It’s Monday and what a week it will be…the river looks so good right now and it is fishing SO good!!

Still target the banks and still think of nymphing as the primary means, but, a big dry dropper rig will entice some fish.

Our guides are coming back very very happy right now.

Flies: Pat’s Rubber Legs and San Juan Worm (aka The Dirt Snake)

Dries: Chubby’s, Foam Stones, Fat Franks.

AND FYI….late June and early July are getting full with advance bookings. If you want a certain guide book NOW.

The Upper Madison’s visibility is very near clear. With lower water levels, the fish are hiding behind big rocks, in front of rocks, in deep buckets, and a few fish found along the banks. Our guides pulled a few decent sized fish by dead drifting white Zonkers trailed by a Little Green Machine. One lone salmon fly was spotted flying around the banks; the full blown hatch should be any day now.

Pat’s been on the river a lot lately and has been for good reason—it’s fishing well.

He’s not normally one to kiss and tell, but, we’ve heard he’s getting some fish to eat big Pookies, Chubby’s, and a few salmon fly dries.

But, still most of our guides are fishing nymph rigs and racking up the numbers.

More fish are in the middle rather than on the banks, but as the salmon fly nymphs get more and more active, that may change.

Dries: Para Adams, black post in 18; CDC Elk Hair Caddis in 16; Pookies in 4 and 6; Chubby’s in 6 and 10; Fat Franks in 10 and 12.

Nymphs: Pat’s Rubberleg in coffee/black or rust in sizes 4 through 12; Purple Lightning Bugs 16; Red-headed stepchild 14-19; San Juan Worm: 6-8-10 Delektable Purple Hurless: 6-8-10

Streamers: Home Invader Yellow, White: 2 Zonkers Black, Olive, Natural/Copper: 4-6, Double Screamer Streamer Olive/Black: 2 Circus Peanut Olive: 2 Sculpzilla Black, Dark Olive: 4-8

While the nymphing has been very consistent, for those willing, Lower Maddy fish are a dry fly fisherman’s creme de’ la crop right now with fish rising along the banks. Look for pods or head-hunt and you’ll find some fish.

Yellow sallies and caddis have been swarming the banks. With continued cloud cover throughout the week the fish eating frenzy goes full force in early evening. Drift dry flies down the run to lure those big browns out; they’ve been lying in weed beds and in the bank shelf.

Warm springs to Black Ford has been consistently producing fast fish, so make sure to be quick on the set partner.

Still no sign of the salmon fly hatch or the construction letting up on MT-84, but surely both are worth the wait.

For dries we love the Chubby and Fat Frank,and of all colors…pink!?

There’s still road work but it isn’t as bad as it was.

Dries: Blooms Para Caddis in 16; CDC Elk Hair caddis in 16; Parachute Adams: 14-16-18, BWO sprouts in size 16

Nymphs: Green Shop Vac in 16; Little Green Machine in 12 or 15; Brown Don King Midge in black, 18-20. SJ wormies 8-10; Czech nymphs in rainbow 12-16; Clousers Crayfish: 8-10 Wonder Nymph: 14-18

Streamer: Snapping Crayfish size 4 or 6; Gold Bead Rubber Leg Krystal Bugger Black & Olive: 4-6 JJ Special: 2-4-6 Bling Minnow Gold: 6

The quarterback is toast! Yippee kay yay….Yankee Jim whitewater or Chico is your best bet for fun over there.

Late June might happen, but early July will be prime.

We are nearly booked solid on this river already for early July . . . gonna be good!

Firehole: Salmon flies in the canyon…but not for much longer. But Miller/white caddis up and down the river from the swimming hole to Old Faithful Great dry fly weather today. Blue Winged Olive and perhaps a few early PMDs. Caddis as usual since the water temp is warmer there than other rivers. A few of our guides thought they some adult salmon flies in the canyon…a little early, but still possible. The weather forecast looks very favorable for BWO weather and tasty dry fly fishing. The Firehole could be the place to be this week.

Gibbon: easy-peasy near Beryl Spring.

Madison: So fishable right now but best fishing is indeed early or late and on overcast days. We were there last night and had amazing twilight caddis fishing. It is all timing there right now.

Flies:

Firehole: Top Flies: Any favorite Soft Hackles #14, PMD and BWO Sparkle Duns #16, CDC & Elk Caddis in #14, Tan X-Caddis #14-16.

Gibbon: Coachan Trude and Beadhead Prince: size 10 and 16, nothing else.

Madison: dead drift big buggers in sizes 4.