June 1st and 2nd Lower Madison

Hello All, I have been fishing the Lower Madison the last couple of days with comrade and past Bozeman Angler staffer JJ Bishop. The river is chugging along above 4,000 CFS and makes wading a bit dangerous. Floating from a drift boat makes fishing much easier and more productive. Visibility is no more than a foot or two, so bug possibilities are limited, but this river is more than fishable. Putting in at around mid day at Warm Springs and taking out at Blacks Ford gives the water a chance to warm up and makes for a nice afternoon/evening float. Sunday was a bit of a struggle with a few fish worth counting to the boat. However, yesterday proved to be more prolific. Look for fish very tight to the bank, in slower moving slack water or in back eddies. Nymphing and stripping streamers both produced fish, streamers being more effective if there is a decent cloud cover. Try an ugly crayfish pattern or a Pats Rubber Legs above a sparkly Yellow Sally nymph or a bright caddis pupa. If stripping the steamer try sculpin patterns or or bright attractors. Make sure to stay river left after Cherry Creek comes in, as its basically dumping mud and stains the river right too much to fish it. Have fun, be safe, and we'll see you out there!
- Daniel