Day 0: Good Start!

As I driving HWY 287 to Ennis and then West Yellowstone, I noticed Jefferson River was blown high! One of houses along the bank was totally surrounded by water!! I really wondered how Madison would look like.

I usually try to fish or look around Madison or somewhere in the Park on my check-in day for a couple of hours before my motel let me check in. I don't really expect catch fish but it's more like to let myself know "I'm here". But this day, 21st, I somehow fished with my great concentration as I drove.

I dropped by Lyons Bridge and saw less boats and less campers above West Fork of Madison than in last June. Madison actually didn't look bad at all. I dressed up and got my gears ready above West Fork confluence. My choice was a Rubber Leg stonefly nymph and a conehead woolly bugger (I don't have a picture) under the indicator. I call this "meaty combo". I dead-drift, swing, and then strip.

A typical Madison browny liked a black bugger!!

Gotcha!!

Rainbow liked a Rubber Leg.

I caught a couple of each brown and rainbow above West Fork. Then I fished one more hour at Pine Butte with the same rig. There was nobody but fishing was slow. Then, as always a foul-hooked whitefish came out.

It was a warm welcome for me. In spite of a screw-up about my motel, I was positive that this trip would be a good one!