Given the warm stretch the past week and the rise in water temps on the Firehole below the Canyon, we’re going to change our pitch on the Park section of the Madison again.  

Lower Firehole temps were pushing 80 degrees over the weekend, and even though the lower Gibbon hasn’t been quite that bad, catch and release related mortality risk is just too high on the Park section of the Madison currently.  Two or three weeks (maybe four at the outside) and temps will be much, much better.  There are many better waters to be on right now.

[You could genuinely argue that it’s been hot enough to fish naked on the lower Firehole and the Madison.  Tourists have been stopping for half a mile each way when there’s a bull elk by the road - I wonder what kind of attention that naked fly fisherman might attract.   The statue pictured above was originally placed in Germany (Simbach am Inn), but controversy  erupted as the naked man appears to be mooning the city across the river in Austria - Braunan am Inn.  The Naked Fly Fishers Association in West has purchased the controversial statue and is moving it to WY. ]

The Madison outside the Park had another great week – we’re sticking to our story and suggesting once again that you read Craig Matthew’s first hand reports and recommendations on the Blue Ribbon Flies site for suggestions from the master. Our run last week to the upper Madison got squished, but we’re headed there on Friday morning.  When Craig says things are as good as he’s seen in a while, most of us around here listen pretty damned intently. 

Flows this morning near West are not available due to an equipment malfunction. 

Hold on the Park section of the Madison for another few weeks. 

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