Upper Madison Fishing Report 4-17-2015

By John Way
/ 17th April 2015

Fishing Conditions

The Madison River is still fishing great and feels like it gets better as the spring goes along. We spent a few days guiding on the river this past week and it sure did not let us down. Flows are a bit low and expect to bump and grind on some of the shallow gravel bars. Some rocks are already showing the white racing strips from other boats. With these flows the fish are concentrated in the deeper green water. Find the green and find the fish. Even small little green buckets are worth a few casts as the fish are hungry. Noticed a bunch of spawning redds in the river yesterday. If you see these try and stay off them as the eggs are really easy damaged and you would not want someone messing with your business. Nymphing has been good all day and there is a great BWO hatch each afternoon. Look for risers in the slower tail outs and side channels. We have been getting some really good fish hunting heads in the side channels during the late afternoon. Our best nymph combo yesterday was the brown Pats with a bright red San Juan trailer set 8 feet from the indicator.

Fly Patterns

Dries

Shuck Off BWO 14-16: Purple Haze 14-16: Parachute Adams 14-16: Para P-Tail 14: RS2 Olive 16-18: Sparkle Dunn 16,18

Nymphs

Pats Rubber Legg in black or coffee/black 6,8,10: Copper John 10,12: Zebra Midge 14,16,18: San Juan Worm 10,12: Soft hackle PT 14: Laniers Lucient 14,16: Hide a bead Baetis 14,16: Psyco May 14,16: Delektable Hurless Stone 6,8,10: Mega Prince 6,8,10: Flash back P-Tail: Hide a bead Baetis 14,16,18: M's Anto May Olive 14,16,18: San Juan Worm Red 10: Lightning Bug Silver 14,16:

Streamers

Sparkle Minnow Sculpin size 4, sparkle Minnow Ghost Size 6, Sculpzilla Olive 4,8: Bow River bugger size 6: Mini Loop Sculpin 6: Haymaker sculpin olive, Grand Master Flash Brown,