Tag: Madision River Fly fishing

July 15th – July 21st | Madison River Fishing Report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week has been a very busy one with the Summer Vacationers starting to flow through and the bigger bugs crawlin’ to the banks. Guide season is now full tilt on the Madison and there have been some nice fish being seen, caught and posed with. The Wild Adventure group has been here as well and they showed up with some guys that had never even held a flyrod….and they caught really nice fish! The river is just on right now! Our shop employees have been going out after work and doing well, gaining that shop intel you might need, so come in and pick their brains. The water is about 1,600 cfs at the West Fork and 2,640 cfs at the Cameron water gauge, and it is clearing up a little. It Is Prime Time! Helloooo! Be careful though, the water is still moving at a decent pace and we have those nice round slippery rocks to deal with. The bugs are looking good right now with big bomber Caddis on the rise as we approach the end of June. That is a bigger size Caddis than usual and they come off every year right before salmon fly season (which is a myth). There are stones moving around getting ready for the big exodus in July. The PMD nymphs are also starting to pick up a fish here and there. We have had a little cooler weather (I had ice on my guides this morning) lately but it makes for feistier, more aggressive trout, which we all like. It has been good to see a lot of you as you move through your spring into summer, swinging in and saying hello here and there. Please keep coming in and saying hello!!! Hopefully we can even send you in the right direction to lock in that fish that’s been haunting you in your dreams. …We all have that one…

Fly report:

Dries:

  • Big Chocolate Caddis (bombers) size 10 and 12’s
  • Adams size 12
  • Purple Haze size 12 through 16
  • Delektable Royal Chubbyness size 10 and 12
  • Brown Elk hair Cadddis size 16 and even 18
  • Stone Fly dries here and there in size 8 and 10

Nymphs

  • Delektable Mega Prince Standard and Flashback size 4-8
  • Delektable Stonefly Candy black and orange size 8 (balanced)
  • Delektable Prince Brandon size 14
  • Delektable Pheasant Tail Lil’ Spanker size 10 (bomber)
  • Case Caddis patterns
  • Any ol’ Nymph will do really because they are all just the same sad bug                               begging you and telling you to use dry flies

The Straum Bomb

  • Delektable Double Screamer Spawner
  • Delektable Double Screamer White
  • Delektable Stainless Steel Jointed Screamer Olive with Rainbow dub
  • Delektable Double Screamer Olive/Black with Silver dub
  • Sculpzilla White size 6
  • Silky Kitty White
  • Sex Dungeon Yellow
  • Delektable Single Screamer Yellow
  • Double Boogieman Black
  • Double Boogieman Grey/Tan
  • Big streamers
  • Bigger Streamers
  • Homespun streamers

 

As you can see, the streamer bite has been on with this colder weather the last day or two, but the dry game is about to bump it up a notch here quick! One rule of thumb here on the Madison is that these fish will eat the dry even when there is no hatch going on or any rises to naturals. Throw them anyway and tease them up. The fish have been taking the Delektable Royal Chubbyness #14 and #16 for the Bomber Caddis….and that’s a very good sign! More dries please! Well, I hope to NOT see you out on the river do hope to hear that you were out there in another part of the river, haha. Anyways, please come in and say hey! Happy Fishing!!! -DanG

 

 

July 8th – July 14th | Madison River Fishing Report

Now turn to Psaaaaaaaalms 4:20 in your Bibles please,

July 8th -14th, 2019

The Madison River is on fire! The big bug is getting eaten and people are getting nice healthy fish. Not only are the bigger bugs out but all the food groups are out and flying above the river! There are the Salmon Fly, the Golden Stone, the Yellow Sally, the Caddis, the PMD, the PED, the Epeorus, and soon the Hoppers and the Nocturnals. There is historically a people hatch at the same time as the bug hatch on the Madison so please remember to be polite and use good river etiquette. I hope you are all enjoying the river as much as we are and getting a healthy dose of the outdoors! The flows are very steady now with lower 1,400 cfs at the Kirby gage and just under 2,000 cfs at the Cameron site. That is what we would consider EPIC flows! Here are some flies that have been working for us here at Beartooth Flyfishing!

 

Dries:

  • Salmon Flies

Dornan’s Water Walker size 6 and 8 in the red

Delektable Secret Stone Salmon Fly UV Orange size 6 and 8

The Stimulator size 6 and 8

Sofa Pillows size 6 and 8

Delektable Secret Stone Royal size 6 and 8

Delektable Twisted Sister and Twisted X in Orange in #8

Delektable Mega Chubbyness and other Chubbies in salmon fly colors size 6, 8 and 10

 

  • Golden Stones

Dornan’s Water Walker size 10 and 12

Delektable Secret Stone UV Golden Stone size 10 and 12

The Stimulator size 10 and 12

Delektable Mega Chubbyness and other Chubbies in the Golden Stone colors size 8, 10 and 12

