We have seen some nice fish come out of the Madison in the Park.  The fishing is never consistent and this year is no exception to that rule, but when you get into a few big lake runs, the time spent trying to catch them seems of little consequence.  Don’t expect to wail on fish every day and appreciate every lake fish you get, whether you catch one in a day or more.

Firehole River

This is a great time to be fishing on the Firehole. With more visiting anglers targeting lake runs, one can have a grand old time fishing dry flies to some very challenging fish up on the Firehole.  Baetis hatches usually start between noon and two and often go past four.  Fish rising in the flats can be terribly tough to fool.  Emergers and realistic Dun patterns in #22 are a good place to start.  Just make sure you are getting a really good drift.

Gibbon River

There are a decent number of lake fish in the Gibbon River below the falls right now.  Fishing streamers is probably the most fun way to cover this little stream, though some of the deeper runs are worth drifting some nymphs through.

Slough Creek

Slough is very low.  If a hatch of olives or midges comes off, the fish can be catchable but sight fishing is pretty tough without a hatch.

Lamar River

The Lamar is seeing some insects late in the day and still has enough water to fish.  A parachute Adams has been pretty effective late in the day.   Soda Butte is very low and the few remaining fish in it should probably be left alone for the season.

Gallatin River

Things on the Gallatin in the Park have really slowed down.  There are some Baetis in the afternoons to get some fish working.  Aside from that, nymphing some of the deeper runs or fishing streamers along the banks can be a good way to pass the time until the hatch.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake

Between the lakes is fishing pretty well.  Buggers, Silli Leg Stones, Red Serendipities, Copper Johns and Pheasant Tails have all been good flies when paired with a decent presentation.  Streamer fishing when the sun is off the water has dredged up a few nice browns  and there are some fish rising to Baetis if one looks closely in the afternoon.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge

We’ve had some excellent Baetis dry fly fishing in some of the flatter pockets below Quake Lake.  Most days the bugs get going after 2:00 pm and the hatch can last for a few hours.  The small duns and emergers are tough to see, but this adds to the challenge.  #18-22 imitations are the best.  Sneak as close to the fish as possible and make sure your first cast results in a good drift.

Lyon Bridge to Ennis

There aren’t too many boats down on the Madison and we are seeing some pretty good fishing.  There are good Baetis hatches, which normally make for a good nymph bite on small nymphs after noon.  Streamer fishing is less consistent but can be a lot of fun this time of year.

Gallatin River

There are some good Baetis hatches on the Gallatin in the late afternoons.  Fish key in on the small insects in flat water, often close to the banks.  Be careful not to wade through these fish when trying to find fish to stalk.  Nymphs are effective when the dries aren’t happening, especially Baetis style nymphs like Olive Pheasant Tails and Micro Mays.

Hebgen Lake

A few folks fish streamers out on Hebgen this time of year and they catch some nice fish.  Give it a whirl, you can have much of the lake to yourself and a chance at a real trophy.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake

Fishing has been decent between the lakes, but we are still looking at summer like conditions rather than typical fall fishing.  Cool nights are slowly dropping the water temps back to more ideal levels and the fishing should continue to improve as we get deeper into fall.  Early and late in the day are the best times for larger fish right now.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge

Both the nymph fishing in the mornings and the dry fly fishing in the afternoons has been pretty good.  The dry fly action usually has been getting going after noon when the fish start to key into attractors, baetis and terrestrials.

Lyon Bridge to Ennis

Floating the Madison has yeilded some nice fish, but it seems that one has to sort through a lot of smaller trout to find the big ones.  Dry fly fishing is still effective in the afternoons as there have been a fair number of Caddis and the fish will still eat a hopper if the sun is on the water.

Gallatin River

Enjoy the last bit of terrestrial fishing on the Gallatin.  Cool weather, if we ever get it will bring on some good baetis hatches which always seem to not only make for good dry fly fishing, but also a good nymph bite.  In the meantime, toss attractors and terrestrials to get fish to the surface.

