While it’s cold up high, it’s still pretty mild down where most of us fish. It will be in the 40′s today and tomorrow, but temperatures will creep back into the 60′s by next week.

Still, it’s a sign that we have to bulk up the nymph selection in our fly boxes. We’re still expecting to find a few fish willing to eat a dry fly, but it’s that time of year when the nymph is the smart way to catch fish.

The Clinch has had superb schedules for floating this week and the fish have been on small black caddis and midges. We’ve dared to cast a dry fly at a few, but as is often the case on the Clinch, small nymphs are far more consistent. The weather was beautiful and the fish relatively cooperative, but I didn’t get any pictures. Most of my anglers were in the beginner category so I devoted my attention to them and left the camera in the bag.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’ve got a fishing report from late last week, but conditions have changed substantially in the Smoky Mountains since that time so I’m not sure just how valid it will be. We’ve been struggling with a round of the cold virus here at R&R Fly Fishing on top of finishing up holiday shopping and getting together with visiting relatives.

Fly fishing with nymphs has remained surprisingly good in the mountain streams

Late last week I headed for the river because it was going to be the last decent day before the weather made a big change. It was a sunny day and temperatures on Little River in the park were in the mid 40′s. Water temperature was a shade lower at 42 but fish remained somewhat active.

Notice the nymph on the trout's jaw is pretty raggedy

Out of sheer laziness my good instincts not to mess with a good thing, I’ve been fishing the exact same rig for about four fishing trips now. I haven’t so much as re-tied a fly or replaced tippet; just fished the exact same rig. It’s been a productive dropper rig with a Z-lon Nymph tied high and a Pat’s Nymph on bottom.

When water temperatures have been above 45 degrees the fish have taken both flies almost equally, but on the colder days they have had a profound bias for the bottom fly.

This isn’t unusual. Fish are more sluggish in colder temperatures and less likely to move very far. My Pat’s Nymph began to show some wear, but the fish continued to eat it up.

The Brett Favre of trout flies; It keeps producing when most would have retired.

If it makes anyone out there feel better, I’ve clipped both flies off and will have to replace the entire leader next time I go fishing.

Forecast for the Smokies

We had a good bit of snow in the Smokies this weekend with more than 20″ along the crest of the Smokies. Temperatures will be mild this week, but melting snow will likely keep water temperatures frigid. Good rain chances around Christmas day may push water levels up, but they should recover quickly.

Tailwaters

The tailwater situation just doesn’t seem to get any better. Norris, Wilbur, and South Holston dams are all sluicing water on top of generating as much water as possible. Cherokee Dam is showing some breaks in generation, but all of that water from the Watauga and South Holston has to pass through that dam as well.

We’re usually back to fishing on the tailwaters by this time every year and often times recommend it over the mountain streams because of better water temperatures. Looks like it will be a long winter for tailwater fly fishers.

Fly fishing in the winter is different than spring, summer, and fall. Nymphing skills are more important now than any other time of year. Here is our best advice for catching trout on nymphs in the winter.

1. Fish the middle of the Day – Fishing is rarely very good before 9:00 AM in December, January, and February. In fact, fish may not be moving around much until 11:00 AM or noon. Trout will move most after water temperatures have risen a few degrees. Aquatic insects also move around a little more when things warm up a bit and this gives the fish the best reason to clock into work. Fishing often slows down by 3:30 or 4:00 but can continue to be good right up until dark on unseasonably warm days.

2. Choose the Water you Fish Wisely – Any angler who is skilled at reading the water will always outfish another who isn’t as discriminating. This becomes even more important when fishing in the winter. Shallow riffles and long stretches of pocket water don’t give up trout as generously in the winter as other seasons. Skip swift water lies in favor of slower flows. Trout move to the swifter water when food is more plentiful, but lie in slower water when insects aren’t very active.

One of the best spots is the point where a shallow riffle transitions to deeper, slower water. Cast the fly into the riffle so it has time to sink and falls naturally into the deeper water.

