According to the calendar, or at least to my calculations, it’s late winter yet with the mild temperatures we’ve had as of late, one has to wonder is spring is going to arrive early. Due to the simple fact that we count on the winter snowpack for our summer water and favorable river conditions, we can only hope there is more winter to come, at least more snow….I suspect there will be. February rarely seems to produce much in the way of moisture, Mach on the other hand, can hand us quite a bit.
EIther way, it’s nice out there now and, as far as I can tell, there is no better time to rig up the rod and head out. We have experienced some phenomenal midge fishing on the lower Madison lately – in my opinion, few trout scenarios rival wading those shallow weed beds while scanning the surface for rising fish. It takes some looking, some attention to detail but the fish are often there for those willing to take the time to look. Be a heron out there.
Weather condition are the key ingredient here. Clouds aren’t necessary but really help and wind, which is commonplace this time of year, often kills the dry fly potential altogether. The calmer the better.
Fly selection is far less important that presentation – A small parachute Adams, H&L Variant, Griffith’s Gnat or any number or other midge dries will produce but only if put gently over the fish without drag. If the fish refuse the fly, switch, if they just haven’t eaten it, keep trying – more than likely it hasn’t been been noticed. For those who struggle to see or present small dries, a zebra midge fished on a short dropper below a larger attractor pattern can work wonders. With a large dry to serve as an indicator, visibility is easy and, many times, there are more fish feeding on midge pupa below the surface that on the adults on the surface. As far as leaders…5X should fit the bill under most circumstances.
Depuys, Armstrongs and Nelsons have all been fishing well when the wind is down – in fact, most everywhere has been fishing well when the wind is down.
Remember that Montana’s fishing season starts March 1 – don’t forget to renew your license!