Let The Cold Wind Blow
SEPTEMBER 2024
UPDATED 9/19/2024
We were gifted with our first taste of fall here in the Madison Valley this past week. River flows are currently sitting at 1250 CFS in Cameron and 1070 CFS at the Kirby Ranch gauge. The colder air temps and overcast weather that we have been seeing has provided us with some great streamer fishing. Slow stripping and dead drifting streamers on a floating line has provided us with some of the most productive fishing as of late. Sculpin imitations like the Sculpzilla, Sheila and Trevor sculpins have got some nice fish in the net for us. Nymphing remains fairly consistent with small coffee/brown or black girdle bugs, san juan worms, micro may, gold or pearl lightning bugs, and red serendipity nymphs being our top producers.
The colder temps and cloudy days have caused the hopper and ant fishing to slow down quite a bit. However, the weather is forecasted to warm up over the next week so I would expect the dry fly fishing to start picking back up here shortly. Dry dropper fishing with a yellow or tan hopper imitation with a perdigon hanging underneath is a great rig to be throwing as the weather warms up. A double dry fly rig with an ant tagged behind a hopper is also another good route to go if you are looking to purely fish on top.
As always our shop in downtown Ennis is stocked to the brim with flies so don't be afraid to swing by and check them out for yourself. Also feel free to swing by the shop for a more in-depth and up to date fishing report or general fishing advice. Just a reminder as well it is now barbless hooks only from Varney bridge to the Lake so pinch those barbs. Enjoy the warm weather this weekend and be safe out there!
Streamers: Sculpzilla, Lil Kim, Sheila, Mini Dungeon, Peanut Envy, Trevor Sculpin, Mike's Sculpin, Karnopp's Space Invader.
Dry Flies: Thunder Grass Hopper Mcknight Goldenrod, CFO Mini Ant Brown, Edible Emerger Olive, Missing Link Caddis,
Nymphs: Pat's Rubber Legs Olive, Yellow Spots, TBH Jiggy Duracell Brown, Jig Formerly Known as Prince, Olsen's Hare's Ear Blowtorch, #4 Rubber Leg Black, #16 Gold Lightning Bug, Chartreuse French Dip, CDC Hustler.
- MTS Guide John Kelley
