When to Come and What To Expect:
Fly Fishing: Yellowstone National Park – July – Madison River
Although the fishing in the Madison is usually better in the month of June, the water should still be in good shape for most of the month of July unless it is one of the bad water years when the Madison can get rather warm during the later part of July. On good water years, the fishing can hold up all month.
The Pale Morning Duns will be coming off most of the month, especially during the first two of three weeks of July. The spinner falls will be fun but fairly difficult to fish. They can produce some nice trout if you fish them properly. They take place in the mornings from about 8 to 11 AM, depending on the weather and time of the month.
Green Drakes will usually be hatching the first couple of weeks but you probably want find any hatches that blanket the water. The Gray Drake spinner falls may last through the first week of July, but that will be about it for the year for them on the Madison.
The Pink Ladies, or Eperous species should start hatching about the second week of July and last all month and on into August, depending on the section of the river and the weather. You will also be able to find some hatches of March Browns start about the middle of the month in the fast water sections of the river. Both of these species will be in the riffles and runs.
Its possible to start seeing some hatches of Trico mayflies in the smooth water near Hebgen Lake around the middle of the month. They will start before the month ends.
The Salmonflies may still be hatching in the canyon section of the river the first week of July. The Golden Stoneflies should last through the first couple of weeks in the canyon section and other fast water sections of the Madison. Little Yellow Stoneflies, or Yellow Sallies, will hatch throughout the month.
Fishing the late evening caddis egg laying activity will work all month long. There will be several species. The White Millers will still be going strong the first two weeks of the month. The Green Sedges will hatch all month in the fast water sections. Spotted Sedges will also be present all month in large quantities. Little Black Short Horned Caddis, will be present in large numbers all month. About the middle of the month you should also find some Little Brown caddis and a few Long Horned Sedges should show up. The entire month of July is caddisfly heaven on the Madison. The best action can be very late in the day and on into the early evenings.
Near the end of the month, imitations of grasshoppers, beetles and ants will begin to be effective.
Copyright 2010 James Marsh