There are four main variables to consider when figuring out the best approach to fishing: what, where, when and how. The Madison River has a plethora of food choices for the trout, but there is usually an abundance of one thing, and that is what the trout are after. It starts as early as January with midges.
Midges are more of a lower Madison thing. Midges like slower water and a muddy, soft bottom. The fish eat them both wet and dry. A typical day of Midge fishing consists of driving around to various known “midge spots” and looking for rising fish.
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Boating in January can have some drawbacks. Ice can be a significant problem, blocking channels, and the biting cold can lead to frozen fingers, frozen guides, etc. Better to catch a few fish and run back to the warm car.
Midges are small but gather onto mating balls, so you can fish a slightly larger fly, as in an #18 or#20 on 5 or 6x tippet. My usual go-to bug is the griffus gnat, a couple wraps of peacock and a couple wraps of tiny grizzly hackle.
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Seeing things when you're fishing is usually the problem. This is usually solved by tying on a dropper about 2 feet above the midge as a flag fly you can see. It's okay to use anything around a #12 or #14. Then if you can’t see your midge, you strike at anything within 2 feet of the flag fly.
If the fish won’t eat on the surface, you can cut off the midge dry and replace it with a midge nymph. All it takes is one knot and your flag is now a strike indicator! Keeping knots to a minimum is important when you're dealing with 6x tippet, size 20 flies and cold fingers.
Fortunately for us, midges like warmer weather just like we do in January, so if we get one of those sweet 45 degree days with no wind I just might see you out there.
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