Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 7/21/2010

We’ve seen some good fishing between the lakes as of late.  There are a lot of Caddis in the evenings and fish can be brought up to a dry pretty much all day long.  Cover a lot of water with a Trude or Large Parachute and you will be in business.  In the evening, look for rising fish and drift Parachute Caddis over them.  Nymphs will catch plenty of fish, but expect to weed through a lot of Whitefish. Be nice to Whiteys when you get them, treat them as you would any native fish in the river!

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge: 7/21/2010 

Evening fishing is as good as it gets in the “wade section” of the Madison right now.  There are a ton of Caddis hatching and laying eggs in the evenings and the Epeorus spinner falls have been great between dusk and dark.  Iris Caddis, Parachute Caddis and CDC Caddis are among our favorite caddis imitators.  A #16 Calf Wing Rusty Spinner or Rusty Parachute is all you need to imitate the Epeorus.  Fishing either Caddis or Mayflies behind a more visible fly such as a Trude or Stimi can help one track the drift much more effectively.

 Lyon Bridge to Ennis: 7/21/2010

The Madison’s trout are enjoying plentiful feeding.  Morning hours have seen the best bite, as the water often warms up a little too much for excellent fishing late in the afternoons.  There have been good Epeorus hatches and spinner falls, and a lot of caddis doing their thing as well.  Finding soft water to fish dries in is the key to raising fish from the boat.  Drifts must be perfect, so sharpen your reach casting skills before you get on the water.  Nymph fishing has been consistently working well.  We’ve had our best nymph bite on Black Lightning Bugs, Shop Vacs and PMD Emergers.  A few fish here and there will eat a large stonefly nymph but the smaller (14-18) nymphs are getting  a more consistent bite.

 Gallatin River:  7/21/2010

The Gallatin has been fishing very well north of Big Sky.  PMD’s and Caddis have been the primary insects to imitate, both on the surface and with nymphs.  Fish can be found rising most of the day and the evenings have had tremendous caddis activity until nearly dark.  

 Hebgen Lake: 7/21/201o

Gulper fishing is getting going on Hebgen Lake.  There are quite a few Callibaetis hatching.  Some  fish can be found feeding on them most mornings, but it takes some hunting to find risers.  Long accurate casts are the norm when hunting these difficult fish, so one must enjoy the challenge.  Stripping or bobbing Callibaetis Nymphs and Chironomids has been very productive lately.  This is far easier fishing than casting dries at cruising fish, but a bit less rewarding.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 7/13/2010

Between the Lakes has had some great fishing.  Golden Stones and Salmonflies dominate the fly selection right now.  There are a ton of people fishing this stretch, but the bite has been good so why not?The standard Salmonfly and Golden Dries are working great.  Dropper rigs can hook up some more fish early in the day when fish aren’t yet willing to rise.  

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge: 7/13/2010 

The “wade section” of the Madison has a lot of bugs right now.  Salmonflies have finally made their way into this stretch and these insect monstrosities have brought along most of their buggy buddies as well.  Along with the big flies one can find tons of caddis, some PMD’s, Golden Stones and Yellow Sallies.  The afternoons and evenings have been fantastic both with Caddis and Salmonfly patterns.

 Lyon Bridge to Ennis: 7/13/2010

Fish are still eating Golden Stones in the Float section though Caddis are the main item on the menu throughout  most of the day.  Goddards, X-Caddis and EC Caddis have all been consistent producers.  Caddis imitations are also working well when fished deeply under an indicator.  Dips and Sparkle Pupa have been deadly.  Fish are extremely picky about drift and don’t offer any second chances to set the hook so anglers would be wise to pay attention their flies on the water.

 Gallatin River:  7/13/2010

We’ve had some great fishing on the Gallatin north of Big Sky lately.  Fish have been rising to Caddis, PMD’s and Drakes.  There are still a few Goldens about as well.  The nymph bite has been more reliable than the dry fly fishing and we’ve had no shortage of fish willing to eat a PMD Soft Hackle when fished with a good drift.

