March 27 - Madison River scouting mission
Last Sunday, my trout savvy partner, Mrs. Sarah Webb, and I did battle with the waters of the Madison Valley. We braved the elements so I could do homework for the first guide trip of the season coming up. With the wind crank'n down stream and the mercury on the less desirable end of the thermometer, we flew down river. I worked my unseasoned rowing muscles, straining to slow the rig so Sarah could pull out a sweet drift. It wasn't easy. Most of the buckets and holes on this stretch of river are short, so there's not much time to pick the pocket when you're screaming by in a wind propelled drift boat. But, my wife ain't no hack. When she did get a good shot at a hole, she hooked up. And as you can see from the photo proof, she digs the pigs. With the exception of one freak brownie on a purple worm, every fish pounded the olive rubber leg nymph.
Yahoo, it's guide season! It's April 1st, spring, and I'm fishing with my first sports of the 2011 season on the Madison. On the recommendation of super client Nick "I don't have a rain coat" Slowick, Brothers Phil and Paul Eversman, hired me to introduce them to Montana's finest fishing. Rather than dump'n the boat and taking on the wind again, we stayed on our feet so the fellas could get to know this river a bit more intimately. The weather was the most spring-like we had seen all week and stayed that way all day. No wind, no cold, no complaints. Well, except for the lack of fish. By midday we had burned through half of the standard flies with nothing to show for it. Not cool. The Madison River was not on my side and making me a little nervous. But after a little lunch, BS-ing, and trading bad jokes, the trout rose to the occasion. As an added bonus, by the time the fish changed their mind, the guys had a solid grip on reading water, were putting bugs where they needed to be, and began stick'n fish like pro's. The Eversman boys found that sculpin and stone fly nymph patterns were on the afternoon menu. If you find yourself on the Maddy in the next few days, be sure to have a pocket full of Bow River Buggers and Pat's Rubber Legs in olive and sizes 6 and 8.
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