More Salmonflies

Things have been happening around here over the last week as we've finally got some decent dry fly action on Salmonflies. I spent the better part of last week on the Lower Madison, but I don't expect to be there too many more days until September. Salmonflies started on the Upper Madison late last week and dry fly action has been hit or miss...that's how it always is. The good news is that they're now going on the Yellowstone as well and are making their way up towards Macatee on the Madison.

Highlights of last week on the lower were many. Fishing was excellent every day out over there with size 8 crayfish and a myriad of #18 PMD nymphs. Fish are still in great shape and could be found in deep stuff, shallow stuff, weedbeds et al. Everyone got one near 20 inches and we got about 6 or so everyday that went between 18 and 19. The lower has really been great this year, makes me thing that more people really ought to come out in March and April for fishing the lower!

I got the raft out for the first time on the Boulder this past weekend. I was fishing with the headmaster of my high school, Fr. Peter, and a teacher named Fr. Paul. They had a great day on teh lower, a good day on the stone, and a really fun day on the Boulder. The Boulder was still too high to really fish, but the whitewater was intense enough so that I had to man the sticks pretty hard all day. That'll be a great place for some July trips.

I have a great couple the next 2 days, we fished today and Friday, so they're getting a good feel for all that we have to offer around here. We got onto some fish eating Salmonfly dries between Macatee and Varney today and are planning on hitting the Yellowstone around Emigrant tomorrow and Big Timber on Wednesday. The upper fished well today, but it is so low ! We wer hanging up with just a beadhead under an indicator and no weight. When we got the drift...we hooked up. But we turned a bunch of good fish on dries and endned up sticking a dozen or so later in the day. There's no way that I would take a hard boat up there right now.

Things are well, the store looks great, Matthew is doing well, Alex is good, Christine is hanging in there, and fishing is great.