Best Flies for the Upper Madison In The Spring
The Madison River needs no introduction. A legendary fishery that has a long history of being one the best in the Greater Yellowstone Region. In this article, I share my best flies for the upper Madison in the spring.
I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of my time fly fishing over the last few years on the Madison. Many legendary anglers have come before us teaching and tying flies for the Madison. I have the utmost respect for them and the skills they have taught me over the years of fly fishing. My advice on this river and all my articles are based on my experiences and I expect others to find success in other ways and with different flies.
That being said, this article is focused on the flies I would not go without when fishing the Upper Madison River in the spring. I believe the presentation will be much more important than the fly section. But, as an avid fly tier and lover of flies, they are fun to talk and speculate about. Here are my best flies for the upper Madison in the spring.
Five Best Flies for the Madison in the Spring
Pats Rubber Legs
The Pats Rubber Legs is my go-to stonefly for any river here in the region. It is unbelievable how effective this fly can be through the spring months on the Upper Madison. It seems as soon as March 1st hits, fish begin eating the rubber legs like none other. Stoneflies have a life cycle lasting a few years, so they are always a food source for trout. The Upper Madison also has an abundant stonefly population, so no wonder those hot bows can’t pass up a well-presented Rubber Legs. If you see me fishing the Upper Madison in the spring months, I’m fishing a size 8 coffee-colored rubber legs. Size 10 and 12’s in a variety of colors work great as well. Go out on the Madison this spring with the color you’re most confident in and enjoy the great nymphing the Madison offers.
JuJu Baetis
Charlie Craven has blessed us with some amazing flies over the years. The Juju Baetis is one of my best flies on the upper Madison. In sizes 16 and 18, the juju baetis has put many fish to hand on the Upper Madison during the spring months. A great representation of a blue-wing olive or midge subsurface, the combination of a slender profile and flashback fools many fish. A nymph setup with a Rubber Leg to a Juju Baetis is a great starting point if you are nymphing on the Madison from March through May.
Griffiths Gnat
Spring dry fly fishing on the Upper Madison can be stellar. With midges, blue wings, and caddis on the water, the Griffiths gnat is a one of the best flies for the upper Madison in the spring. The midge hatches in March can be very prolific and big trout move into the shallow runs to feed on midge clusters. The Griffiths gnat gets it done in these situations. While primarily fished as a midge cluster, it works through the blue wing and caddis hatches that the Madison gets in the spring. I usually tie this fly in sizes 14 through 18 and it is my go-to dry fly throughout the spring months.
Woolhead Sculpin
Streamer fishing on the Upper Madison can be exceptional as the trout are looking for big meals after the long winter. Sculpin are small, bottom-dwelling fish that inhabit many of the rivers in the west. They are a great snack for trout of all sizes, especially the bigger fish that develop into predators and go after bigger food sources
A medium-sized Woolhead sculpin is one of my go-to streamer patterns in the spring to emulate the sculpin in the system. My go-to color is olive as it matches many of the sculpin I have found in the Madison, but tan or black would be a good choice as well. The most effective way to fish any streamer pattern on the upper Madison is by working your way upstream casting behind any structure or likely holding spot. As soon as the fly lands start retrieving the fly, jigging it back to you with your rod tip. You would be surprised at how many fish chase the fly and eat right at your feet.
Meat Whistle
John Barr’s Meat Whistle is one of my favorite single hook streamers for the Yellowstone region. I especially like it for the Upper Madison because of its ability to get to the bottom through the fast water. It is also tied on a 90-degree jig hook that allows the fly to swim hook point up, so the chances of snagging the bottom decrease.
The Meat Whistle has great motion in the water due to the long bunny strip and has a unique jig motion to the fly. This fly has done wonders for me in the spring when hunting for quality brown trout. My favorite colors are black/red, tan, and olive. I tie mine on a size two or four 90-degree jig hook with a tungsten conehead. A relatively easy streamer to tie, the meat whistle is one of my best flies on the upper Madison.
At the end of the day, many great patterns work well on the Upper Madison. These are my best flies on the Madison and are based on my experiences fishing the Upper Madison in the spring. It is one of my favorite times on the upper as the fishing can be amazing while the crowds are not as busy. You also have the choice of the techniques you want to catch them on, as nymphing, dry flies, and streamers are effective this time of year.
If you’re traveling to the Madison this spring be sure to include a few of these flies above in your fly box. If you have a favorite fly for spring on the Upper Madison, please share as I am always looking for new fly patterns. I hope one of these flies produces for you this spring and send me pictures of fish you catch on these flies.