Dornan’s Peanut Walker Golden size 10 and 12

 

  • PMD size 16

Purple Haze sz 16

Adams sz 16.5

Light Cahill sz 16

Quigley’s PMD Cripple

PED

 

  • Caddis

Delektable CDC Caddis in corresponding sizes

Elk Hair Caddis size 16

X Caddis  or Delektable Sparkle Bug sz 16

Lil’ Hottie size 14 and 16

Delektable Halo Tan, Peacock or Royal #14 or #16

Amber Half down size 14 and 16

Bloom’s Caddis Amber size 14 and 16

                                                   

 

  • Yellow Sally

Delektable Chubbyness Olive Brown size 14 and 16

Delektable Chubbyness Royal size 14 and 16

Half Down amber size 12 and 14

Nymphs:

  • Pat’s Rubber legs Black size 6-8
  • The Trout Retriever sz 8
  • Prince nymph size 14
  • Lemon Drop size 16
  • Delektable Prince Brandon size 14 and 16
  • Delektable Pheasant Tail lil’ Spanker size 16
  • Golden Stone Tungsten sz 8
  • Psycho Prince Yellow and Purple sz 16
  • BH Soft Hackle Hares Ear 14-16
  • Rainbow Serendipity sz 16
  • $3 Dip sz 16
  • Silver Lightning Bug sz 14-18

Streamers:

  • Delektable Double Screamer
    • White
    • Olive and Black
    • Badger
    • Spawner
  • Sheila
  • Zonker Natural and Olive
  • Trevor Olive

 

 

The next section of the report will be fun trout photos, so hang on, its a lot!

July 1st – July 7th | Madison River Fishing Report

 

The big bugs have taken over. If you were here this week, you would have no doubt seen the Salmon flies and the Golden Stones that are out. They are still out and about making the whole river a bug manifesto!!! The fish have been doing trout things such as, not eating when the people are out, eating bugs until they are too gorged from eating real bugs to even eat YOUR fly, and eating small stuff when you want them to eat the big bugs. Well, that’s Salmon fly season my friends. But if you were lucky enough to get in on the action before they got too smart to eat your fly, you may have gotten lucky this week!  
There are so many different choices of flies for the fish to be eating right now. The Salmon Fly, the Golden Stone, the PMD, the many different Caddis, the Callibaetis, the Yellow Sally and yes, even the little midges are out and about on the river and lakes this week. That is a lot of choices, so arm up and equip yourselves for battle. Just when you think that brown or shamebow is going to give it up to the Salmon Fly, it doesn’t. It may want just a little Caddis, or a PMD…. or nothing at all because it is full. We all love throwing the big bugs, but if they aren’t eating it, they just are not going to eat it, so don’t get discouraged, they will eat it tomorrow. Because of the big bug hatch, there are more than average people about, during this time try going out a little earlier or a little later in the evening. Either way, the fish will eventually eat. Try variety in your schedule to experiment with the timing of the bite and the people.                                                                                                                                           

Anyways, the trout will be trout and you can’t help but be you, so come on in the shop and get those big bugs you need. The flies I am going to recommend this week are flies that we at the shop have used, the guides have used, and your mom has used…. along with the combination of intel from others that have come in the shop. Everyone has their favorite Salmon Fly, so I will not elaborate on the patterns too much there.

Dries:

  • Salmon Flies

Dornan’s Water Walker size 6 and 8 in the red

Delektable Secret Stone Salmon Fly UV Orange size 6 and 8

The Stimulator size 6 and 8

Sofa Pillows size 6 and 8

Delektable Secret Stone Royal size 6 and 8

Delektable Mega Chubbyness in Salmon fly colors size 6, 8 and 10

 

  • Golden Stones

Dornan’s Water Walker size 10 and 12

Delektable Secret Stone Golden size 10 and 12

The Stimulator size 10 and 12

Delektable Chubbyness in the Golden Stone colors size 8, 10 and 12

Dornan’s Peanut Walker Golden size 10 and 12

 

 

  • PMD size 16

Purple Haze

Adams

Light Cahill

Quigley’s PMD Cripple

 

  • Caddis

Delektable CDC Caddis in corresponding sizes

Elk Hair Caddis

Lil’ Hottie size 14 and 16

Half down size 14 and 16

Bloom’s Caddis Amber size 14 and 16

 

  • Yellow Sally

Delektable Chubbyness Olive Brown size 14 and 16

Delektable Chubbyness Royal size 14 and 16

Half Down Amber size 12 and 14

 

 

 

                          

 

                                                                                  

 

June 24th-June 30th| Madison River Fishing Report

Dear Friends and Family of the surrounding Madison Valley and the rest of the world, I give you…. The Madison River fishing report.