 Hebgen Lake: 7/13/201o

More Callibaetis are emerging on Hebgen every week, but there still aren’t a lot of heads up on the lake that can present a consistent target for an angler.  Stick to the bobber rig with a Callibaetis and a Chironomid and enjoy the nice fish that come to it.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 7/7/2010

Hebgen Lake Outflow has been a steady 900 CFS.  Good hatches have been coming off between the lakes including Green Drakes, Golden Stones, a few Salmonflies, Caddis and Craneflies, all available to the trout in varying numbers.  Because of this the dry fly bite has been pretty good.  Nymph fishers have had action, but there are a lot of whitefish that are all about munching the deeply fished flies so trout can be hard to find.  Anglers who cover a lot of water with both dries and nymphs will catch a lot more fish than those who pound away on one hole all morning.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge: 7/7/2010 

Good hatches are getting going in the wade section of the Madison.  The PMD’s (or are they Epeorus??) have been pretty good throughout the day.  There are Caddis and small Stoneflies as well.  Salmonflies will most likely be a few days away from the water above Lyon bridge.  Nymphing has been good, but don’t ignore the attractor dry fly possibilities.  The fish are getting used to feeding on the surface and a wide range of dries can bring them up to feed.  The Salmonfly fishing should be great when the big bugs finally make their way upstream.

 Lyon Bridge to Ennis: 7/7/2010

We are still seeing good numbers of Salmonflies in the float section.  Cool water coming in from tributaries has made their progress upriver pretty slow, which has prolonged the arrival of great fishing with the big bugs.  PMDs and Caddis have been hatching in abundant numbers and the river is clear enough that the fish are looking up to smaller flies a great deal more often than they were a week ago.  As the river has cleared, more fish can be brought to the surface in mid river lies.  Stimi’s, Trudes, Goddard Caddis, Yellow Sallies, PMD Parawulffs and all sorts of adult Salmonfly and Golden stone patterns have been the flies of choice.

 Gallatin River:  7/7/2010

The Gallatin has been fishing pretty well below Big Sky.  Both nymphs and dries are working, with the best dry fly bite happening after the water has warmed up a bit after lunchtime.  Salmonflies have made their way up river, but there are still some big Goldens around.  Caddis and smaller stones have taken up the slack.  Olive Hare’s Ears, Pheasant Tails and Sili Leg Stones have worked very well dead drifted below strike indicators.  Attractor style dries have worked well in the pocket water stretches of the Gallatin.

 Hebgen Lake: 7/7/201o

Fishing on Hebgen has been slow to get going in the mornings due to cooler temperatures  we have experienced lately, but fishing has been pretty good once things warm up.  Callibaetis are still pretty sparse, but fishing their nymphal imitations has been rather productive.  Chironomids continue to dredge up some nice fish as well.

Quake Lake 7/7/2010

Quake is in pretty good shape as far as visibility goes.  Chironomids, Buggers and Zonkers are all good patterns to fish on the lake.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 6/29/2010

Hebgen Lake Outflow is around 800 CFS.  Cabin Creek is clearing up and the place is starting to have that summer feel to it.  Nymphing has been productive, but fishing sub surface means wading through a lot of whitefish to hook a few trout.  A flashback pheasant tail in #14-16 has been as good as anything else when fished with a good drift.  Dry fly fishing will get going pretty quickly as there are already some Caddis around.  The bug bonanza that coincides with the Salmonfly hatch is just around the corner.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge: 6/29/2010 

The “wade section” of the Madison is going to have adult Salmonflies in it fairly soon.  In the meantime, dead drifting their nymphal imitations is a good way to hook some nice fish.  Fish seem to be keyed on the nymphs and they are getting fat and sassy due to the overabundance of food.  Low flows are making it easy to get around compared to weeks past. Sometimes it pays to push the boundaries of “safe” wading to fish water that is tough to get to as the fish in these spots are less harassed than the fish on the banks.

 Lyon Bridge to Ennis: 6/29/2010

Salmonflies!!!  Yup, this is it. The Superbowl of Madison River fly fishing has just kicked off and has started to get interesting. Feel free to give us a call at 800-646-9644 for the latest report on the big bugs.  Razorbacks, South Fork Secrets and Rogue Stones all get eaten by the excited and hungry trout.

 Gallatin River: 6 /29/2010

We are on the cusp of the Gallatin starting to fishing well.  The river still has a lot of color below the Taylor Fork  and will for a while yet, but if it doesn’t rain the nymphing will start to get pretty good.  

 Hebgen Lake: 6/29/2010

Hebgen has been fishing well this last week.  Callibaetis are beginning to hatch and there are a few fish rising to them, but there is not enough consistency to make dry fly fishing a fruitful option as of yet.  Turkey Callibaetis, Flashback Pheasant Tails and Peacock Chironomids have all been excellent flies to fish underneath.  Fishing close to the surface has been working well when numbers of rising fish are higher, but for the most part we are still fishing deep.