Hebgen Lake

Fishing on Hebgen is slowing down for the season.  There aren’t many fish up on the surface.  Streamer fishing needs to wait until we hit some nastier weather but should be good when we get it.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake

Temps are still higher than prime between Hebgen and Quake, but the fishing has been pretty good.  Anglers have reported success on everything from Wooly Worms to Parachute Ants.  Mid day has been a little slow so plan to fish early and late in the day.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge

Afternoon and evening has been the best time to be in the wade section.  There still aren’t many folks around and the fish have been feeding well on hoppers and ants.  Early in the day, the fishing has been pretty slow, though we are finding a few fish that are willing to eat nymphs. 

Lyon Bridge to Ennis

Small fish have been on the bite on the Madison.  Larger fish have been fewer in number, but we are seeing a few each day.  Both dries and nymphs have been working well, though the fish are quite particular about the patterns they prefer.  Long floats make any fly more effective.

  Gallatin River

Dry fly fishing on the Gallatin has been pretty darn good this last little bit.  Trudes and Stimulators work great when the fish aren’t eating hoppers. 

Hebgen Lake

Our extended summer is making for great September Gulper fishing.  No need to hit the water early, but make sure to fish until the wind comes up strong.  Fish eat emergers early in the hatch and then switch to spinners most days after the spinners outnumber the duns.  Keep a few black and cinnamon flying ants ready.  Fish eat them well when available.  As always, the fish demand long accurate casts and are tough to land once hooked up, which of course is half of the fun.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake

Cool nights should help the fishing between the lakes as the water coming out of Hebgen Dam has been rather warm.  If the temps drop, we should see a marked uptick in the fishing.  Both nymphs and dries can be effective.  Dries are better for prospecting all of the tiny out of the way pockets and shallower spots that fish hide out in while nymphing is more effective in the deeper runs and holes.  Just make sure to get an excellent drift with the nymphs as your drift probably isn’t the first one the fish have seen.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge

We are still having some very good fishing in the wade section of the Madison.  Ants and hoppers have both been deadly.  Nymphing has been less productive than a well fished dry fly but one can certainly dredge up a fish or two.  Covering a lot of water with dry flies is the way to find fish.  There are still some spinners in the evenings and a few caddis.  Not many folks are on the river late in the day so it is easy to find solitude.

Lyon Bridge to Ennis

Floating the Madison has yielded widely different results from day to day.  The river has fished with little consistency, but some days have been very good.  As the water cools fishing should be better day to day.  Nymphing lately has been pretty good as our hopper fishing hasn’t been good with any sort of regularity.  Smaller attractor dries have been better for the most part, especially in the morning.

Gallatin River

Downstream of Big Sky the Gallatin is seeing a lot of traffic but the fishing has been pretty good.  Nymphing the larger pools isn’t all that effective right now, but drifting hoppers or trudes in the pocket water sections has been very productive.  Cover a ton of water and show a nice drift to every fish and you will reap the rewards. 

Hebgen Lake

Enjoy the gulper fishing on Hebgen while it lasts.  Cool mornings put the fishing off until things heat up, so there isn’t much cause to get out on the water at the crack of dawn if you are hoping to fish dry flies.  Better to enjoy a tasty breakfast burrito or sit down and have a full breakfast at the Bar-N and lazily make your way to the water after 9:00 am.  When the fish are gorging on spinners they are tough to fool.  Late in the hatch when the bugs thin out it is much easier to catch to fish so log as they are still feeding regularly, so don’t give up until the wind comes up heavily.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake

Between Hebgen and Quake the fishing has been best in the mornings as the water is very warm coming out of Hebgen Dam.  Both nymphs and attractor dries have worked well, though nymphing will result in a pile of nice Mountain Whitefish hooked up.  Big Parachutes, Hoppers and Trudes have all been effective patterns provided the fly goes in the right spot and drifts naturally.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge

Hopper and attractor dry fly fishing has really picked up in the wade section of the Madison and we have seen some of the best dry fly fishing since the Salmonflies came through.  Crowds have thinned out so there is a lot more elbow room on the river right now.  In the evening there are still good numbers of Rusty Spinners but most days the best fishing is just before dark.  Pack dinner and a head lamp and prepare to jedi fish when it gets too dark to see your fly.

Lyon Bridge to Ennis

Fish in the Float Section of the Madison have suddenly remembered that they like to eat dry flies this time of year.  Wulffs, Trudes, Hoppers and Ants have all been seeing plenty of action.  Bigger fish have been a little hit and miss, but the action has been good.  Nymphs are still effective, especially in the morning hours.  Late in the day the bite has often slowed as the water is getting a little too warm.  Make the most of your chances in the mornings and enjoy the pretty float after two or three!

