I don't like the word weird but that sums up the fishing and conditions right now. I have been to Hell and back trying to find some quality fishing and have come up short. It's almost Independence day and we are still up to our eyeballs in water. I layed in bed this morning and listened to the wind rip until it finally blew in the rain which continues to pour down.
Word on the Upper Madison are Salmonflies. Not a big deal really when you are competing with 40 other boats. This sort of behavior only results in a giant SHIT SHOW! I have never been a huge fan of the "BIG Bug". Nymph fishing before the hatch can be good. If you are slightly behind the march out of the river, dry fly fishing can be good to great and if your lucky - Epic but you gotta hit it right. If your too far behind the hatch, the fish might be gorged on the nymph which will make you want to pull your hair out.
The lower Madison is currently all over the USGS map. With fluctuating flows out of Ennis reservoir, impending weeds on the way and the likelihood that an inebriated college kid wraps his inner tube around your anchor rope, I would opt for a different venue.
Next we move over to the Yellowstone which is fluctuating between 12 - 13,000 c.f.s. The river is still Huge and quite frankly freaky. These sort of conditions make me want to buy an old aluminum Willie boat.
And the Jefferson - Back up to 6,000 c.f.s. I don't know when the Jeff will come into shape.
What this all boils down to is, I'm done trying to make any predictions for this season. The fishing will continue and one of these days it will erupt into something fierce. We have water, lots of water for the first time in a long time. I know the fish are loving it but you won't really know it until flows stabilize.
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