Quake Lake 6/29/2010

Quake is in pretty good shape in the visibility department.  Chironomids, Buggers and Zonkers are all good flies to fish on the lake.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 6/23/2010

Hebgen Lake outflow has been considerably reduced to a much more fishing friendly 960 CFS in the last week.  This makes it a lot easier to wade between the lakes and the fishing has been pretty good.  As is often the case this time of year, we are having our best success on nymphs.  Sili Leg Stones trailed by a variety of #14-18 dropper flies have been the best bet.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge: 6/23/2010 

The “wade section” has a little more than a foot of visibility currently and is slowly clearing up.  The nymph fishing has been spectacularly good and the dry fly fishing has been all but nonexistent.  Large stonefly nymphs, smaller caddis nymphs and mayfly nymphs have scored consistently, just make sure to get a good drift.

 Lyon Bridge to Ennis: 6/23/2010

We are starting to see good fishing on the “float section” of the Madison.  Large Sili Leg Stones in brown, black and orange have by far been the most effective flies.  Streamer fishing has been pretty good as well.  Salmonflies are coming soon, but as of yet, we haven’t seen the “big bugs”.  The river is in great shape for the hatch, we jut need it to happen.

 Gallatin River: 6/23/2010

The Gallatin is very fishable with nymphs in the Park and through the short stretch in Montana down to the Taylor’s Fork.  Below the Taylor’s Fork the river is getting closer to being fishable but it is still very dirty.  A few more days without rain should help, but it will take a bit more than that to get it in shape for dry flies.  Plan on July 1st to fish this section, given normal rainfall.  Hopefully the water will clear just in time for Salmonflies.

 Hebgen Lake: 6/23/2010

Hebgen has been fishing inconsistently due to the weather, but when it has been good, it has been very good.  Chironomids and Callibaetis nymphs have been the go-to flies for the lake, though buggers and crayfish have accounted for some nice trout as well.

Quake Lake 6/23/2010

Visibility in Quake is slowly coming around and is clear enough to fish with streamers and buggers.  A few of our shop rats have started pounding the drop offs with big streamers and have had some action, but it hasn’t been red hot.  Another week should get the lake in better shape.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 6/16/2010

Hebgen Dam Outflow is currently being regulated to match the calculated inflow of water into the reservoir.  Currently this is roughly 1400 CFS, which is a much more fishable level than it was a week ago.  Anglers fishing nymphs have had the best results.  Small Baetis patterns, Sili Leg Stones and Ram Caddis have all been excellent fly choices, so long as they are fished with a good dead drift.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge: 6/16/2010 

The Madison has come down significantly and visibility has improved in the wade section.  We are fishing nymphs almost exclusively, though there is enough visibility to see a fish occasionally rise.  Sili Leg Stones, San Juan Worms, Bead Head Pheasant Tails and Olive Hare’s Ears are currently among the best flies.  Look for soft holding water and get a good drift.  As usual, the takes will be somewhere between light and imperceptible, so make sure to keep a sharp eye on the indicators and set the hook quickly.

 Lyon Bridge to Ennis: 6/16/2010

The Madison is still fishing better in the wade stretch than it is below Lyon Bridge due to a lack of clarity caused by the West Fork.  Things should start to clean up soon.

 Gallatin River: 6/16/2010

The Gallatin is pretty dirty right now.  

 Hebgen Lake: 6/16/2010

Hebgen is still fishing pretty well.  Aside from the north side of the lake, there aren’t as many midges hatching as a week ago, but we are still fishing Chironomid Pupa patterns and finding fish willing to eat them.  Princes have been effective flies as well, both fished under an indicator and on an intermediate line.

Quake Lake 6/16/2010

Quake is really dirty right now.  Hebgen will be a better bet until things clear up.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 6/9/2010

 Oh the rain we have had.  Outflow is now over 2,400 CFS from Hebgen Dam.  This is extremely high and makes for tough fishing between the lakes.  Cabin and Beaver Creek are still dumping a lot of dirty water and the outflow from the dam is actually dirty .  Until the water drops, look to fish elsewhere.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge: 6/9/2010 

If you like to fish the wade section of the Madison but can’t stand the crowds, this is the perfect time to come fish it.  Sure the water is raging and visibility hovers around 6 inches, but fish can still be caught and no one is around.  Big stonefly nymphs, Princes and San Juan Worms are the ticket to pulling fish out of the big water.  The real trick to catching fish though, is finding slow water pockets where fish concentrate when the river is big and dirty.  Ignore all the water in the middle of the river and ignore all of the fast water.  That leaves about 1 percent of the river left to prospect and that is where you’ll find the fish.