Gallatin River

Downstream of Big Sky the Gallatin is seeing a lot of traffic but the fishing has been pretty good.  Nymphing the larger pools isn’t all that effective right now, but drifting hoppers or trudes in the pocket water sections has been very productive.  Cover a ton of water and show a nice drift to every fish and you will reap the rewards. 

Hebgen Lake

Some of the thickest Callibaetis spinner falls in recent memory are happening right now on Hebgen.  The Callibaetis carpet makes getting the fish to eat a struggle, but anglers are finding no shortage of fish to cast at.  Early in the hatch fish seem to hunt emergers and nymphs and switch to spinners before noon.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake

Fish between the lakes will still eat a Golden Stonely pattern, though this is quickly petering out.  Number 12-16 attractor patterns are the way to go for fishing dries for the next little bit.  There are some PMD’s in the morning and decent Caddis fishing late in the day but the fish don’t tend to rise as much as they do in the wade section.  Nymphing this stretch is a great way to hook up some fish, though a good percentage of them will be native Whitefish rather than trout.

Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge

PMD’s in the morning get the day started off right.  Fishing a Cripple or PMD Parachute in #16 most often does the trick on rising fish, though anglers are also successful fishing blind during the hatch.  Caddis in the evening are the main draw right now in the wade section.  Rising fish aren’t too tough to find and most of them are happy to eat a #16 Parachute or E/C Caddis.  If a picky fish is encountered, feed it a #18 CDC caddis and get ready to set the hook.  Spruce Moths are available to the trout in a few areas of the river and the trout certainly key on them.  During the middle of the day one can pound up some fish on dries or switch up to the nymphs.

Lyon Bridge to Ennis

In the float section of the Madison fish are feeding pretty well on Spruce Moths in the mornings.  Caddis fishing has been good later in the day, though afternoon storms can slow down the bite to a halt.  Mornings have also seen fish chasing larger stonefly patterns as there are quite a few flightless stoneflies active on the river.  Nymph fishing has been fairly productive in the mornings but it certainly isn’t as much fun as the dry fly action.  We still aren’t seeing a lot of hopper and ant fishing yet this season though another week or two of summer should cure that.

Gallatin River

The Gallatin is seeing good numbers of Caddis, a lot of Spruce Moths, some good PMD emergence, sizable amounts of Little Olive Stoneflies and a nice spinner fall in the evening.  Attractor dry fly fishing works very well when the fish aren’t keyed in and rising to a specific bug, but there are times when you need a fairly accurate imitation.  Nymphing has been good, but the dry fly fishing is better.  Keep an eye out for thunderstorms as the Taylor’s Fork can get muddy and put the fishing off for a day or two after a heavy rain.

Hebgen Lake

Callibaetis are the name of the game on Hebgen right now.  The nymphs, duns and spinners are all being utilized by the trout each morning in the Madison and Grayling Arms.  Gulpers fishing has been very good, though some mornings have seen more fish up than others.  The Madison Arm also has a lot of Tricos and some fish seem to prefer them to the Callibaetis, especially early in the mornings.  Nymph fishing anglers will do well to use Damsel nymphs in addition to the Callibaetis.  Getting fish to eat dry flies is a matter of making long accurate casts and getting a bit lucky.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake

So last week I wrote tha the Salmonflies had wrapped up.  I was wrong.  They are still active between the lakes.  Who knows how much longer this will last, but enjoy the good fishing in the meantime.  Fish are very picky when it comes to both good drift and the right pattern but there are some nice fish to be had still. 

Madison Quake Lake to Lyon Bridge

We are still seeing good numbers of salmonflies in the wade section of the Madison.  Caddis have been thick in the evenings and there are plenty of fish rising to them.  Covering water with a salmonfly or golden stone has been great in the afternoons, though it pays to do a little adventure wading to get to some fish that haven’t seen ten of the same Sofa Pillows this season.  Slow down in the evening to stalk rising fish that are keying on caddis emergers (Iris Caddis get eaten like candy by these fish) or just keep chucking the big stuff.  Plan on a late dinner and fish until dark!

