In Name Only

SPRING ON THE CALENDAR

Snow On The Ground

water in the madison

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.. The spawn is in high gear on the Madison River. The tailwater below Hebgan Dam is fin to fin with with sex-crazed Rainbow Trout. PPL Montana has started lowering the reservoir in anticipation of Spring runoff. The finny friends are crowding the raceway at Henry's Lake. Bears are awake and roaming around.
.. And, it's blowing up a mini-blizzard outside. {check the IMAX Webcam.} We're about to get a "backside dump" from a nice bit of moisture - good enough for now - more needed.
.. Our recent taste of Spring weather is but a dim memory as the snowplows return to the streets of West Yellowstone.
.. We call it Spring because the temperatures are above zero. We call it Spring because all the psyches in the neighborhood are feeling it. We call it Spring because there is a bit more light during the day.
.. Save for the occasional day or two, however, it's still winter. The lakes are still frozen, (though slushy.) The rivers are running a bit higher, (though bounded by snow.) The rain has made it's appearance, (but quickly turned to snow.)
.. Mom is at her capricious best this year: sunny and warm, (45 degrees,) followed by overcast and snowy, (0-10 degrees.) It's not too bad. It's still April and there will be snow well into June, (despite the travel brochures.)
.. Fishing is good between the lakes, BUT the neighbors are leaving the spawners alone. It's mostly license plates from afar that dot the parking spaces along the road by the tailwater. The neighbors are still fishing the estuaries and doing very well.
.. A few, (those with money for gasoline,) are venturing down-canyon on the Gallatin River. A few are traveling to the lowland Madison River. The travel is worth the effort.
.. It really is Spring down around Gallatin Gateway and at the hallowed ground surrounding the Madison River at Beartrap Canyon.
.. Nymphomania is in full swing and the overwhelming choice right now is the bead-head Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear. A distant second is the Yellowstone Badger and Prince Nymph. Very slow drifts; deep and in the seams for the river fishers. Estuary fishers are still using San Juan Worms and olive colored Woolly Buggers.

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LOWER MADISON HOT

IT'S WORTH THE DRIVE

Down To The Lowlands

floating and wading

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.. It's not Yellowstone National Park but it's very good fishing right now.
.. Our provincial mindset only infrequently pokes it's mentality into fishing opportunities too far from home. This last weekend was one of those occasions.
.. The news of great catching opportunities zings through the aether like angry hornets.
.. Whispers are louder than jet engines: ". . . crayfish are taking 'em in the shallows . . ." ". . . Try Beartrap - keep it quiet . . ." ". . . yeah, right at the take-out . . ."
.. Just our kind of stuff! Park next to a river, walk to the shore, fling a fly the size of a cygnet, catch a big fish or three, don't break a sweat, smile all over; it's a situation we find hard to resist. So, the 200-mile drive is worth it.
.. Although we are limited in our sauntering and striding, you need not be. Both wading and floating are very productive right now.
.. The 30 river-miles, or so, on the Lower Madison River below Ennis Dam have lately been densely populated with lowland fishers - for good reason!
.. It looks a lot like Spring down there and 55+ degrees sounds plumb tropical to us. Midges in the stillness of a balmy mid-day sojourn are a certain draw as well.
.. It seems that when the trout are keying on the midges, they are also willing to take other small stuff as well. Floating a double rig of a midge cluster and a small soft hackle is a sure way to exercise your reel's drag.
.. Your favorite crayfish in sizes from 4 to 8 will work, (we used left over General Practitioners from the road trip to the Chetco and Coquille rivers.)
.. Ours were a wee bit too orange for the local palette but worked; greens and brownish-yellow are the local favorite.
.. Stonefly nymphs of the yellowish and golden variety are also working. Even your chewed-up Woolly Buggers and Clouser Minnows are fair game.
.. We visited with some folks from Belgrade, Montana, that were using a double fly rig. They had an Olive Woolly Bugger followed by a damned small, (16-18,) bead-head Pheasant Tail - had great cell phone pictures.
.. The kind folks at Montana Troutfitters and The River's Edge pointed us to the places we were headed anyway. It's certainly a bump for the ol' ego when the local experts confirm our predispositions. Thanks guys.
.. If next weekend is as soft as last weekend, we'll travel down-canyon to the big water again. We may even walk a bit because of the reports - who knows?

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