Madison River
Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake 1/9/09
We’ve seen a bit of a thaw in the weather and found some time to get out on the Madison. The river is in good shape and access is a bit easier than it often is this time of year, as the snow is dense and compacted. Flows out of Hebgen Dam are right around 860 CFS which is a good level for winter fishing. Snowpack for the Madison drainage is at about 100 percent of normal for this time of year, let us hope it keeps up. Fishing has been good between the lakes, with almost all of our fish taken on nymphs. Focus your angling efforts between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM when the water is at its warmest. The trout aren’t all that picky, any reliable pattern in #14-18 most often does the trick, though be sure to have some Zebra Midges in #18-20 if the fish get a bit selective. Larger Stoneflies and San Juan Worms are also effective winter standbys. Look for fish in obvious pools and pockets. They don’t waste much energy fighting heavy currents in the winter and there is little angling pressure to push fish out of the most comfortable lies.
Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge: 1/9/09
Fishing below Quake has been just as good as it has been between the lakes. This stretch of river gets a lot more direct sunlight than the canyon below Hebgen, so the fish are often active earlier in the day. At the same time, there is more wind in the valley making winter days a bit bitter. Needless to say, dress warmly. Nymphs are the best and most consistent way to find and catch fish in the Madison, but if an angler has his/her heart set on seeing some rises, the Madison below Quake is always a good bet. Calm days are the best time to find heads keyed in on abundant winter midge hatches. These tiny morsels are mostly #24 and smaller. Tan and black midge emergers or dries will fool most risers, provided they are presented without drag. On those wonderful days with super thick hatches, larger midge cluster patterns can be deadly and are much easier to see on the water. Though we normally fish nothing less than 4x on the Madison, we will step down to 5x with these small flies.
While the winter dry fly fishing is an occasional treat, sub surface fishing is usually far more effective. Nymphing is our meat and potatoes approach. Perfect dead drifts are even more important in the winter than in the summer and the takes are always very soft. Positively drill any hesitation of the strike indicators. Covering water is crucial. Even the largest pools will normally only have a few active fish feeding in them. Hit every likely pocket in a stretch of river and you will catch more fish. When the weather is really cold, try Czech Nymphing. This tight line method keeps a set length of line outside of the rod tip and keeps the guides from freezing up as frequently.
If watching indicators or tight line nymphing isn’t your thing and the dry fly fishing doesn’t pan out, one can still find some trout on the Madison. We’ve had surprising success swinging sculpin patterns on sink tip lines though softer riffles on the Madison during the winter month. Big numbers of fish aren’t going to be caught, but some healthy browns crush the big flies with regularity. This is a good way to fish in a downstream wind as it keeps the angler facing away from the breeze.
Gallatin River 1/9/09
Unlike the Madison, the Gallatin has no dam, making the water cooler in the depths of the winter. Between Big Sky and the Taylor’s Fork the river is essentially unfishable with ice. Anglers can find willing fish below Snowflake Springs just north of the Yellowstone Boundary and below Big Sky where the stream gradient increases enough to keep less ice from forming. Stick to nymphs such as San Juan Worms, Pheasant Tails and Golden Stones. Look for fish in the most defined pockets and pools that offer protection from the current and be sure to get a long and slow drift.