Fishing Report

Madison in Montana

Since the opener, last Saturday fishing has been great. The water is up and off color, but that puts the fish near the banks and they are hungry.

Cabin and Beaver Creeks are dumping in dirty water and the West Fork is real brown.

We have been using big rubber leg stoneflies with egg droppers. Darker stonefly nymphs are best: #4 and #6.

Also, bead heads in #14 and #16, lightning bugs and zebra midges.

Hatches have been midges and BWO’s, and there has been rising fish in the pockets along the banks.

Walk slow and watch the water for rises.

Gallatin River

High and dirty, good for rafting. Taylor’s Fork is dirty. You can fish between the park line and the Taylor Fork with nymphs. The water will be cold so put the flies on the bottom.

Hebgen Lake

It’s been okay. Stripping buggers and leeches with sinking lines will get some fish. Best colors are black and gold and olive mini leeches.

The best reports are from anglers using strike indicators and ice cream cones. THe trick is to figure out what depth to fish them. Usually you want to be a foot off the bottom.

The dry fly fishing is not great yet, as rises are sporadic. Mostly midges and some chironomids. Cloudy days and evenings are best for any hope for any top water action.

Henry’s Fork

The big news is Salmon flies!!! There are a few starting to hatch in the Box.

Henry’s Lake

Opens 5/24/2014, which is Saturday.

Yellowstone National Park

Opens tomorrow, 5/24/2014, which is Saturday.

The water is up and tea color. Expect the meadows to have flooding, but we expect good fishing in the Firehole River. Use bigger soft hackles and prince nymphs, #10 and #12. Peacock woolly buggers #8 and #10 will due well.

The rivers in the Northeast corner are very high and dirty, so wait until late June when they start to come down.

Yellowstone Lake also opens tomorrow, but it has lots of ice and Lewis Lake is still frozen solid.