Also keep an eye out for slow pockets in stretches of pocket water. Not all pockets will be productive, but some might give you the best opportunity of the day. Patches of dead water framed by swift water are prime.

Watch for stretches of water that receive plenty of sunlight. Direct sunlight provides a little extra warmth to get both bugs and fish moving. We often spend winter days chasing sunny spots and will occasionally find a few rising trout.

Fish during the warmest part of the day and try to find sunny spots where fish may be more active

3. Plan Your Fishing Around the Weather – Most anglers fish when they can and squeeze a day into a busy schedule when possible. Keep an eye on the extended forecast during the winter months and try to hit the water on a day that will optimize your chances for success. A string of cold nights with temperatures in the teens and daytime temperatures that struggle to rise into the mid 30′s are sure to provide slow fishing.

Water temperatures in freestone mountain streams will often plunge right down to the freezing mark. This is sure to produce a “lockjaw” pandemic among the trout population. Trout are only marginally active when the water gets below 40 degrees. We see the biggest activity swing between 40 and 42 degrees. Fishing is pretty good at 42 but noticeably slower at 40. Get down to 38 or 39 and fishing is extremely slow.

One of the best weather features to watch for in the winter is a period of rain when the overnight temperatures stay in the 40′s or barely dip into the 30′s. A rainy 45 degree day brings relatively warm water into a stream and can get fish and bugs moving. This can jump start a stream after a long cold snap and even keep a stream warm for the first day after temperatures have made a sudden dip.

Even waterfalls start to ice up when the water is 32 degrees. Fishing is guaranteed to be slow when the water is this cold.

4. Use Split Shot – No other piece of equipment is as maligned by fly fishers as split shot. This is in spite of the fact that we find it more useful than almost anything else in the winter. A $5 – $10 investment in split shot will go much further toward catching trout in cold weather than a much pricier investment in rods or reels.

We typically use shot in sizes 4, 6, or 8 depending on the depth and velocity of the water. Pinch it on your tippet 6″ – 8″ above the fly or in between two nymphs tied as a dropper. This will ensure that your flies sink to depth quickly. A fly that sinks quickly is a fly that is in the strike zone sooner and stays there longer.

5. Use the Best Strike Indicator For the Job – Expect subtle takes from the fish. This requires a strike indicator that can support the weight of heavy nymphs. If you use a strike indicator that sinks under the surface on every other drift you’re very likely to miss a soft strike when a trout does eat. You might even realize it was a fish, only too late to get a good hook set.

Yarn can be a good choice but be sure it’s a big piece. Foam footballs and other other indicators made from high floating materials are the best choice. Sticky pinch-on indicators don’t allow for depth adjustment and are sometimes too small to float a heavy rig.

6. Try Fishing Without a Strike Indicator – Many fly fishers are surprised to hear us say that no strike indicator might be the best way to go. This isn’t a technique we recommend for inexperienced anglers, but those who are already skilled at high stick nymphing with a strike indicator may be surprised at how effective this can be. Strike indicators place a limit on just how deep your nymphs can go and might place a limit on just how effective you can be.

Start out by trying this technique in slow pockets with short casts. Be sure your rod tip is downstream of your nymphs. Use only the minimum amount of line necessary. There should be no extra line on the water. Move your rod tip downstream at the same speed your nymphs drift in the current.

Most fly fishers are shocked at how obvious the strike is. Your leader and the short amount of fly line you are using will twitch or even jump upstream. Another benefit is that you can actually feel your nymph bouncing along the bottom. Just a little practice with this technique will make any fly fisher more effective with nymphs.

7. Use Heavy Tippet – Some fly fishers are extremely conscientious about using the lightest tippet possible so fish won’t see it. This is fine when fishing tiny midge patterns to cautious tailwater sippers in slow water. Light tippet has no benefit in cold mountain streams. Most fish eat size #8 – #14 flies better than those in the range of #18 and smaller. This is probably because the fish are opportunistic and they see the larger patterns better.