These days are the days where the people will seem relentless, the trout seem elusive and the weather only gets hotter. The good part about this particular time is that the big bug season is upon us! The Big size 10-12 Chocolate Caddis is a big caddis that comes around a few weeks before the salmon flies hatch. The Madison River trout love the big bomber Caddis. Period. Any larger brown elk hair caddis will do for that bug. The yellow sallies are out and about. The salmon flies are hatching and flying around Ennis and upriver a little. So, if you like to fish the big bug, now is your time. No telling how long they will be around this time, buuuuut…. they are here. If you need a pattern or two for those big guys or any flies, swing on in and one of us will help you out. As for you fly tying fanatics, don’t forget that we have half of the Beartooth filled up with all your tying needs. Every once and a while we might not have the material you need, but 100% of the time we might have it.

As far as the flies go, here is a slightly detailed list of some flies that have been working for us:

Dries:

  • Dornan’s Water Walker size 6-8
  • Delektable Secret STone Salmon Fly size 6-8
  • Gypsie King in peacock size 6
  • Delektable Elk Hair Caddis size 12
  • Bloom’s Caddis Amber size 14
  • Delektable Royal Chubbyness #14-#16
  • Cicadicator Orange Size 4

Nymphs:

  • Pat’s rubber legs black size 6-8
  • Prince nymph size 14
  • Lemon Drop size 16
  • Delektable Prince Brandon size 14 and 16
  • Evil Weivel size 16
  • Two Bit Hooker olive size 16
  • Delektable Pheasant Tail lil’ Spanker size 16

Streamers

  • Delektable Screamers
  • Mini Sex Dungeon Yellow
  • Delektable Olive and Black Double Screamer    

Those are Just a few of the flies that have been good for us here on the Maddy. If you have any questions you can always stop in or call us here at the Beartooth (406-682-7525). All of us here at the shop have been fishing during different hours of the day and doing well. Some days are obviously better than other days but that’s fishing, right? Anyways, happy fishing and get a hog!!!     

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 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.

May 6th – 12th | Madison River Fishing Report

The Project Healing Waters group was in for the week and their trip was a great healing adventure! There were three different days of fishing and the group was with different people guiding them each day and at different places on the Madison. Thank you to those who helped them access the wade areas. Big Dan started the week with Brandon and Bob Frey guiding the boys. Gunnar, David Kern, and Marty helped during the rest of the week. Thank you to the guides for your help. All the boys caught fish and each had different and remarkable adventures! There were rainbows mostly, a few browns, and even a cutthroat and whitefish. They were great guys and a pleasure to be with. Our neighbor Michael donated his time as chef with his friend Mark. Thank you Michael. It was great eating and great added stories about the food and all kinds of adventures.

The water is at an all time color (a touch of murk) and VERY steady flow right around 2,100 cfs since the beginning of the month, so if you are thinking of going….you should. The west fork has just started to kick in a bit of dirty water. This is once again your chance to throw the big bugs and get funky, because the trout are just on a feeding frenzy in the spring. The weather has been cooperating and the snowpack is slowly coming down giving us a little bit of an idea as to how the outlook on the big bugs this summer is going to be. The March Browns and Caddis have started to work their way out of the depths down towards town and dry fly fishing has followed.

The bugs that have been in the queue all week are as follows:  Gray Paradrake Sz 10; Purple Haze Cripple Sz 10; Parachute Adams Sz 12; Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis Tan Sz 16; Goddard Caddis Sz 16; Delektable Mega Prince Olive Flash Back Sz 8; Delektable Mega Prince Standard Sz 8; Pat’s Rubber Legs in all the colors Sz 8-10 (Squalla still); Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant Tail Sz 14 and 18 (BWO); Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver Sz 14 and 18 (BWO); Delektable Prince Brandon Sz 14 and 16; Delektable Red Worm Sz 12; and Delektable Screamer Black/Olive.

The streamer bite has been on for some people who are addicted to it but for the most part they have been lethargic with the weather being a little chilly but it has been warming up and should stay in the 70’s for most of the upcoming week so hopefully we’ll be able to start speeding up the retrieves and seeing fish be more aggressive.

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

September 24th – 30th | Madison River Fishing Report

Flows and fishing have been pretty consistent with our last report with tiny bugs catching most fish and streamers and dry flies doing well in the right places at the right times.

 

BWO and Baetis nymphs have been responsible for most of our success around these parts. Delektable Lil’ Spankers, Rs2’s, Hogan’s S&Ms, Micro Mayflies, and Copper Johns in sizes #18 and #20 are all good flies to trail behind a large Prince Nymph, Delektable CDC Halloween or a Pat’s Rubberleg.

Dry fly fishing has been best on the upper wade section of the river. It’ll be tough to beat a well placed #18 or #20 Parachute Adams or Purple Craze. Fish seem to be looking up from about 3:00 until Dark.

 

The streamer fishing has been inconsistent but rewarding when you commit to it. Sparkle Minnows, Bow River Buggers, Zonkers, Delektable Screamers and Sundell’s Bad Boy have all produced some quality fish.