 Lyon Bridge to Ennis: 6/9/2010

What little visibility in the Madison there in the wade section gets even worse below the West Fork.  We aren’t floating the river right now as there is much better wade fishing to be had.

 Gallatin River: 6/9/2010

The Gallatin is pretty dirty right now.  

 Hebgen Lake: 6/9/2010

Hebgen Lake has been fishing pretty well.  The water in the South Fork and Madison Arms is pretty discolored, but things have been good on the main body of the lake.  There are still plenty of midges hatching here.  Chironomid Pupa fished deep or crawled in front of risers is the way to a bent rod.

Quake Lake 6/9/2010

Quake is really dirty right now.  Hebgen will be a better bet until things clear up.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 6/2/2010

 Outflow from Hebgen Dam is now at around 700 CFS.  Cabin Creek is still dumping a fair amount of mud into the river.  Good Baetis hatches have brought a fair number of fish to the surface where there is clear water and we have had some great dry fly fishing.  The nymph fishing continues to be very good.  Black Lighting Bugs and Copper Johns are the most productive nymphs at the moment, but as always, a good presentation is the most important key to hooking fish.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge: 6/2/2010 

The water is very clear in the “wade section” of the Madison, with more than two feet of visibility.  Baetis hatches have been good in the afternoons, but most of the fish are eating nymphs under the surface.  Golden Stones, Olive Hare’s Ears, Black Crystal Dips and Flashback Pheasant Tails have been great flies.  Fishing around the banks hasn’t been as productive as doing some “adventure wading” to reach mid river pockets and drop offs.  Fish in these areas have seen little angling pressure and are easier to fool than those at the river’s edge.

 Lyon Bridge to Ennis: 6/2/2010

All of the boat ramps on the Madison are currently open besides Palisades.  The river has decent visibility and is in good shape for floating.  There aren’t many boats around and the nymph fishing has been solid. Most of our fish have come to either Silli Leg Stoneflies in #6 or Biot Golden Stones in #10-#12.

 Gallatin River: 6/2/2010

The Gallatin is pretty dirty right now.  Go fish the Madison instead.

 Hebgen Lake: 6/2/2010

Hebgen Lake is currently a Chironomid factory.  Fishing Midge Pupa in #14-16 under an indicator or on a long leader  with a floating line will a rod bent in a hurry right now.  Experiment with depth but it is a good idea to start fishing the flies a foot or so off the lake bottom. 

Quake Lake 6/2/2010

Quake is getting pretty dirty as Cabin Creek and Beaver Creek are dumping a lot of mud.  Hebgen will be a better bet until things clear up.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 5/19/2010

 Outflow from Hebgen Dam is now at around 700 CFS.  Cabin Creek is dumping a fair amount of mud into the river.  Nymph fishing continues to produce some nice fish between the lakes.  In the muddy water, large stoneflies and San Juan Worms are the ticket.  In clearer flows smaller nymphs are the best bet.  Red Copper Johns, Flashback Hare’s Ears and Ram Caddis down to 18’s fit the bill.  There are Baetis hatching and a few fish rising in the clear spots in the river.  Imitate these insects with #20 parachutes and emergers.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge: 5/19/2010 

In the “wade section,” the Madison is still clear down to the West Fork, though muddy water is working its way down Quake Lake.  Visibility shouldn’t be an issue unless we see very warm temps.  Fishing has been very good since the river opened and should continue in the foreseeable future.  Small nymphs dominate the fly selection right now.  Copper Johns, Micro Mays, Crystal Dips and Prince Nymphs are all quite deadly when fished with a clean dead drift.  There are some Baetis hatching and a few observant anglers are finding success fishing small dries when they spot fish on top.  As the river gets more color, large stonefly nymphs will begin to perform and the little dry fly fishing there is will grind to a halt.

