The Madison is Fishing Well and Much More in the Butte and Bozeman Outdoor Report
By Matt Schauer

Posted: June 2, 2012

Hi, it’s ANGIE from Bob Ward & Sons…brave the MUD & DRIZZLE & get out on the Butte & Bozeman waters, cuz at least it’s not gonna SNOW…

Wading is tough on a few of the BUTTE area rivers, like the BEAVERHEAD & the BIG HOLE, tho we hear the BIG HOLE water level is settling down somewhat…spring runoff & all the WET has added to some slippery, muddy and high-water conditions, so use caution when walking in the water! That said, the BEAVERHEAD is performing well with clouds of Caddis coming off, or if you want to Nymph, get out your Scuds, Beadhead Nymphs & Sow Bugs, all in around a 14-16! The BIG HOLE has a bit of Salmonfly activity going on with the morning Caddis & Mayfly swarms…best luck, we hear, is fishing just BARELY below the surface. Streamer bite was good this last week, and we expect that to stay the same, stick to your sz 4 Fatheads & Home Invaders & go yellow! The JEFFERSON is high & murky, but our Bait Anglers are catching some Browns east of Whitehall, and Rainbows to the South! You might try some Caddis or Mayfly Dries on warmer sunny mornings around Waterloo or Silverstar. GEORGETOWN LAKE fish have been liking the Leech Patterns in amongst the weed beds! Wooly Buggers are a good substitute when stripped & jigged! Hammered brass, Copper or Kamloops spoons are still pretty hot & heavy right now too.

Over here BOZEMAN way, the UPPER & LOWER MADISON are absolutely the places of choice, plenty of March Browns, Mayflies & Caddis on the LOWER, and Blue Winged Olive Emergers on the UPPER…the UPPER is fishing excellently higher up, just below Hebgen and away from any of the tributaries dumping color into the water…above Palisades are just about PERFECT conditions! Stick to Streamers on the GALLATIN, the water will start to fill out again in the warmer, muggier weather…try a Beadhead Black or Black Krystal Bugger in a 2 or 4. The YELLOWSTONE is also a Streamer heaven now, water is HIGH but find yourself some deep pockets and stick to WHITE or RAINBOW as colors…we like the Swimmin Jimmy Rainbow or the Buck Rogers White in a sz 2! Zimmer Tackles, the chartreuse & pink glow jig we call “watermelon”, was knockin em DEAD on the EAST GALLATIN this week…watch your step here again, mud conditions are present, but our angler caught 7 trout in about 2 hours, close to the banks…this is a great & very local spot, when you just have to get out there and don’t want to drive miles and miles! The report from HYALITE RESERVOIR is that Cutthroats are stacking up on the tributaries & are easy pickins…go with your worm chunks & egg patterns to land some of these!

This coming week is our 95th Anniversary of serving YOU, our fellow sportsmen, in Montana. We’ve got festivities galore coming up, & you can imagine the sale is going to be spectacular! Come see us in BUTTE or BOZEMAN & shop the most fantastic deals around, then HEAD OUT! That’s what Bob Wards is all about, getting you OUTDOORS with all you need! More details next week, friends!

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