Legend of the Salmonfly

[night_flyguy]

I'm heading up to the Madison for my bi-annual trip. Reports are that the salmonflies are tapering off. I've been up there are few times when the salmonflies are supposedly in full swing (just an accident of timing, not planned). Seen tons of nymphs but not many adults.
Never caught a fish on a salmonfly dry. An elk hair caddis or golden stone pattern always does better for me. It seems to me this hatch is more hype than substance. The guides sure do well during this time but how about the fishermen.
Anyone have any banner days with the salmonfly on top? Would you take that over the Green Drake hatch on the Provo?

p.s. Green Drakes were great last week on the Middle. Fish may still be looking up for them.
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[riverdog]

Salmonfly hatches are the most fickle hatches of all. The water can be too high or a rain will put an end to it. Lots of adults emerging from a stretch of water probable won't last but a couple days at most in idea conditions. And it doesn't usually last but a few hours per day. Hit it too late and the fish are done gorging and don't want to feed despite some adults emerging. Most years it's more hype than reality. Maybe 1 out of 3-4 years that hatch goes off as well as possible. Those years it lives up to the legend if you can time it right. The larger trout feed with absolute abandon. Hooking into many dozens of bigger trout per hour can happen on those big size 4 dries in the mid to late afternoon. Alot of trial and error is needed to time a hatch that's local. Good luck if you're trying to time a hatch that you're traveling to. Personally I'd take 1 good salmonfly hatch over a dozen green drake hatches on the Provo. That's like comparing the experience of driving a Porsche (real Porsche not that SUV) to that of a Toyota.
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[kochanut]

[quote riverdog]Personally I'd take 1 good stonefly hatch over a dozen green drake hatches on the Provo.[/quote]

+1
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[flygoddess]

I question any hatch this year. Things are so screwed up weather wise.
Just at Henry's and say allot of Damsel carcass, but no nymphs or dries, go figure.
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[GP]

I agree with Flygoddess. I have driven to my cabin at Island Park three times this year and havent had to clean the bugs off my windshield.
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[nymph_pimp]

bugs are gone just got home on the 10th from island park fished 2 day on the madison. fishing is good but adults are not to many places to be seen. they have had alot of rain this year and the hatch was never very substatial. For better dry fly fishing you might want to try fishing drakes and caddis on herrimans section of snake river it is pretty phenomanal THIS YEAR. Im headed back up on the 21st just because of this. besides the madison is real combat, give it a little bit and its terrestial time big hoppers just as fun as samlon flies[]
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[night_flyguy]

Thanks for the advice. I hadn't planned on fishing salmonflies, rather I'll be fishing gulpers on Quake and Cliff lakes when the kids will let me during the day and mice and caddis on the Madison at night. I may try Henry's now, based on your advice.
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[riverdog]

[quote GP] I have driven to my cabin at Island Park three times this year and havent had to clean the bugs off my windshield.[/quote]
No bugs on the drive to Island Park! That has to hurt the windshield wiper fluid industry severly [laugh].
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[flygoddess]

Try Scuds and Chironomids too.
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