Rain Showers and Good Fishing

We are seeing typical spring like weather for the weekend.  Rain showers and overcast skies.  This is pretty typical and what we expect for May on the Madison River. Our guides are buys floating and catching fish in the off colored water. As for water. The Madison River is a little high and slightly off colored. While it is not gin clear there is 1-2 feet of clarity  and good to go fishing wise. Most of the mud is coming from the tribs.  Places like wigwam creek are puking some mud with the warm temps of the last week.  While this will slow down with the cool off a little color in the water is a good thing.  They are releasing a bunch of water from Hebgan Dam to make room for the big snow pack ready to come off the mountains.   This all means wading is tougher as the water is up but floating is good as it gets.  You can go anywhere and do anything and not dangerous yet at the low bridges up river.

Worm time?

This is the time of year we love as the san juan worm and all its variants rule the river.  With the rain and the feeder streams pumping worms are in the soup big time.  The more it rains the better the worm fishing will be.  Grab a variety of colors and hit the river.  Fish like worms and we like catching fish. Easy decision.  We like the squirmy worms with the tungston heads on a jig hook for the big water stuff.

Dry Flies This Weekend

We should see a good hatch of BWO mayflies this weekend along with the long awaited March Browns.  March Browns need 50 degree water to hatch and we might be getting there.  Keep an eye out for the big sailboats floating down. Before and after will fish good with emergers and mayfly nymphs.  We like PT stuff along with Psyco May Nymphs this time of year.  Also think Lightning Bug family for the tiny and shiny stuff.

Caddis

We should see Mothers Day Caddis early next week as long as we keep some good weather.  We know they are moving around as our guides are getting them every day on the peeping caddis nymph.  They are in the soup and ready to hatch.  Have some small dark bodied caddis dries with you just in case.  We think Wednesday next week might be a good day to look for caddis on top.

Streamers

Now is a great time to streamer fish. We have been having good luck on dead drifting a olive or brown sculpin pattern. We like bunny fur and the fish do too.  Not much for chasing yet but a dead drift streamer has been doing some damage.  Think olive, black and brown.  Usually the sparkle stuff works good in the spring but this year not so much as of yet.   Keep throwing the sparkle minnows and krelex stuff as it is sure to work any day.  Fish all of this on 2X or heavier tippets.  We like the smaller bodied streamers.  Sure the triple articulated stuff from the self appointed streamer master is fun to fish and expensive to buy but the smaller stuff will catch more fish.

Get out on the Madison River this weekend as it is going to be some good fishing.   Stop by the store and pick up some bugs and intel.  Always honest advice and a friendly atmosphere.