The Madison River in the Park is looking better every week, and we are finally to the point where the river’s main tribs have water temps more in line with typical readings.  The lower Gibbon has finally cooled off, and the lower Firehole as not peaked above 65 for several days now - the first time in months that we’ve been able to say that. 

Flows today near West Yellowstone are 329 cfs at 0515, with the average for today 430 cfs, and the 20% marker 357 cfs.  She’s obviously still running quite low.

More falls runs have moved into the river - it’s clearly not at its peak but there are more fish than last week.

As weather improves (Saturday and Monday look particularly good) we should see some better afternoon and evening caddis hatches, the western red quill, and more midges. 

I overheard a spirited pub debate yesterday evening about the best way to fish the Madison this time of year.  The most vocal of the group, a guide/shop employee from West Yellowstone, argued that he can cover a lot of water in a more relaxed manner swinging wet flies, particularly soft hackles, down and across - I tend to agree - we’ve done very well with soft hackles here and on the Firehole of late. 

The traditional nymphers argued that they can produce more fish (not necessarily the goal for most of us) - the hot bugs this week being Yuk bugs, San Juans, as well as the old guard Princes and PTs - though whitefish tend to be more evident with this technique.

The streamer guys got their two cents in, and done correctly this can be a very efficient way to cover water, and your whitefish catch rate obviously goes way down too.  Pitching streamers for the big boys is just fun too, and gives you an excuse to break out the 8 weight…

There’s no right or wrong here - though a word of caution - there are quite a few guys and gals on the Madison currently, and there have been some heated words exchanged (typically by less experienced fisherman) on the river - a terrible waste of time and great water.  We witnessed near fisticuffs near 9 mile a couple of days ago.  Don’t enter a pool below someone who’s working down through, and don’t set up camp all day in a great spot…there’s pleny of water and fish to go around….

Finally, we left the terrestrials on the list for one more week - though they’re about done at this point…..

The  Upper and Lower Madison river in Montana below the lakes continues to fish well - check our Madision River Reports (divided into Upper Madison and Lower Madison) at Best Fly Fishing Montana.com (this link will take you right to the report blog).  The Upper and Lower Madison reports were updated yesterday.

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Flies to have in the box:

Dries:  Caddis - EHC, X Caddis,  - tan, olive, black;  your midge package; your attractor package; its too early but we’d have a Red Quill pattern in the box too

Nymphs: Yuk Bug; San Juan Worm, red, brown, tan; PT; BHPT; BH Hares Ear, Copper John, olive; BH Prince; Lightning bugs, gold, silver, green/olive

Terrestials: Hoppers - Grand, Whit, Dave’s, Carnage, Kicking, Hoppinator; Beetles- Fire, Foam, HiVis, Sam’s;  Ants - Chernobyl, ParaAnt, black and cinnamon, CDC Flying ant, black, brown, cinnamon; Epoxy, same colors

Streamers:  Wooly buggers and Wooly worms, brown, yellow, olive, black; Sparkle buggers, same colors; Girdle bug; Zonkers, assorted

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