Southwest Montana 7-7-12
Looks like a great stonefly hatch is traveling up the Madison River. Add the beginning of the Hebgen Lake gulpers, and this part of the world offers some great fishing.
Looks like a great stonefly hatch is traveling up the Madison River. Add the beginning of the Hebgen Lake gulpers, and this part of the world offers some great fishing.
Stick with “where to go” info we gave in the July 3rd report. All these streams remain good choices, but with warming weather, some will fade from the good fishing scene in a few weeks. We’ll keep tabs on these for making recommendations to you.
Good reports are coming in from Beula Lake where small beadhead and damselfly nymphs are producing. The Firehole River is done for good fishing until September. Some PMDs and lots’a caddis remain on the Madison River for evening fishing. Some evening brown drakes remain on Duck Creek and meadow reaches of the Gibbon River. Fall River Basin streams are shaping up with run-off about finished. Look for their green and brown drakes to begin emerging. Right now PMDs and sallies are just beginning to bring surface feeders on all Basin streams. The Gallatin river is also free of run-off and giving good PM fishing with active caddis and some golden stones.
Damselflies are bringing action on several places around the lake. Try in front of creek mouths including Targhee, Howard and Duck . If these locations get crowded look for channles in the weeds and for spring holes to try your luck.
The lower river has entered the usual summer doldrums. So go to the upper river for best fishing. Box Canyon offers good nymph fishing with you favorite small bead head patterns or medium sized rubber legs. On the Harriman-Last Chance reach the brown drakes are winding down, so spinners and caddis bring best evening action. PMDs bring mid day action with emerger patterns producing best. Later in the afternoon flavs emerge and bring action.
With green drakes passing their peak, start looking for flavs. Brown drakes are making for great evening fishing, especially on the lower part of the Harriman reach. Evening caddis and AM PMD spinner falls are going on everywhere on the river.
Damselfly hatch is going on. Don’t have to say much more, but look for channels around weed beds for action.
With 550 cfs coming out of Mackay Dam wading remains tough in the river below. Best fishing is in or on just below Copper Basin right now. Look for caddis, PMDs, sallys, golden stonefly and traditional dry patterns to bring action.
To be sure, midging under an indicator will get you action on all reservoirs. But we have reports of fishing taking adult damselflies on the surface on all reservoirs, even on days with some wind. So now is the time to get your “dry fly reflexes” tuned up before the gulper season begins.
Big stoneflies are coming up the Madison River. Some are in the Three Dollar Bridge area right now with peak further downstream but advancing.