Fishing Locations

There is ice flow all throughout the upper madison today with the cool weather we are experiencing. This is not a good place to wet a line until things warm up. On the warm days, The Upper Madison is fishing really well. This is prime time on this river. Most of the folks chasing spawners have taken off and the browns and rainbows are ready to feed again. Nymphing is going to be the most consistent producer for the next few months. With that, think big to small. This is a good time of year to run either a bigger stone fly or sculpin with a midge behind it under the indicator. Hare Sculpins, Dirty hippies, sculpzilla, or pats rubber legs are great bets. Under that a small pheasant tail, hares ear, or zebra midge can really get it done. Streamer fishing can be good right now as well, but focus on the slower deeper runs that have enough current to bring food and enough cover for the big boys to hide. Dry fly fishing will be best in the upper portions of the upper near three dollar and reynolds. These fish may feed on midges for a couple hours in the afternoon if you time it right. 

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Fly Pattern Suggestions

Dries| Griffiths Gnat: 16-20, purple haze: 16-20, Matts Midge: 18, Royal Wulff: 16-18, Renegades: 16-18, Purple Para Wulff: 16-18-20, Quigley's Cluster: 14-16,

Nymphs| Zirdle Bug Black: 6, Mega prince: 8-12, Delektable Hurless: 6-10, Lightning Bug Purple or Silver: 16-18, SH Thorax Bead, Tan: 14-16-18, SH Copper John: 14-16, Green Machine PT: 18-20, King Prince:12-16, Coppertone: 6-8, Pat's Rubberlegs: 6-8-10, Copper John Black and Blue: 16-18-20, Green Machine: 16-18-20, Eggs: 8, crystal dip: 16-18 three dollar dip:16, Worms: 12-16

Streamers| Smoke N Mirrors Cream #4, Sparkle Minnow Smoke #4, Complex Twist Bugger White Size #4, Sex Dungeon Rust, Yellow, Black: 2 Silvey's Sculpin Black: 2 Conehead JJ Special: 2-4 Home Invader Yellow, White: 2 Zonkers White, Olive, Natural/Copper: 4-6, Double Screamer Streamer Olive/Black: 2 Circus Peanut Olive: 2 Sculpzilla Black, Dark Olive: 4-8, 2 Dolly Llama white, 8 Baby Gonga white

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More USGS Water Data