Madison river fishing guides Archives - Page 11 of 12

June 1st -11th|Madison River Fishing Report

Welcome to June!

It’s a very exciting time of year to be out there on the river with runoff on the way out and all our favorite hatches soon to arrive. Water is back up to just over 1700 c.f.s. below Hebgen and at Kirby Ranch it’s down to about 2200 c.f.s. which of course is still a bit high and fast but don’t let that scare you because the water is starting to clear up and fishing has been excellent. Just like our last report the biggest part of catching right now is hitting the slow water! I repeat, FISH THE SLOW WATER. This means tight, tight, tight to the banks, along gravel bars and behind boulders or log jams. These are pretty much the only places to target right now and there have been some seriously healthy fish stacked up in those places.

We had a good group of boats go out yesterday in the wind and rain and everyone returned with smiles on their faces thanks to our awesome guides! They caught fish on flies like Delektable Stoner’s, Megaprince’s and Pat’s Rubberlegs in bigger sizes (#6 and #4). Trailing things like Delektable Lil’ Spankers, Psycho Princes and a variety of worms.

Brown trout in the upper river are viciously streamer hungry. If you’re interested in that kind of thing you’ll definitely want to have a couple Delektable Double Screamers in olive/black and also white. Galloup’s Boogie Man in gray has been tough to beat as well. Strip those things down the banks and you should be happy with the results.

Dry fly fishing has been hit or miss lately with the fluctuating weather but on a warmer day with some clouds you can expect to see fish eating baetis and caddis. Adams flies and tan Delektable C.D.C. Elk Hair Caddis are the dries to have as of late. Thicker hatches are very close so come by the shop and get all the gear you need for summer fishing!

May 25th -31st |Madison River Fishing Report

The Upper Madison has been hovering between 2200 and 2400 c.f.s. at Kirby and below Hebgen we’ve come down from over 1700 c.f.s. to just above 1400 c.f.s. over the last couple days. Most people are enjoying the water above the West Fork due to the dirty water it’s dumping in. You’re still going to want to be cautious going under the wolf creek and sun west bridges!

We’ve been seeing some good caddis hatches on the upper end, especially around 3 dollar bridge and above. Also expect to see some callibaetis and b.w.o’s on the surface. Our favorite imitations for those are the Delektable C.D.C. Elk Hair Caddis in tan or holographic olive on either a #14 or #16 hook. As for the mayflies it’s the good ol’ #16 parachute adams for the baetis and a size #18 split wing b.w.o.
Subsurface has been the most productive as usual with streamer fishing really starting to heat up and nymphing being nymphing. Fish are really reacting to sculpin imitations like Sheila’s Sculpin or the Delektable Single Screamer in badger. As far as bead headed stuff goes you’ll want to have some One Man Party caddis nymphs, Purple Psycho Princes and Silver Delektable Lil’ Spankers.

We’ll be in the shop so stop on in and make sure you’ve got everything you need to have a great experience on the water!

May 14th -24th|Madison River Fishing Report

Hopefully you were lucky enough to get out on the river this weekend and earlier this week while the entire upper river was clean and clear. After the past couple days of warmer temps the West Fork is back to dumping in the dirty water, but the good news is the wade section above should continue to fish well. We’ve still got about a foot or so of visibility at Varney, and better clarity higher up but the water is haulin’ and high. Take serious CAUTION when floating because Sun West and Wolf Creek bridges will be tough to get under so choose your floats wisely.

We’ve been having good luck on Delektable Lil’ Spankers in pheasant tail or silver on either a #14 or #16 hook, the One Man Party caddis nymph in a #16 and red worms of course. Stoneflies are still working well in a lot of varieties(all working best in sizes #8 and #10) such as the Delektable Mr. Rubberlegs Hare’s Ear, the Delektable Bug in the Halloween color, and the Pat’s Rubberlegs in black or black/brown. The good side of the high water is that the fish will be concentrated on the banks and in the slow water behind boulders and logs. SEEK THE SLOW WATER! You shouldn’t have to venture far off the banks to find it.

Streamer fishing has been good on the upper river as well, we got into a few fish yesterday on the Eric’s Jealousy in the “Big Horn” color but anything nice and meaty in that variegated yellow should do the trick. The Delektable Black and Olive Double screamer has been getting it done out there as well.

The surface action has been hit or miss with the ever changing spring time weather but if you’re out there on a nice cloudy day make sure you’ve got a few Delektable Peacock Halo’s in a #16 and some Split Winged March Browns in a #14 or a Parachute Adams either #14 or #16.

Best of Luck out there and as always, stop by the shop for
info and ammo!

