When to Come and What To Expect:
Fly Fishing: Outside Yellowstone National Park – July – Madison River (Below Hebgen Lake to Ennis)
The Madison River outside Yellowstone National Park is certainly one of the prime places you want to consider fishing during the month of July. It provides some of the best fly fishing opportunities to be found anywhere in the United States at any time of the year. There’s a lot that takes place on this long section of this famous river during July, so we will only be highlighting the possibilities.
To begin, the Salmonfly hatch will still be underway in the upper part of the river, especially below Earthquake Lake. The Golden Stoneflies will also be going strong. The hatches will be going strong between the lakes just after the first of July, if not already.
In addition to the stoneflies, several species of caddisflies and mayflies will also be hatching. The reliable PMDs, or Pale Morning Duns is one of them. The Eperous mayflies will also hatch during the first part of July. You will also be able to find hatches of Green Drakes, all the way from Ennis to the Hebgen dam in the right type of water. Before the month is over, you will also see hatches of the Small Western Green Drakes, called Flavs. These mayflies can bring the trout to the surface if you catch the hatch just right.
Late evening caddisfly activity will be great, starting about 8:00 PM and continuing until dark. These are mostly Spotted Sedges but there is also several other species of caddisflies that will be hatching in the first part of July.
Both the float and the wade sections of the river will be crowded but it is for a very good reason. The fishing is usually fantastic all month long. You can take your choice of wading or fishing from a drift boat and expect to do well.
There is no one hottest location on the Madison River during July. It all fishes well. The hot spots will move around and they want be a well kelp secrete. In fact, all the fly shops will have daily reports on the Madison and they all will most likely be good. A good spot to be is any where you choose to fish.
Copyright 2012 James Marsh