ROW, JIMMY ROW.
May 2022
Updated 5/26/2022
Happy Thursday Madison Valley! Let it be known that at approximately 7:07PM on May 17th, John “Tarpon Time” Kelley declared the official start of the Summer season. We’ve seen a mixture of warm sunny days and the occasional May rainstorm since his proclamation! In addition to the varied weather, two calf moose have been spotted on the river this last week. Open your eyes and throw those flies - It's a great time to be in Ennis!
Ole Weatherman Dan is predicting a 90% chance of rain on Saturday, moving down to 80% on Sunday. Hebgen Reservoir is 78.4% full with 6.9ft of Pool Elevation to Fill. We’re getting there folks. Flows at Cameron have fluctuated significantly, from 1300 CFS down to 887 CFS since Thursday, May 19th. Current Madison Basin snowpack is at a healthy 112%. It’s likely we’ll see some form of runoff in the next week as June 1st has been our historical marker.
There has been fairly decent bug activity over the last few days. Beatis, Caddis and March Brown’s alike have been spotted on the Upper in varying quantities. Stonefly nymphs have been deemed a certified trout-wrangling machine. The streamer fishing has been borderline great in the late afternoon. Pick up the 7WT and start pounding those banks! Did I forget to mention that you absolutely should throw a dry fly? Here are this week’s breadwinners:
Nymphs: Pat’s Rubber Legs Olive (#4 - #10), Eric’s Firebead Sparkle Worm Orange and Red (#12), BH CDC Prince (#16 - #20), T’s 0351 Baetis Olive (#18 - #20), Tung Tied Black (#16 - #20), Hot Spot PT Jig Chartreuse (#14).
Streamers: Peanut Envy Black and Olive (#2), Sculpzilla White (#8), Satkowski’s Usual Suspect Black (#2), CH Pine Squirrel Leech Black and Olive (#8 - #10), Wooly Bugger Black (#4 - #8), Cousin It Sculpin Jig (#6).
Dry Flies: Guide Chute Adams (#14 - #18), Parachute BWO (#18 - #20), Mini Hot Mayfly Olive (#18), Micro Chubby Pink and Olive (#14 - #16), X Caddis Foam Tan (#14 - #18), Elk Hair Caddis Olive (#14 - #18), Missing Link Caddis (#16).
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. Give our Cold Weather Gear collection a gander to ensure that you’ve got the proper warmth to maximize your time out on the water. Tight lines, and pray for snow!
- MRFC Guide Danny Eiden