March 19th-25th|Madison River Fishing Report

September 28th- October 9th | Madison River Fishing Report

So the episodes of Shark Week continue……

These last weeks we have been waiting for the colder weather to come in and stir things up. Well, we got our wishes and the fish are all kinds of riled up now. Last week was a good start to the fall fishing and now it is in fullll… swiiiing!!! We have been seeing some good sized fish in the last few days here. The streamer bite has been on and there have been some nice fish coming in and submitting to the net. The BWO and Baetis bite is on because of the colder weather too, so if you don’t like throwing streamers or big nymphs, you are still going to be satisfied with decent dry fly fishing! That being said, I would like to tell a quick dry story. Emmett and his father went out to throw nymphs. Big fish were lurking and looking up. Now, dad had his bobber get eaten by a decent sized fish a few times and so he told his son, Emmett. Dad: “what should we throw on?” Emmett: “Well, lets throw a salmon fly on.” So, in very late September they throw salmon flies on and…. well you guessed it…blaaam, they were into a few nice fish. Take a peak, its Shark Week!!! ….again.

Now, before I get into the streamer talk (which is probly going to seem repetitive) I’ll let you in on the guide bugs and whats working for them out there right now. The stones are crawling around and a Black Pat’s Rubber Legs in a size 8 will do just fine. There are a couple of different colors in that pattern that are also working very well, like Brown, Tan/Brown, Black/Brown and Olive/Black. The size is an 8 but a size on either side of that will do just fine also. Bend the shank to give it a much buggier look (and give you an up on yer buddies) 🙂 . Also, try a Twenty Incher Stone (it’s a peacock stone) in a size 8 or 10. As usual, the Delektable Mega Prince Standard size 10-8 is a good call for any stretch of the river, but especially the top end right now. The rock pocket picking is spectacular above the Lyons Bridge Recreational Area all the way up to the Slide at Quake Lake. The Prince nymph in a size 12 has been a “go-to” with the guides here as well as a whole slew of small darker BWO/Calibaetis style nymphs. As for the streamer bite… all the colors are working, all of the silhouettes are slaying and all the rods SHOUUULD…theoretically and historically be…BENT!!! Some of the best colors have been olive and black combos on articulated streamers. Olive and Yellow has been really good too. Black, Black and Blue, Black and Purple, White, Silver, Tan and various colors of the natural spectrum have been doing well. That pretty much covers the rainbow huh? Well, if you are having trouble hooking up on the “straum” (streamer) and you want to quit and throw nymphs again, just take a look at these photos and rethink your decision. If you want to catch a fish on a streamer…you must first throw the streamer…in the water.

I don’t want to give away all the secrets about streamer fishing to the world wide web, but if you would like to know a little more, please come on in and let’s have a ‘lil heart to heart eh? Please have a wonderful rest of your season and fish your brains out!!!

Happy Fishing!!! _DanG

June 1st- 5th 2016| Madison River Fishing Report

The pattern for this week is “Fluctuating River Color” with conditions persisting to change. What we have noticed is water temperatures are cooler than average and flows have been going up a bit. Water is still green and dirty green out back with dirtier water closer to Ennis. There is still a seam in the river but the majority dirty green. Overall, fishing continues to be good with fly patterns and new hatches coming although most people fishing are working for their fish. Flies that worked this week included; Power Worms, Delektable Lil’ Spankers Pheasant Tail, Tungsten Redemption BWO’s, Green Caddis Emergers of various types with some brighter green colors of choice, Caddis of various types, and Phsyco Princes. With the salmon fly and golden stone hatch on the big hole right now the excitement begins to build.

To start off the week, Will drove up to Raynold’s bridge where previous reports had been that the wade only section was fishing well. Sometimes a personal day out on the river is exactly what is needed. The fish are bigger and the stories are always better with no witnesses. Fishing the buckets and side pools, Delektable double screamers (Olive and Black), Midges, and Tungsten Copper John’s #14 were all working. Fishing streamers slow and letting the fish catch up was still important with the water temperatures low. Overall, it’s never a bad day when you’re out on the river and a bonus when you’re catching.

Emmett fished between Lyons Bridge and Windy Point. The fishing was good even though the weather was extremely warm and sunny. The river was slightly off color, especially on the left, west side of the river due to the West Fork. Most bites were happening in the clearer side of the river or near the seam; however the dirty side was productive too. Most bites were happening on small #16 nymphs. They were taking them as emergers with a gentle upward pull. Streamers were used too, but with no avail.

Saturday was a beautiful day for fishing with a group of boats out guiding from Lyons to Palisades. With no new big runoffs, CFS levels were consistent and water clarity green/dirty green; dirty water on the left (West) from the West fork and clearer water on the right (East). As always fishing buckets and giving the fish time to catch up with water temperatures in the 40’s was important.

