January 20 2019
Fishing this time of year is a game of degrees. If the degrees are to low you might as well spend the day cleaning the garage to save time in the spring. The El Nino we have been seeing has produced a winter full of days with degrees above the threshold.
It is also a game of location. The fish are not spread randomly like in the summer. They concentrate on deep slow locations where they save energy. The Madison is not known for deep or slow so the wintering holes are not everywhere. Find those holes and you will find some good fishing.
Lots of guys are getting into fish on a daily basis. Lots of guys throwing bobbers with eggs, worms, stonefly, and midge larva stuff. Keep it low and slow. Keep in mind that if the fish is 5 feed down in the hole you need a leader at least 1.5 times the depth. The two biggest mistakes are not fishing the deep slow stuff and not getting it down. Tippet is less of an issue so go with 2X.
f your looking for the dry fly bite it is possible. Decent hatches of midges are occurring in the Beartrap and above Lyons bridge in the afternoon. Look for the subtle rises behind rocks and in the slicks. Para midges, and buzzballs will get it done.
If your looking for the streamer bite there is hope. Some guys have been coming into the store and buying the big stuff with some success. They have been dead drifting it and slight twitch. Numbers are lower but the reward is great.
Lots of good fishing to be had this winter. Get out and fish.