Heavier tippet casts heavy nymph rigs better than light tippet. A leader with two nymphs, a split shot, and a strike indicator is naturally clumsy to cast and stiffer tippet helps it turn over better. We generally use 3X on flies down to #8 – #12, 4X on sizes #12 – 14, and 5X on sizes #14 – 16.

8. Use a Dropper Rig – If the fishing will be slow you should do everything to maximize your chances for a hook up. One of the best ways we know is to fish two flies.

There are two big advantages associated with fishing a couple of flies. The first is that you can fish two different flies to a single fish with one drift. Sometimes fish will have a definite preference for one fly over another.

The second advantage is that you can fish two flies at different depths on the same drift. We like to fish a #8 – #10 stonefly pattern on bottom and a smaller beadhead on top. This allows you to present a fly deep for the fish glued to the bottom and another fly higher in the water column for those fish watching for emerging mayflies or caddis.

9. Try Fishing a Streamer Like a Nymph – This is something that doesn’t require a new skill set for fly fishers but is rarely done. You can simply fish a Woolly Bugger or Muddler Minnow under a strike indicator or add a new dimension to your tight line nymphing without an indicator.

We’re strong advocates of putting action on streamers, but they will do better in the coldest conditions with little to no action. After the dead drift you can allow the line to come tight and fish the swing.

Those who opt to use the tight line nymphing method should consider giving the streamer a slight twitch with the rod tip when they feel it tap bottom. Most strikes come when the streamer shows a small sign of life.

10. Stocked Trout are Far More Active in the Cold than Wild Trout – We’re sure there’s a biological reason for this, but stocked trout will continue to feed in the coldest water when wild trout have completely shut down. Our best theory is that stockers don’t have as much survival savvy. They continue to forage for food even when wild fish seem to know it’s a waste of energy when there are no insects moving about.

We’re strong advocates of fishing for wild fish, but if you can only get out during the coldest weather you’re going to have better opportunities to hook some fish on a stocked stream.

The Pat’s Nymph is one of those flies that Smoky Mountain fly fishing guides just love. It has a buggy look that fish can’t resist and it’s relatively quick and easy to tie. While the Pat’s Nymph is good year round, it’s particularly good in the spring since it’s a good representation of several aquatic insects.

Hook: #12-14 Standard Nymph Hook

Underbody: .010 – .015 Lead Free Wire

Thread: 6/0 Black

Tail: Brown Hackle Fibers

Body: Any shaggy gray dubbing material like squirrel or muskrat. I particularly like Wapsi Sow-Scud dubbing

Collar: Brown Hackle

Step 1. Starting at the rear of the hook wrap the lead free wire forward, then wrap back over the first layer of wire about 50% of the way back. This makes the fly heavy enough to sink in turbulent water and also adds shape to the body.

Step 2. Wrap the thread on just in front of the wire underbody, then wrap over the wire toward the rear of the hook. Be sure the wire is locked into place by the thread. Strip a few brown hackle fibers from a feather and tie them in just in front of the bend. Clip the butts. A variety of hackles will work for this since dry fly quality feathers are not required.

Step 3. Twist dubbing fibers onto the thread. Dubbing wax may help, but this is not something we use. Be sure the body of the fly has a shaggy appearance. Taper the body. Leave about one and a half hook eye’s length between the dubbing and the eye of the hook.

Step 4. Tie in the hackle. Use either inferior dry fly hackle or hen hackle. Make one or two wrap depending on the density of the hackle fibers on the feather, then tie it off and clip the excess.

Step 5. Pull the hackle fibers back with the thumb and forefinger, then wrap the thread back over it and make a head. Tie it off with a series of half hitches or a whip finish and take it fishing.

The Pat’s Nymph is excellent in a number of situations when nymphs are required. It’s a heavy fly and sinks well. This is important in cold water or turbulent water. It also makes for one half of an excellent dropper rig along with another nymph. It can weigh down other nymphs like a #16 Beadhead Pheasant Tail or add even more weight to a big stonefly pattern like a #8 Tellico Nymph.

