AUGUST 2026

UPDATED 8/3/2026

This past month here on the Madison has been a hot one. With heat waves in the day and thunderstorms in the afternoon, bug activity is increasing and there is a major hopper hatch on the horizon. Although bugs like the heat, the fish are under increased pressure as water temperatures rise into the high sixties and low seventies. To combat the temps, Northwestern Energy is releasing plenty of water from Hebgen to cool the river. This means flows are consistently sitting between 1300 and 1500. Following this period of persistent/continuous heat, Montana FWP has applied a hoot-owl closure from 8 Mile Ford to the mouth of Ennis Lake after 2 PM.

The forecast shows mild sunny weather and a north wind for the next couple of days. The fish are looking up following the recent stonefly hatches and soon to be hopper hatch. You can still find some nocturnal stonefly shucks on the banks if you look. My personal favorite imitations for those are the Rootbeer Chubby #10, and pink or green waterwalkers. A yellow or pink hopper pattern is also a safe bet this time of year. Whether the fish think it is a hopper or a nocturnal is up for debate, but regardless they still eat it. The More-Or-Less Hopper #10 and the Thunder Thighs #12 are both great options. There are still some daily Caddis hatches in the late afternoon and evening although they have slowed a bit. Tan or olive is always a good call here on the upper Madison, and my personal favorites are the Finfetcher Caddis #16 and the Oikawa’s CDC Caddis #16. 

For nymph patterns, the biggest producers right now are the coffee Pat’s Rubber Legs #8-#12, Flossy Worm, Jig Yellow Spot, Hare’s Ear, Three-Dollar Dip in red or pearl, and a Purple Duracell. The best nymphs right now are soft hackle flies that imitate bug larva in general . Your odds go up when your fly looks like several different nymphs, rather than one specific species. Give the hopper dropper a try, and if it isn't producing, my next rig would be a bunny and a bead. Any olive or tan sculpin pattern will do. The olive and white Dolly Llama, Trevor’s Sculpin in olive or black, and the Mini Loop Sculpin #6 are all good options for the front of your rig. For the back, I would use any of the nymphs listed above. Dragging the bottom is one of the most effective ways to draw up these fish when it’s hot. 

If nothing else is working, there is always the option to throw big streamers. Sometimes, the best way to get a fish to eat is to swim a big, annoying, shiny streamer right in front of his face. When I fish streamers this time of year, I use Galloup’s Boogieman in black, Galloup’s Olive Dungeon, Galloup’s Peanut Envy in yellow, black, or olive, or Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow Sculpin. On these bright days, anything with a big silhouette and some flash should do the trick. Like always, streamer fishing isn’t a numbers game, but it can be very rewarding when a fish does eat.

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Hot Flies:

Dry Flies: Elk Hair Caddis Olive, Finfetcher Caddis, Oikawa's Caddis Tan, More-Or-Less Hopper, Thunder Thighs.

Streamers: Mini Dungeon Black & Olive, Dungeon Yellow, Woolly Bugger Black, Sparring Partner Brown Trout.

Nymphs: BH Pheasant Tail, Spanish Bullet French, Olsen's Hare's Ear Blowtorch, Pat's Rubber Legs Black, Three Dollar Dip Brown.

- MRFC Guide Jesse Dittmer