THE SPRUCE MOTHS ARE HERE
The flow of the Madison is 940 CFS, has been stable for three days, and has come down from the 1,400 CFS it was two weeks ago: Upper Madison Flow at Cameron. The entire Upper Madison is in great shape.
Terrestial Time is here Big Time. Spruce moth patterns, hopper patterns, and ant patterns are red hot. Caddis are still coming off strong and even PMDs are still happening. Some salmonflies were seen laying eggs at the Wolf Creek bridge four days ago. Guides who have been on the river for more than forty years say they have never before seen salmonflies on the Float Section of the Upper Madison in August.
Spruce moth patterns are working well even below the tree areas— at least all the way to Storey. Those moths don’t seem to sink quickly and the fish are eating them well downstream from where they are blown into the river.
You can pick your favorite spruce moth, hopper, ant, PMD, and caddis patterns and fish dries all day. It doesn’t get any better than that. The nymphing continues to be very good. The streamer fishing is good, if you’re on the river early or late.
Recommended Flies
To see the Delektables™ go to: Delektable Flies Gallery
Dries :
Delektable Sparkle Bugs, Delektable CDC Elk Hairs, and Delektable Halos #16, #14–tan and olive; La Fontaine Emergent Sparkle Pupa brown #16; PMD cripples, emergers, and Rusty Spinner–all #16, #14; Kingreys’s Li’l Hottie #16,#14; Delektable Twisted X tan #14, #12; Parachute Madame X Peacock #12, #10, #8…and Hoppers: Half Down Hopper #12, #14 (a great spruce moth pattern); Turk’s Tarantula Gold #12, #14; Fat Albert-Chartreuse has worked the best this past week, but yellow, red, and tan are also working #12, #10, #8; Delecktable Flying Ant, Cinnamon or Black #16, #18 (sometimes ants are working right out of the gate in the morning)
Half Down Hopper
Delektable Sparkle Bug
Riverborn Fly Company
Delektable Flying Ant Cinnamon Delektable Flying Ant Black
Riverborn Fly Company www.riverbornflies.com
Nymphs:
Pat’s Rubberlegs Brown #6,#8; Delektable Mr Rubberlegs Yellow Olive, #6,#8,#10 and Epoxy Back Yellow Olive #6, #8, #10 Delektable Hurless Olive, Gray #6, #8; Delektable Mega Prince #6, #8; Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant Tail or Silver or Lighting Bug #16, #18; Tungsten Beadhead Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle #16,#18; Tungsten BH Amber Studly Nymph #16; many different kinds of beaded PMD nymphs
Delektable Lil’ Spanker
Riverborn Fly Company www.riverbornflies.com
Streamers:
Delektable Screamer Yellow and Brown, Olive Black, Olive and Yellow, Single and Double, #6, or your favorite pattern.
Dan Marty Nancy Brad