Lyon Bridge to Ennis

There are a few Salmonflies in the float section of the Madison but their numbers are thinning faster than party animals drinking bleach.  There are plenty of Caddis and increasing numbers of PMDs, but the fish are largely ignoring them and still focusing on the larger stoneflies.  As the water continues to drop, dry fly fishing with smaller insects will only improve.  Nymphing has been pretty consistent but the smaller trout and whitefish will be your primary catch with the sub surface stuff.

Gallatin River

Provided we don’t get heavy rains that discolor the Taylor Fork the Gallatin will be fishable.  Nymphing has been very good and the water is clearing up enough to get the fish to pay some attention to the few remaining Salmonflies that are still active.  Prince Nymphs, Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears and Green Caddis Larva are excellent flies in #12-16.

Hebgen Lake

Gulper fishing is really getting going on Hebgen, though lately it has been hard to find a morning that the wind doesn’t blow early in the day, thus ending the fishing.  Chasing risers with dry flies when the fish are consistently rising is a ton of fun (but darn tough).  Dropping a nymph off of the dry fly makes catching fish a lot easier (if you are a sissy).  As always, long accurate casts are necessary.

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake

Hebgen to Quake is still seeing a ton of folks, though everything else is clearing up and fishing really well.  Salmonflies have wrapped up for the season.  There are still some Drakes, a ton of Caddis and smaller Olive Stones.  Cabin Creek has cleared up and the flow from Hebgen Dam is under 1,500 CFS.

Madison Quake Lake to Lyon Bridge

Salmonflies are in the wade section of the Madison right now.  Cover a lot of water with a dry is the way to see some nice fish.  The bite has been best in the afternoons and early evenings.  There are a lot of Caddis hatching right now and while the caddis fishing hasn’t been incredible as of yet, it should really pick up as the water continues to drop.

Lyon Bridge to Ennis

We’ve enjoyed some excellent Salmonfly fishing on the Madison below Lyons this past week.  The river is still high, but clear.  We may see a few more good days of Salmonfly action and then things should peter out quickly.  There are gazillions of Caddis and Little Olive Stoneflies out on the river and as the flows drop even more, fish should key in on them.  Be very careful navigating the bridges as a boat was sunk at Wolf Creek two days ago.

Gallatin River

The Gallatin is dropping fast and the water has enough clarity for good nymph fishing.  Salmonflies are just wrapping up below Big Sky, but when the river clears up more, there will be plenty of insects for good dry fly fishing.  Caddis, Golden Stones, PMDs and Yellow Sallies are all starting to hatch.

Hebgen Lake

Hebgen is seeing an increasing amount of Callibaetis.  There are some fish rising, though not as many as there will be in another few weeks.  Nymphing with Pheasant Tails and Turkey Callibaetis will yield more fish than stalking risers (at the expense of fun of course).

Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake

Outflow from Hebgen Dam has been cut to around 1,500 CFS.  Cabin and Beaver are still very muddy but with lower flows from the Dam, wade fishing is a bit easier.  There are still a ton of folks fishing this stretch of river as it is the clearest water around.  The nymph fishing has been good and we are starting to see a little bit of dry fly action.

Madison Quake Lake to Lyon Bridge

The river below Quake is still off color but has more visibilty than it did a week previously.  Nymphing has remained strong and with the flows coming down a bit, anglers are able to wade the river a little bit more.  Small nymphs like Shop Vacs, Micro Mays and Ram Caddis have often been more effective than larger stoneflies. 

Lyon Bridge to Ennis

Salmonflies are out in force on the Madison right now.  Unfortunately the water is off color enough that the fish aren’t eating them with any regularity.  We need the river to clear up another foot or so of visibility and things will improve.  However this may not happen until the bugs are far upriver.  At least the nymph fishing has been good in the meantime.

Gallatin River

The Gallatin is still pretty high and muddy.  It must drop significantly before is will be in good fishable shape.

Hebgen Lake

Hebgen Lake has fished very well lately.  Trout are eating Callibaetis nymphs and Chironomids and some anglers are bragging about big numbers of fish landed.  Patterns that the lake gurus are using include Snow Cones, Pheasant Tails, Turkey Callibaetis and Prince Nymphs.  Hanging these under a bobber or slowly crawling them is key to getting some fish to feed.