Current Conditions:
The Upper Madison River will be a very good option for fishing near Bozeman and Big Sky and Ennis. If you are planning to head into Yellowstone National Park the roads are now open, pack a rod and spend some time on the Upper Madison. Fishing in Yellowstone Park is closed but the Madison River downstream of Hebgen Dam and Quake Lake should have plenty of active fish chasing BWO nymphs, midges, and early caddis activity. It is unlikely there will be much surface dry fly activity but the subsurface nymphing should be good. The biggest challenge could be wind but for those that fish the Madison regularly, wind is just one of the factors on any given day.
See below for the top flies for this week!
IMPORTANT: Because we are in prime spawning season for Madison River rainbow trout, it is crucial all anglers be aware of redds. Redds are areas of gravel in the streambed where trout are actively spawning.
Cabin and Beaver Creeks and the West Fork will probably clear up some with the colder weather we've had so water will probably be cleaner than last weekend. Upper Madison trout will chow in off-color water. Floating and wading will be legit options for the next few weeks.
With water temps possibly tickling 50 degrees soon, hatches could see a kick-start. Dry fly anglers can find hatches of midges, Blue Winged Olives, and March Browns--if you are keen on some dry fly action, just slow down, focus on some soft water and look for snouts. Don't expect killer dry fly fishing, but the warm weather pattern might make the trout a little more apt to eat on the surface.
If the fast water of the Madison is too hard to see dry flies or you just like to nymph, the subsurface action is quite good and should hang in there nicely for the foreseeable future. Look for trout to feed in slower, deeper runs--which can be hard to find in the Upper Madison. But targeting water that is just a foot deeper and a tad bit slower can be the difference of a hole or bucket holding trout or not. If you find one fish, focus on that similar water and you may find more trout.
Flows in the walk-and-wade section are a few hundred CFS lower than average which means wading anglers might can fish areas otherwise unreachable this time of year.
Tandem subsurface nymph rigs with smaller flies are going to be the most successful. Choose your favorite midge or mayfly patterns such as Zebras, Sparkle Pupas, PTs, and the like. The proven tactic of a bugger and bead dragged through a run or bucket will also pull some fish, but because the prominent food sources at the moment are small, two small flies fished under and indicator will get it done more than not.
For dry fly anglers, wait till later in the day when midges and Blue Winged Olives could hatch. Seek out slower pockets behind rocks or downstream of bankside structure. For BWOs choose your favorite hi-vis Parachute pattern and for midges a Buzzball or Hi-Vis Parachute Midge.
Staff Picks for Flies:
Rainbow Warriors in size 14 and 16
Perdigon in size 14-20
Little Green Machines in your fav color and size
Mini Loop Sculpin in a your choice of color in size 2-6
Griffths Gnat in size 18
Parachute Adams in olive or purple in size 14-18
Pat's Rubberlegs in any contrasting color pattern in size 8-12
The weeks ahead:
Fishing on the Upper Madison near West Yellowstone and down to Ennis should remain solid. Be cautious and avoid wading on redds. Hatches of Blue Winged Olives should increase in abundance. Flows may slowly rise, but will likely remain slightly below long term averages. Water temperatures will gradually increase which means the feeding window for trout will also be earlier, and longer, throughout the day.