SPRING SWING
March 2022
UPDATED 3/31/2022
Well it’s official, we’ve made it to Spring! Let’s see how many more spring snow storms find their way to the valley over the course of the next few months. Looking out the front door of the shop I can’t help but hear the echo of Jerry’s voice singing, “The winter was so hard and cold, froze ten feet 'neath the ground, Don't murder me, I beg of you, don't murder me - Please, don't murder me!”. This winter has beaten us down time and time again, but warmer days and river floats are on the immediate horizon.
Snow and a potential mix of rain is in the forecast for this weekend. The current snowpack for Madison County is at 127%. Water temperatures at Kirby have fluctuated from 33.62° up to 45.86° during the last week. Flows at Kirby have stayed relatively consistent at 1020 CFS since the 25th. Open boat ramps as of today are Lyons, Windy, Ruby, McAtee, Story and Varney. Lyons and Varney have some snow so operate at your own discretion.
Nymphing has been the most productive practice for us these last few weeks. Stonefly nymphs, worms and eggs have been the holy trinity - put it on a cracker dude. We’re still downsizing our leader and tippet to 4x or 5x to accommodate picky business partners holding deep. A plethora of midges can be observed in the snow on the banks. BWO’s could be arriving any minute.
Streamers: BH Krystal Bugger Black, BH Krystal Bugger Olive, Mini Dungeon Olive, Laser Legal Olive/White, Mini D&D White/Pearl, Peanut Envy Olive and Black, El Sculpito Olive, Eric’s Smooth Criminal Olive, Sculpin Leech Gray.
Dry Flies: RS2, Griffith’s Gnat, Tenkara BWO Emerger, Mini Hot Mayfly Olive, Parachute Adams.
Nymphs: TBH Pat's Rubber Legs Black and Olive, TBH Zebra Midge Black, Three Dollar Dip Red, CDC Prince, Rain Drop Pearl, Tungsten Jiggy Micro May PT, Jig Napoleon Yellow, Bloodworm Red.
We're in the midst of our annual Fly SALE. Checkout our SALE flies here for killer deals on your favorite patterns. Needing some extra insulation to fight the bitter cold? Give our Cold Weather Gear Page a peak. If you're interested in what the river looks like here in town, give the live cam a gander below!
- MRFC Guide Danny Eiden