Some anglers are turned off by the scraggly appearance of this somewhat ordinary looking fly, but it should not be ignored. Its drab color scheme imitates a variety of aquatic insects and its weight gets it down where the fish are. We’ve even noticed that fish seem to like it more as it gets chewed up. One of our fishing buddies used to grind the fly under his boot heel before tying it on and claimed that made it more enticing to fish!

Many fly fishers and fly tyers are turned off by small flies, but there is no reason to be intimidated. Yes the flies are small, but the strike indicator is just as big as it is for a #14 nymph. Furthermore, small flies are generally less complicated to tie than larger ones.

Skull & Bones

The Skull & Bones is our “go to” midge pattern. We’ve used it extensively on tailwaters in the Southeast, but we’ve also used it with success on Montana’s Madison River and we’ll occasionally trail one under a dry fly in the Smokies. This fly works great on its own, fished in tandem with a second nymph, or under a dry fly.

Hook: #18 – #20 Scud hook

Bead: 5/64″ or 2 mm black bead

Thread: Black 8/0

Body: Black Ultrawire, Small or X-Small

Wing: Zelon, Midge Grey

Collar: 1 or 2 strands of peacock herl

Step 1. After threading the bead onto the hook, wrap your thread onto the hook behind the bead. You can wrap all the way to the bend of the hook and back up but we generally avoid doing this to prevent too much build up on the hook and keep the body slim and slender.

Step 2. Tie the wire onto the hook behind the bead. Hold the wire tight at an upward angle as you wrap thread over it. This will keep the wire on the top of the hook. Wrap all the way to the bend of the hook.

Step 3. Wrap the thread to the head of the fly. Tightly wrap the wire forward. Stop about 1 bead’s distance back from the bead. Tie it off with the thread and clip any excess.

Step 4. Tie in a small strand of Z-lon fibers. You may have to divide a strand of fibers in half. The wing should be clearly visible when the fly is complete, but it shouldn’t be too bulky either. Wait to clip the excess until the rest of the fly is complete.

Step 5. Tie in one or two strands of peacock herl. A #18 generally requires two strands, but this is sometimes too bulky for a #20. Wrap the herl around the thread about 5 or 6 times, then wrap around the hook about 3 times. Wrapping the peacock around the thread will reinforce it and make it less likely to break when you’re fishing it. The bulkiness of your peacock will dictate how many wraps it takes to create the collar. You want enough to fill in the gap nicely without creating unnecessary bulk.

Step 6. Tie off with a couple of half hitches or a whip finish. Clip the wing so it is short and stumpy. It shouldn’t be very long.

Take it fishing!

This fly fishes very well on its own in rivers with robust midge populations like the Clinch River here in East Tennessee. If only a few midges are hatching we’ll fish it in tandem with a sow bug pattern or another nymph like a #16 Beadhead Pheasant Tail. We usually fish the Skull & Bones as the top fly.

It’s not unusual for us to fish it under a dry fly. We’ll fish it under Sulphur patterns when the hatch is sporadic. It is heavy enough to sink well, but not heavy enough to sink a #16 Sulphur Comparadun dry fly.While it’s not our top producer in the Smokies, we’ll occasionally use it as a dropper when rising trout seem to ignore everything else. It’s hooked enough tough fish on Little River that we keep a few in our vest. Be sure to use 6X tippet with this small fly.

Dry fly fishing has been nothing short of excellent over the past few days. Midges, Blue Wing Olives, and a variety of small caddis have kept the trout looking to the surface. The best fishing has been in the middle of the day, but we’re still getting fish up in the morning and late afternoon.

Late afternoon on the Clinch

While Tim and Charity have spent most of their time in the Smokies I spent most of the week floating the Clinch River. The Clinch has been surprisingly consistent. Most of the trout we’re catching have been less than a foot long, but we’re still getting a few to the net in the range of 14 – 18″.