Ian took Dave and Kevin, on a half day float from Lyons to Pal. The water clarity was good, clear east and dirty west. The flies of choice for the day were power worm’s #8/#10 and small baetis nymphs.

John kept with similar trend with Norbert and Omar, having success on wine colored worms as well as small red wire worms. To compliment that, Tungsten Redemption BWO #16/#18 and green Caddis Emergers were catching. So, something of color with the smaller nymph trailer seemed to work.

Brandon, with Mark and Rob, had most of their luck throughout the day on a Psycho Prince GB Caddis Green #14.

Joe on the other hand, with Gary and Harry, used Delektable Lil’ Spankers Pheasant Tail #18 and Delektable Lil’ Spanker olive green and Pat’s Rubberlegs in Black like the Stone Flies underneath you see in the boat.

Overall all guides had action throughout the day and a variety of different fly patterns were used, all with varying success. A day spent floating with friends and having a laugh are great memories that are never forgotten. Warmer weather is ahead so wear your sunscreen and dip in the river to cool off.

Keep Throwing Darts! Will

May 22-31 2016| Madison River Fishing Report

You never truly know the beauties of Montana and the Madison River until you have the chance to experience it first hand and gaze upon its charm. The motif for this week’s fishing has been “keep on keeping on”, with the river continuing to change every few days. We have gone through two runoffs over the past three weeks, with dirtier water staying closer to Ennis and clear water steady above the Westfork this week. The backyard is green today. The Upper Madison continues to fish well in all sections as CFS levels between Lyons and Varney remain between 1200-2000 CFS. Overall, fishing has been good, some have had to work harder at it than others. Finding the right patterns for the bite is continuously changing with Caddis still about in various sizes; BWO’s later in the day, and Midges. With a big weekend ahead of us it’s time to gear up for that big day.

To start off this week of trips we greeted our new shop employee Will (me) who drove from Virginia to work with us for the summer. Dan and Will’s father Bill have had the pleasure of spanking some bonefish together in the Bahamas. They both have shared varying stories.

On May 26^th, Dan, Bill and Will launched from Lyons to McAtee. The day began with a few minor penalty box events as the Madison River proved to be one of experience. They soon found success landing several commendable trout with Delektable double screamers (Black and Olive), stonefly nymphs, and Delektable Mega Chubbyness Royal. The Highlight of the trip came when Will landed his first big Madison brown on a Delektable Hammerhead Hare’s Ear #14 and was able to show it off later to his buddies back home.

On May 26^th, Marty took Tony on a float from Lyons to Ruby; fishing streamers, stone fly nymphs, Delektable Mega Princes, Pats Rubber Legs, Delektable Lil’ Spankers, and Delektable Sure Strikes. They had modest results on the Delektable Black and Olive Screamer, Pats Rubber legs and stone fly Nymphs but managed to find the bite with smaller nymphs including: Red Headed Step Child; Delektable Lil’ Spanker Red; and the Delektable sure strike. Overall it was a great day with good conditions and fish in the boat.

The Next trip began on May 28^th with Brandon guiding Jim and Keefer from Lyons to Ruby. Delektable Mega princes, Pats Rubber legs and Delektable lil’ Spankers Pheasant Tail were all on. With the water temp still in the mid 40’s the key was to fish the buckets with persistence and allow the slow moving fish to see the fly.

What better way for Dan and Nancy to let off some steam and get away from the shop then to head to the Upper Madison to fish the wade only sections. On May 31^st they decided to fish Raynolds to Pine Butte being a scenic section of the river with very few people this time of year. The “W” factor was strong with chilly conditions in play. The water was low, fast, and clear requiring wade fishers using boats to float rafts instead of hard sides. The fly of choice was Delektable Mega Prince Olive or a Delektable Screamer with a Mega Prince behind it in either Olive or Standard colors. Dan beat up the buckets below the boulders and was casting up into the buckets as he walked the dog down toward him. He had great success with this keeping the line tight as it flowed down stream. It’s hard to beat a day like this when all you see is two fisherman, one boat, and lots of memories.

To put this past week into summary there was a lot of great fish caught and of course some lost. Due to colder water conditions some had to slow down and cast to spots more than once, continuously working the buckets. Fish were less willing to chase, so a near dead drift with twitches continued to work instead of stripping streamers quickly. We will find out this weekend if the majority of runoff we have been experiencing will be done.

Keep Throwing Darts! Will

May 13-21 2016| Madison River Fishing Report

“The only constant is change” has been the theme for fishing the last week or so, with rising and falling river flows, drastic temperature changes, and varying degrees of water clarity. Overall, fishing has been quite good, but that too has had its variances.

The latest stretch of trips began on May 13 with Gunnar Folsom guiding his client, Steve, into some nice trout. They found success with streamers and Stonefly nymphs. An interesting highlight of the day was the discovery of a large Salmonfly nymph under the rocks; a precursor of the next evolution of the season.

