We define the Upper Madison as the stretch found between Quake Lake and Ennis. With the rugged Madison Range to the East and the mature Gravely Range to the West it is quite possibly the most scenic float in the state. The river has been called the “everlasting riffle,” with 55 miles of shallow water that is filled with boulders. Good populations of healthy Brown, Rainbow, and Cutthroat Trout thrive in the river. The towns of Ennis or West Yellowstone carry all the supplies you need with plenty of lodging in the area.
Water Conditions: Clear and cool
Weather Conditions: Windy and sunny
Floated or Waded: floated
Section of Water Fished: Fri. October 28, Varney to Town
Tough day on the water. Chucked lots of streamers and nymphed a bunch too. Only thing that was biting were some very large white fish. One small brown on streamer and a few small rainbows on rubber legs. Saw one fish rise the whole day.
Water Conditions: The cooler evenings and fall water levels are making for some good streamer fishing
Weather Conditions: Beautiul fall day
Floated or Waded: waded
Section of Water Fished: Reynolds Pass to 3 Dollar Bridge
The Brown’s are starting to put on their Fall colors and chase bigger meals with abandon. Caught several nice browns on streamers and a few beautiful Rainbows on a red copper john dropper. In the evening a really nice Fall Caddis hatch happened and had some luck with a green headlight Caddis. There were also some blue wing olives hatching in a size 20-22.
Fall fishing on the Madison is fantastic. Come and catch some Fall color.
Water Conditions: Clear and cool
Weather Conditions: Sunny/warm
Floated or Waded: waded
Section of Water Fished: Varney area
Got on the water about 5, fish started rising about 6ish.. Hopper/ant, caddis/ant.. Small caddis coming off, these fished are keyed onto whatever is rising, and ants right now. Size 16, they were crushing it until dark.
If it is warm, fish those terrestials, when the cloud cover comes, switch it up to streamers or BWO’s. Fished the seams, buckets and drops, work side channels when there is enough water to hold fish, they were concentrated around weed beds, hanging just behind them.