There has been a pretty even distribution of rainbows, browns, and brook trout. Most of the sizeable trout have been rainbows, but Ben Shawler landed a 18″ brown this week. I’d like to take this opportunity to openly taunt Tom Chandler of Trout Underground. Tom is a brook trout fanatic and often wonders if I’m taunting him when I post photos of brookies. Most of the brook trout have been in the 10″ range, but a few are a little better. They aren’t the biggest fish in the river, but they’re cooperative and it’s fun to catch them on a big river from a drift boat.

A standard issue brook trout from the Clinch

We’ve also seen a little bit of dry fly fishing on the Clinch. Most of the fish are coming on midge pupa or small beadhead nymphs fished under a strike indicator. Some small black caddis are hatching late in the afternoon and we’ve been able to pick up some fish on #18 emerger patterns.

The weather forecast looks good for the next few weeks and the fishing usually holds up through the end of the month. After that it’s anyone’s guess when the cold weather will set in, so get out on the water while the getting is good.

A chunky rainbow from the Clinch

Yarn

Yarn is our favorite strike indicator for several reasons. First of all it easy to use as much or little as you want to vary the size of the indicator. Yarn also sits up off the water which makes it easy to see. Since it is light it is also easy to cast and lights on the water without making any disturbance. There are some drawbacks to yarn strike indicators though. If you are fishing big, heavy nymphs or using additional split shots to fish flies deep in swift, turbulent water the yarn might not stay on the surface. It can get pulled under by currents in this type of fishing situation. Yarn should fish small nymphs #14 and smaller in this type of water and can even support a micro split shot.

We always put a little bit of fly floatant on our yarn before fishing it. Regardless of claims made on the packaging, we’ve found that a dab of floatant keeps the yarn floating longer and keeps it riding high on the surface where you can see it.

We attach the yarn by putting a slip knot in the leader. A slip knot allows an angler to either remove the yarn or move the placement of the yarn with relative ease. This can put a crimp in your leader when you remove the yarn. This doesn’t generally bother us when nymphing, but this is one thing that seems to irritate many anglers.

Pinch On / Stick On

Pinch on strike indicators are perhaps the easiest to use for novice anglers. They come on a sheet and a fly fisher simply has to wrap them around the leader and go fishing. Adhesive keeps it in place. While they are easy to use they have a number of drawbacks. The adhesive limits their ability to be adjusted. When you do move them or remove them from the leader the adhesive leaves  some of the foam on the leader. These strike indicators work well for smaller nymphs in the range of #12 and smaller but don’t hold up larger nymphs or heavy rigs in turbulent water.

Foam Footballs

Styrofoam indicators in the shape of footballs or spheres are particularly effective in swift water with riffles and pockets. These come in a variety of sizes and it’s a good idea to keep several sizes on hand if you decide to use them. Larger, heavier flies require a bigger indicator and smaller nymphs cast better with a smaller indicator.

These types of strike indicators are usually quite easy to adjust for depth and don’t generally leave any impressions on your leader. They do have a tendency to hit the water with a plop, so they aren’t the best choice for fishing nymphs in quieter waters or places where fish might be exceptionally skittish.

We prefer to fish these indicators when the combination of weight on the fly and turbulent current will sink most other styles of strike indicator. For this reason we don’t usually fish the smaller sizes, but favor the medium to large sizes. Plenty of weight on the leader combined with a bulky strike indicator makes for tough casting. We recommend keeping casts short and either using a roll cast or short lob to get the flies in the water.

Putty

Putty strike indicators aren’t as common as they once were, but they can be useful in some circumstances. An angler can mold as much or little strike putty as he needs on his leader or tippet. However, putty indicators aren’t known for their ability to float very high and we’ve found a small amount of putty is best for small flies. Putty weighs more than the foam style or yarn indicators and will certainly come to the water with a plop if very much is used. However, a small amount on a leader can be fished discreetly and is a reasonable choice for anglers fishing small, light flies over midging trout or fish sipping emergers just under the surface.