On May 14, Dan and Marty snuck away from the shop for a day, with local artist and streamer designer extraordinaire Bern Sundell. A cold North wind blew stiff all day, and the water was quick and cloudy from a partial runoff, which kept fisherman away in droves. The trio didn’t care about the conditions, and neither did the fish. It was a great day for streamer fishing, and while they met a handful of friends at the launch, they floated 17 miles without another boat in sight.

The day produced many nice fish; mostly Browns, with a few Rainbows caught mostly toward the end of the float. Some strikes were hard, but most were softer due to the water temp in the low 40s. The cold water also made the fish less willing to chase, so a near dead-drift with twitches worked as opposed to stripping the streamers. The key to finding the fish in the quick, colored water was simple; find slower water. Fish were stacked in the expected spots; against the bank, behind the rocks, etc.

Multiple streamers were thrown, but the fish were particular on colors, striking only olive or olive/black. The far-and-away best streamer of the day was the Delektable Double Screamer, Black/Olive, Gold Belly.

On May 21, the day started with Dan and Capt. Marty working on a project together in the fly shop. The electricity “magically” went down and the job was finished with flashlights. Then the lightbulb in Dan’s head went off; no power, no work – casting break!

Off he went behind the shop in the 2,900 CFS flow, and a couple nice fish slammed the Delektable Double Screamer in Black/Olive as he field-tested the shop’s new 9-foot, 6/7-weight Presidential rod.

He jumped back into his rig and drove above Windy Point and fished a 9-foot, 5/6-weight Rocket Launcher with a double nymph rig of Delektable Flashback Hurless Stone and Delektable Flashback Mega Prince. The combo caught Browns, Rainbows and Grandpa’s favorite; lunker Whitefish.

The trip was on the third Saturday of May, which made it very special; Dan and his late dad, “Grandpa” to everyone, would always fish the upper Madison on the third Saturday in May. And thanks to the power shortage and the cooperative lunker Whiteys, Dan could hear Grandpa saying, “I need the net now!”

Also on May 21, new shop worker Emmett and his dad hoped to avoid the dirt, so they decided to head up river to just below Hebgen Lake. The previous evening the fish were rising, but thunder ended the trip.

Above Cabin Creek, the water was nice and clear, even though the rain was torrential. Emmett fished streamers while his dad was fished nymphs. In the continued rain, the rises of the previous evening weren’t to be found, except for the occasional leap. Lots of people were fishing the only 300 yards of river that wasn’t off-color in the vicinity, so the fishing was challenging.

May 3-8 2016| Madison River Fishing Report

Mother’s Day Bite!

One of our neighbors, Michael, got back into town and it was time for a float: McAtee to Varney; floating, wading, nymphing, streamers, and killed it on the start of the Mother’s Day Caddis Dry Fly Bite. March Browns were also present but the Delektable Royal Chubbyness in size #16 was the fly of the day. There was also story of a monster fish almost landed on a Delektable Double Screamer Black/Olive, but the evidence got away. It was a really fun day!

We are experiencing a mixture of conditions this week. If you know how to fish the dirt, it is happening but if not, it will be tougher fishing. Above the West Fork is more clear. Between the lakes is fifty fifty. Below the West Fork goes from full dirt to fifty fifty to full dirt. We are expecting some cooler nights this week which could stall the dirt and clear it up some again. Call us for the most current information. Out back is dirty today. That’s the Ruby Creek kicking in some dirt.

Elle made one of her most realistic Brown Trout creations this week, we had to share it with you. Enjoy! Happy Birthday Elle!

Game On! Dan

October 25, 2015 | Madison River Fishing Report

Time for an updated Madison River fishing report!

Cooler but not COLD weather is expect for the next while which is a great thing for fishing! Hunting season is in full swing and boat traffic on the river is minimal throughout. Looking outside, it is overcast and quite pleasant out. The Madison River flows are still flat lining around 900 CFS.

The fishing is excellent during certain times of the day. Mornings are slow, but not a lot of people are fishing early so who knows if that is actually true. The bite seems to pick up late morning with steady action using #8-10 black girdle bugs followed with something silver. I’d try the Zebra Midge or Crystal Dip as well. Also working are the medium sized streamers. Try black, olive or tan colors with a little flash. Definitely give the micro egg patterns a shot as fish seem to be keying in them with the whitefish spawning during the night. Many anglers have noticed the bite abruptly shutting down as the sun begins to dip around 5 pm. You can expect some good fishing leading up to that.

Anyways, feel free to call the shop if you need a report or information on flies. Stop in to check out our end of the season clothing sale, and our heavily discounted rental waders and boots that are still 60-70% off!

-Parker Redmond