The Lower Madison is offering up some great dry fly opportunities. PMDs, caddis, drakes, and yellow sallies make up the buffet of of insects that the trout have to choose from. If you're going for numbers, you can't go wrong with a nymph rig sporting a zirdle paired with a simple scud, lil' spanker, or a rainbow warrior.
Make sure to check the water temperatures before you fish the Lower Madison. The Lower river is generally best as a morning fishery. Consider hitting the river early in the morning or finding colder water to fish. The Lower will likely fall under "hoot owl" restrictions as soon as hot weather arrives so pay attention to the FWP list of rivers with time of day limitations.
Flies for the Lower Madison River Right Now:
Bloom's Hi-Vis Caddis in sizes 12-16
CDC Caddis in sizes 12-16
Parachute Purple Haze in sizes 12-18
Lightning Bugs in sizes 16-18
Sawyer PTs in sizes 18-22
Clouser crayfish in size 8-12
Little Spankers in sizes 18-20
Rainbow Warrior in sizes 16-18
Zirdle in sizes 6-12
Sparkle Minnows in bright colors in sizes 2-6
Home Invaders in purple or olive in sizes 2-6
The Month Ahead:
Look for the Lower Madison to slowly decrease in fishing action as water temps gradually rise, but is still a good early option with the cooler weather we are enjoying.
Long Term Fishing Forecast:
The Lower Madison isn't the best mid summer fishery due to warmer water temperatures.