Madison River Fly Fishing Report 7/18/2016
Montana
Upper Madison
Still fishing good above and below the surface. On top, we've seen a lot of nice fish right off the bank eating #16 Para-Wulff, #18 Rocky Mountain Mint, #16 Para-Ant, #16 Missing Link and #16-20 Adams. If you can get a great fly-first drift down the lanes near the bank, you'll be rewarded. Flows are still 850cfs out of Hebgen and 1,000cfs down at Kirby. Cool nights are bringing the water temps down to 52 degrees, but count on a slow stretch at some point in the afternoon.
As for nymphs, keep it small and relatively slim. Guide favorites over the last week have been the #14 Lake Prince, #16 BWO Loop Wing, #16-18 Shop Vac, #16-18 Guide Dip, and #18 Black Lightning Bug to name a few. It's important to not just rely on the bankside slicks/pockets, wade out and fish those mid-river boulders.
Weather for the week is low-80's and sunny. Great time of year to fish early and then again late into the sunset.
Hebgen Lake
Gulper fishing should pick up a notch this week as we're expecting warm weather. Already there's been a few great mornings on Hebgen, but we're still seeing mostly Tricos and only a few fish tracking, expect those days to end soon. Try out a #16 Callibaetis Spinner or #16 Hazy Cripple. If you're looking for a dropper, keep it simple and throw a #16 $3 Dip a few feet below your dry.
YNP
Upper Yellowstone
The Upper Yellowstone got off to a great start after opening for the summer last Friday. Drakes, Golden Stones, Caddis, and of course Terrestrials were all getting eats opening weekend. If you haven't fished this water before, keep in mind these fish are very forgiving and will keep giving you shots. If one looks at/denies your fly, cut it off and try another. A few favorites are the #16 Red Para-Ant, #14 409, #16 Bogus Beetle, #12 Comparadun Drake, and the ever versatile #12 Royal Wulff.
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Jake Schilling
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