Dry Flies

Perhaps the best type of strike indicator for midging fish or those sipping emergers is a dropper rig. A small, yet bushy dry fly like an Elk Hair Caddis or Royal Wulff will easily stay afloat over a midge pupa or soft hackle. Furthermore, many anglers are surprised at how often “selective” trout will eat an attractor pattern. Tie 12″ – 24″ of tippet to the bend of the hook of the dry fly. On eastern tailwaters a #18 – #22 midge pattern is good, but emerger patterns or unweighted nymphs are good choices depending on the hatch situation. Many accurate dry fly patterns like Comparaduns are effective dry flies that will also support a light nymph or emerger.

Larger bushier dry flies are better in tumbling freestone streams. Stimulators are an excellent choice and will support a host of beadhead patterns to fool fish in streams everywhere. The benefit of the dropper rig is that the dry fly is often just as effective as the nymph.

The Prince Nymph has been one of our favorite flies for a long time. We’ve caught lots of big trout with it not only in the Smokies but in Western rivers as well. We fish it frequently from the first cold snaps of fall through the winter and spring. We’ll continue to fish it in the summer if water levels are a little high. The Prince is one of those flies that always seems to catch fish when we fish it in swift water. We like to fish it on the heavy side so it gets down deep quickly. The instructions shown here show our favorite variation with red hackle and red thread, but you can use the standard brown hackle with black thread and it will still work great. Our suggestions for fishing the Prince Nymph are at the end of the tying instructions.

Hook: #8 – #12 Extra Long Shank Nymph or Standard Streamer Hook

Underbody: .010 – .015 Round Lead Free Wire

Thread: 6/0 Fire Orange, Red, or Black

Tail: Ginger Goose Biots

Rib: Copper Wire

Body: Peacock Herl

Hackle: Red or Brown Chinese Hackle or other soft hackle for wet flies and nymphs

Wings: White Goose Biots

Step 1.

Starting near the rear of the hook shank wrap lead free wire forward to about one and a half hook eye lengths behind the eye of the hook. Wrap 1/2 to 2/3 of the way back over the first layer of wire. This makes the fly heavy so it sinks quickly and also helps to give the body a natural looking taper.

Step 2.

Start to wrap thread just behind the eye of the hook and continue over the wire underbody. Wrap to the bend of the hook. Tie in two ginger goose biots so the natural bend of the feather points outward and away from each other.

Step 3.

Tie the copper wire just ahead of the goose biots, then tie in about 5 or 6 strands of peacock herl. Be sure the strands of herl are close to even along the tips, then clip about 1/2″ from the tips since they are weak and often break. Tie the peacock in at the tips then wrap the thread over the wire underbody up to the bare hook near the head.

Step 4.

Wrap the strands of peacock herl  forward over the wire under body. Tie off with the thread and clip off any excess. Be sure to leave some space. Don’t crowd the eye of the hook.

Step 5.

Wrap the copper wire forward using a reverse wrap. That is wrap the wire forward in the opposite direction that you wound the peacock herl. This keeps the wire from becoming buried in the herl. More importantly it allows the wire to wrap over the top of the fragile peacock and adds durability to the fly.

Step 6.

Prepare a piece of hackle by clipping the base away and stripping some hackle fibers from the stem so it will tie in cleanly. Tie the feather in so the shiny side is forward and the natural bend of the feather is toward the rear of the fly.

Step 7.

Wrap the feather around the hook 2 or 3 times and tie it off. Clip the tip of the feather off. Now using the thumb and forefinger of your free hand pull the hackle fibers back. Wrap thread over the base of the hackle fibers so they lay back.

Step 8.

Tie in two white goose biots so the natural curve of the feather is downward. Tie each one in at a slight angle off to each side and try to make them symmetrical. Clip the base of each biot after it is tied in.

Step 9.

Wrap thread over what remains of where you clipped the white biots. Wrap to the eye of the hook and finish the fly with a few half hitches or a whip finish.

