The Madison inside of Yellowstone National Park is having an excellent fall.  With only a few more weeks of Park fishing left, now is the time to get over there and fish the plentiful, larger lake run Browns and Rainbows.  They are making their presence known; anglers are not bringing in huge numbers of fall runs, but those that are caught are well worth the time.

In the cold, cloudy fall weather we have been experiencing, Streamer fishing is the way to go.  The fish are active, hungry, and more than willing to go after whatever big ugly thing you care to put out there.  Stay with natural, neutral colors and come prepared to cover a lot of water looking for fish.  You’ll be pleased with the results.  Anglers using Nymphs and Soft Hackles are also faring well; large Soft Hackles are picking up lake runs on the end of the swing.  Focus on deeper pools and don’t be afraid to keep moving if you aren’t seeing any action.  Nymphing is probably the slowest way to hook up with a fish, but some fish that refuse a Streamer or a Soft Hackle will take a nymph.  As more fall runs enter the river, nymphing is becoming more and more effective.

A few anglers are having luck with Terrestrials; although the real bugs vanished with last weekend’s snowstorm, the fish still seem to be looking up for them.  A smallish Hopper-dropper combo is never a bad thing to keep ready in the fly box.  The Madison is drawing quite a bit of angling traffic with the fall run fishing.  Remember your fishing etiquette and stay clear of other anglers, don’t crowd, and move through pools with other guys or gals waiting.  We’ve heard stories of some tip hungry guides hogging pools, but most folks know the game and play well.  The Madison is at her best in the fall – so get out and enjoy some excellent fishing!

Flows today (0600) are 429 cfs, with today’s average 407 cfs on the gage near West Yellowstone.

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Flies to Have in the Box

Dries:  baetis - BWO, Blue Dun, Olive Sparkle Dun, Comparadun, Fall baetis Sparkle Dun, Para-Adams; Midges – your favorites

Nymphs: PT; BHPT; BH Hares Ear, Copper John, olive; BH Prince; Lightning bugs, gold, silver, green/olive;  PMD Wonder nymph, Electric Yellow Micro Mayfly

Terrestrials: Hoppers, beetles, ants, bees (last week)

Streamers:  Woolly buggers, brown, yellow, olive, black; Sparkle buggers, same colors; Girdle bug; Zonkers, assorted; your favorites

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Tags: River: Madison River