Madison River
Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 8/24/2010
Fishing has been better between the lakes recently as the water temps at the dam are beginning to drop. Both nymphs and dries have been effective methods of finding fish. Fishing Ants and Beetles in soft water along the bank if a great way to temp some fish that most anglers overlook. Small Dips and Baetis nymphs will attract a lot of whitefish, but trout will eat them as well. Long dead drifts are the to catching fish on both nymphs and dries as it seems fish will give each morsel an extra glance before ingesting it.
Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge: 8/24/2010
The “wade section” has been fishing pretty well with dries. Again, it pays to fish the soft water on the edges of the river, even if it doesn’t appear to be very deep. Some surprising trout will be found and can be brought up to attractors like Olive Stimulators and Wulffs. Hopper fishing has been sporadic and it pays to cover a lot of water trying to bring fish up. The takes can be tough to hook and surprisingly subtle. Baetis style nymphs such as Micro Mays and Tailwater Tiny’s are the most effective subsurface flies.
Lyon Bridge to Ennis: 8/24/2010
Spruce Moths are just finishing up in the float section. We are due for some flying ant falls any day now, provided we get some warm calm evening weather. This “hatch” can make for some of the best dry fly fishing of the year as almost every fish keys in on these insects when they are on the water in force. Wulffs, Cinnamon Flying Ants, Parachute Ants. All can be be deadly, just make sure to get a good dead drift.
Gallatin River: 8/24/2010
Spruce Moths are also winding down on the Gallatin, so it is time to make the switch to small attractor dries, Ant patterns, Beetles and yes, Hoppers. Fish aren’t normally quiet as Gung-Ho for the other terrestrials as they seem to be for the Moths, but you can certainly raise plenty of fish to them.
Hebgen Lake: 8/24/2010
Gulper fishing is probably about at its peak at the moment. Cool mornings delay the Callibaetis hatch and subsequent spinner fall, but once it gets going, the fish are keyed in. Long accurate casts with a good emerger, dun or spinner pattern are necessary to fool a fish that has a wash of naturals to feed on and a fish hooked on a dry on Hebgen is a great angling achievement. With that said, you will have plenty of shots at fish most mornings until true fall weather ends things for the year.