Fishing Suggestions

The Prince Nymph is an excellent choice for cold water conditions in the fall, winter, or spring. Its contrasting colors allow fish to see it in swift flows and its weight gets it in the strike zone quickly.  Don’t be afraid to add a split shot or two if you don’ t think it’s reaching bottom. Fish it no less than 24″ under a strike indicator, but don’t be afraid to put it 36″ or 48″ deep

The Prince is a superb fly to use with another nymph. There are many times in the spring when smaller mayflies are moving about to hatch. We’ll fish a #12-16 Beadhead Pheasant Tail Nymph about 18″ – 24″ up from the Prince. This allows us to fish two entirely different flies in two different locations. The Prince should be ticking bottom and the smaller Pheasant Tail is higher in the water column like a hatching or drifting mayfly nymph.

Don’t try to fish this large Prince Nymph with fine tippet like 6X. This fly is intended for hard work and will hopefully hook nice trout from pockets in swift water. We usually use 3X or 4X when fishing it. That also goes for when we use a smaller nymph in tandem. Swift, turbulent water conditions preclude any need for a fine tippet plus you’ll be grateful that you have it when you hook a strong fish in a rocky run of fast water.

Trip summary in a nutshell: Big sky, big fish, big smiles  LaDawn Ostmann with a nice Madison River brown trout.

The Madison River is a tailwater below Hebgen Dam just outside of West Yellowstone, Montana. Western tailwaters are far different than those we have in the Southeast. While we’re used to water levels fluctuating on a daily level, most western dams run at a fairly even pace and flows generally mirror natural flows with the highest flows during early summer snow melt and the lowest flows in the fall and winter.

Less than two weeks before we arrived on the Madison there was a problem with Hebgen Dam that allowed far more water to flow than should have. Typical September flows on the Madison are 800 – 900 cfs. We arrived to find something like 3200 cfs flowing. We knew this in advance and weren’t worried since guides we have used for years were catching some nice fish. However, dry fly fishing was practically non-existent and nymphing was tough. The best method for catching trout would be fly fishing with streamers. Fortunately, most of the anglers on our trip were die hard streamer fly fishers.

Streamer fanatic Peter Petruzzi shows off a nice Madison brown near Ennis

To quote one of the guides, “The streamer fishing is off the hook!” Matt Smargiasso floated with guide Steve Mock one day and had his best day ever on the Madison. They covered about 20 miles of river that day; a long float but it only took about 8 hours with the high flows. Steve estimated that Matt moved 4-6 fish per mile. You do the math. Matt’s best fish with 21 1/2″ with a few more around 20″. They figured the average fish was around 16-17″.

Flows began to fall mid-week and wading and nymphing became an option, but most of our anglers hung in there with the streamers. There were some floats up on the Jefferson and lower Madison below Bear Trap Canyon, but the main section of the Madison upstream of Ennis was the best place all week.

Guide John McClure rows John Milner and Peter Petruzzi from Varney Bridge to Ennis

Not all of our anglers were experienced with streamers. Julie Tallman was somewhat new to the tactic of throwing large articulated flies with a sinking line but was a quick study. She hooked what would have been Slide Inn’s largest fish of the season but it managed to run under the boat and oar when her guide tried to net it and it popped off. The guide estimated the brown trout to be around 8 pounds and 24 -26″ long.

Julie Tallman and her guide John can’t help but grin after a big day on the Madison

Wading became an option later in the week and fishing with small nymphs was the best method. Most flies were in the #18 range to imitate the baetis that were sporadically hatching. However, the streamer bite continued for those who wanted to cover lots of water and throw big streamers.

It was easier to nymph spots by wading when the water got low enough for it to be effective

While brown trout tag streamers the most, we still picked up some nice rainbows

As always, chef Trey Braasch kept us eating well. Evening meals consisted of champagne chicken and mushrooms, shrimp scampi, bacon wrapped pork loin, and other great entrees. Desserts included white chocolate raspberry cheese cake, molten chocolate lava cake, and apple pie a la mode. We’ve become pretty good friends with Trey since we’ve been going to Slide Inn and try to fish with him at least once while we’re there. He’s an absolute streamer nut and enjoys splitting time on the oars to float the best streamer water on the river.

He can fish almost as well as he cooks

We can’t wait to get back to the Madison next year.