GOODBYE, SALMONFLY!
July 2022
UPDATED 7/15/2022
NOTICE - Hoot Owl has been implemented on the Lower Madison River today. No fishing after 2PM on the entire river below Ennis Dam.
Mid-summer has finally hit the Madison River bringing lower flows and warmer water temperatures. Hot days in July bring the Madison River to life with miraculous bug life supporting the ecosystem, including its wild trout. The Madison is known for its dry fly fishing and there is no lack of bugs throughout the whole river. Throwing small dries has been more productive in the mornings and the evenings. One of our favorite bugs to fish in the morning has been smaller PMD mayflies. You will see PMD’s throughout the entire river and it's a great option to tie one on for some technical dry fly angling. Throughout the middle of the hot summer days you will see many yellow sallys. The sallys have been around for a few weeks so the trout are very keyed into this hatch. The caddis in the evenings are very plentiful, throwing a caddis can be a fun and productive way to catch trout of all sizes. The notorious salmon fly hatch is coming to an end, there are still a few golden stones flying around in the walk-wade section near Three Dollar Bridge fishing access.
Aside from the dry fly fishing, nymphing and streamer fishing have been an effective strategy. Given the tremendous amount of bug life above the water there is also a plentiful amount of subsurface bugs inducing the productivity of nymphing. The streamer bite has been good as we have seen some aggressive fish chasing larger flies off the banks. Ennis Lake will continue to rise in water temperatures, soon many fish will move into the lower river system for cooler flows and more oxygen. Looking forward, we hope to start seeing grasshoppers loaded on the tall grassy banks. It's still early for the hopper bite, but the early season rain and healthy grasses along the river side make us hopeful for a good hopper season!
Dry Flies- Parachute Adams #16, Fin Fetcher Caddis #14, PMD Emerger #16, Henry Fork Golden, Rio Juicy Golden Stone, Yellow Sally #14
Nymphs - Yellow Spot Jig #14 - #16, Formerly Known Prince #14, Rubber Leg Olive #10, Lighting Bug #16, Guides Choice Hare's Ear #14
Streamers - Olive Mini Loop, Olive Dungeon, Silver Kim #6, Sparkle Minnow, Black Trevor, Gallops D&D Gray
Looking for some fly tying material to create these patterns? Check out our fly tying collection online or stop by the shop! As temperatures warm up, continue to practice your best fish handling techniques. Avoid fish pictures for the gram whenever possible so that we can continue to have healthy fish populations for years to come.
- MRFC Guide Finn Histon
