July 1st – July 7th | Madison River Fishing Report

 

The big bugs have taken over. If you were here this week, you would have no doubt seen the Salmon flies and the Golden Stones that are out. They are still out and about making the whole river a bug manifesto!!! The fish have been doing trout things such as, not eating when the people are out, eating bugs until they are too gorged from eating real bugs to even eat YOUR fly, and eating small stuff when you want them to eat the big bugs. Well, that’s Salmon fly season my friends. But if you were lucky enough to get in on the action before they got too smart to eat your fly, you may have gotten lucky this week!  
There are so many different choices of flies for the fish to be eating right now. The Salmon Fly, the Golden Stone, the PMD, the many different Caddis, the Callibaetis, the Yellow Sally and yes, even the little midges are out and about on the river and lakes this week. That is a lot of choices, so arm up and equip yourselves for battle. Just when you think that brown or shamebow is going to give it up to the Salmon Fly, it doesn’t. It may want just a little Caddis, or a PMD…. or nothing at all because it is full. We all love throwing the big bugs, but if they aren’t eating it, they just are not going to eat it, so don’t get discouraged, they will eat it tomorrow. Because of the big bug hatch, there are more than average people about, during this time try going out a little earlier or a little later in the evening. Either way, the fish will eventually eat. Try variety in your schedule to experiment with the timing of the bite and the people.                                                                                                                                           

Anyways, the trout will be trout and you can’t help but be you, so come on in the shop and get those big bugs you need. The flies I am going to recommend this week are flies that we at the shop have used, the guides have used, and your mom has used…. along with the combination of intel from others that have come in the shop. Everyone has their favorite Salmon Fly, so I will not elaborate on the patterns too much there.

Dries:

  • Salmon Flies

Dornan’s Water Walker size 6 and 8 in the red

Delektable Secret Stone Salmon Fly UV Orange size 6 and 8

The Stimulator size 6 and 8

Sofa Pillows size 6 and 8

Delektable Secret Stone Royal size 6 and 8

Delektable Mega Chubbyness in Salmon fly colors size 6, 8 and 10

 

  • Golden Stones

Dornan’s Water Walker size 10 and 12

Delektable Secret Stone Golden size 10 and 12

The Stimulator size 10 and 12

Delektable Chubbyness in the Golden Stone colors size 8, 10 and 12

Dornan’s Peanut Walker Golden size 10 and 12

 

 

  • PMD size 16

Purple Haze

Adams

Light Cahill

Quigley’s PMD Cripple

 

  • Caddis

Delektable CDC Caddis in corresponding sizes

Elk Hair Caddis

Lil’ Hottie size 14 and 16

Half down size 14 and 16

Bloom’s Caddis Amber size 14 and 16

 

  • Yellow Sally

Delektable Chubbyness Olive Brown size 14 and 16

Delektable Chubbyness Royal size 14 and 16

Half Down Amber size 12 and 14

 

 

 

                          

 

                                                                                  

 

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