 Lyon Bridge to Ennis: 5/19/2010

With Windy Point and Palisades both closed currently (GOOD PLANNING !) and the West Fork of the Madison dumping some mud, there aren’t a lot of options for floating the Madison.  If cool weather slows run off from the West Fork, floating Lyon to Ruby Creek will be pretty good.  Right now the same float only is productive until around Palisades due to run off, though one can always huck streamers in the dirty water and hope for the best.  

 Gallatin River: 5/19/2010

The Gallatin is still fishable downstream of the the Yellowstone Park boundary to the Taylor’s Fork.  Below Big Sky, the river is very dirty.  Cooler weather may see the Gallatin clear enough to allow some good nymph fishing.  Keep an eye on the river flows if you are thinking of heading up there.  

 Hebgen Lake: 5/19/2010

Hebgen is for all intents and purposes now free of ice.  Fishing has been very good in the main body of the lake as well as the Madison and South Fork Arms.  Chironomid hatches have been thick on the South Fork Arm and in the other bays on the south side of Hebgen.  In the lake’s main body, leech and streamer patterns have been the most successful flies.  Good midge hatches are not far off in this water as well.  Bobbing Chironomids is always a great way to find fish on Hebgen.

Quake Lake 5/19/2010

Quake is getting pretty dirty as Cabin Creek and Beaver Creek are dumping a lot of mud.  Hebgen will be a better bet until things clear up.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 5/12/2010

 Flows between Hebgen and Quake are still very low. Roughly 670 CFS is being let out of Hebgen Dam currently.  Most of the rainbows in this stretch of river are either  spawning or have just spawned and are in poor condition at this time.  For this reason there are better places to fish right now.  Baetis are hatching, but most of the successful anglers are using nymphs.

Quake Lake-McAtee Bridge: 5/12/2010 (Opens  for fishing on 5/15)

The Madison below Quake Lake opens for fishing this weekend.  While the water is fairly low, visibility is perfect and the fishing should be exceptional.  Keep an eye out for rainbows that are still spawning and avoid disturbing them.  There will be PLENTY of fish holding in pockets and runs that are in good condition and eager to feed.  A wide variety of nymphs will work well when the season first opens.  Prince nymphs, Caddis Larva imitations, Silli Leg Stoneflies and small mayfly nymphs like Hare’s Ears and Pheasant Tails will all be very effective.  Just make sure to get a good dead drift.  Conditions are perfect for some early season dry fly fishing this year.  Expect to see fish rising to Baetis or March Browns on if we get some cloudy afternoons and bring patterns accordingly.

 McAtee Bridge to Ennis: 5/12/2010

We’ve had some good fishing with nymphs and even a bit of dry fly action in the afternoons as fish have been rising to Baetis and March Browns at times.  Small Baetis nymphs have been among the most effective patterns for this section of river.  Flashback Pheasant Tails, Olive Hare’s Ears, Micro Mayflies and Tailwater Tiny’s have all been doing the trick.  The water is still pretty low to float Cameron Flats in a hard sided boat.

 Gallatin River: 5/12/2010

The Gallatin has had some very good hatches lately.  These should keep up as long as the cloudy weather stays around and the river remains in shape.  A few warm days will put the Gallatin back into full run off, so keep an eye on the river levels for any spikes in the graph that would indicate rising water.  Until then, bring some caddis in #16-18 and especially Baetis patterns.  Thorax Baetis and Paramergers have both been very effective in #20.  When the hatches are thick, better trout can usually be found rising in spots that are tough to get a drift in. Keep an eye out for slow rises and ignore the splashy efforts of the smaller fish.  Of course the river is also in great shape for dead drifting nymphs.  Expect to fish nymphs before that hatches get going in the afternoon.  Focus on deeper pools, runs and rock slicks where there are concentrations of fish and get long drifts.

 Hebgen Lake: 5/12/2010

Hebgen is beginning to lose its ice along the north shore.  Patches of open water are growing every day.  The arms of the lake are all free of ice so there is a lot of open water to fish right now.  Midges are hatching and calm evenings have brought on some good (though inconsistent) dry fly action.  We’ve had good fishing with Chironomids under indicators where the midges are active, especially in the South Fork and Madison Arms. Streamer fishing in the lake’s north shore has been very good in the pockets of open water.

Quake Lake 5/12/2010

The ice is slowly coming off of Quake Lake.  One can finally get a boat into the lake off the boat ramp.  Streamer fishing has been pretty darn good in the open water.  Just be sure to keep your retrieves slow and don’t sink the flies to much.  Fish will not move down in the water to eat flies but will be aggressive when moving upward.