These have been our best produces for those fat U Boats (Brown Trout). At the same time, Caddis flies have been equally crushing some serious U Boats, as the BOMBER Caddis are hatching along the whole river. Trust me the caddis are bombing the water kamakaze style and giving fish their life. Our personal best and favorite dries for these are the Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis olive, holographic olive, and tan #14, Delektable Twisted X Tan/Brown, Purple #14, Bloom’s Parachute Caddis Dark Olive #14, and the Delektable Twisted Sister Tan/Brown #14.

These fish are still wreaking havoc under the surface. Since the arrival of the Salmon flies, the stonefly nymphs have been providing large numbers of quality fish. Caddis and Mayfly nymphs have been doing just as great. The small dropper is like a great cheese with your cheese 
burger; but this cheese burger is meant to be feed to fish and get that perfectly bent rod. Our favorite “cheeses” are the Delektable Stoner #6, Pat’s Rubber Legs #8, Delektable Mega Prince with and without flash #6, Delektable CDC Baby #12-16, Psycho Prince Yellow #14-16, Shop Vac #16-18, Delektable Sure Strike Peacock and Yellow/Peacock #14-16, Lightning Bug in pearl, purple, and silver #16, Delektable Lil’ Spanker in PT, silver, and gold #14-16, and Delektable Hammer Head Prince #14-16.

As for the steak bite, a.k.a., the streamer bite, that has slowed down quite a bit. The great news, however, is that our great leader NANCY has figured out a pattern that works and that is our other great leader’s pattern the Delektable Badger Screamer.

 

This is how we have been catching fish throughout the day; if you follow these rules surely you’ll have that necessary grin on your face and the rod tip bent towards a fish. Now go out, have fun, enjoy the view and river, and most of all catch fish.

June 12th -18th|Madison River Fishing Report

It’s the middle of June and the river is getting ready to jump into high gear. She is steadily and slowly regaining her glorious shine and clarity. As of today the visibility is in about a 3 foot range and getting better with each passing day. The flows are still a little high with below Hebgen Dam at 1610 CFS and at Kirby 2180. The river is slowly tapering down towards those July flows. With the water at the level it is right now it has been making for exceptionally great bank fishing with no need to jump into our crazy swift slippery river just yet. Also, be cautious still at the bridges with your boat and getting under safely.

Attention! Attention! To all who love the flies above the water and not below the water, the dry fly action is in second gear and really trying to pick up speed. As we are getting warmer weather the water flows are beginning to taper down and we will be getting into those hatching connditions.  As a result the first to arrive is the Bomber Caddis between Palisades and Storey Ditch. These Caddis are special with their bigger Caddis bug size #12-14 and you can cast them and see them more easily while nice varieties of trout will prey on them. The best ways to imitate these wonderful bugs is with Delektable Twisted X or Twisted Sister size #12 in Purple or Tan/Brown, Bloom’s Parachute Caddis sizes #14-16 olive, Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis sizes #14-16 Holographic Olive, or try different colors, and the Delektable Twisted Baby sizes #14-16 in purple, tan/brown, or Brown. With these flies you can surely open the season of dry fly fishing right and enjoy a jumping trout from your fly and have a grin across your face and eventually a fish in the net.

As for the down and dark under water approach also known as the nymphing world it is holding a steady pace of ripping lips and catching fish. The flies I would use include the Delektable Sure Strike in sizes #14 and #12, Yellow Psycho Prince in a size #14 or #16, red threaded Prince Size #12, Delektable Hammerhead prince #12 or #14, and Delektable CDC baby size #14. The fish have been really hot for these flies. 

If you think it is going to get cold and you’re holding off on that plane ticket for that last frost to pass. I’m Here to say it is time you must come as all the frost has past this week and the fish are getting very hungry and aggressive. Call us at the shop if you need fly advice and current conditions. Get out there and fish.