7-21-2026
Heading for home at the end of this trip, there’s two ways to go. I think the Beaverhead Valley is pretty warm, and I haven’t done my evening walk up the bank of the Madison yet this summer. Since I’m going home on my own terms this time, I head for West Fork. It’s blowing, and there’s no bugs on the bankside water. Flow is up, I haven’t seen it like this in a while. The side channels are definitely in play.
The wind starts to settle down just before the sun goes down, and some clouds have blocked most of the sunlight already anyway. It’s too late for sunglasses. I take a walk up to the little Islands. It’s quiet.
As I start back down toward the truck and the light starts to really dim, I start seeing rises. Well, I can barely see them, but they’re there. I tie on a 16 CDC caddis and start probing the slower water, if you can call it slow.
As it gets too dark to see my fly with any regularity, fish start to eat it nearly every cast. I know where it is, and lift on the rise or splash in that area. Since there’s not much for bugs on the water, it’s mine nearly every time. This goes on for nearly a half hour. I land a bunch and lose a nice one at the net, and go until dark. I haven’t fished this late all season.
Morning dawns with clouds and no wind. The hatches have pretty much petered out for the summer here, and the morning is quiet. The bump in flow and lack of bugs doesn’t fuel my confidence.
Update: That Whitlock knotless fly line to leader connection is the bomb. When fishing, I haven’t even been able to tell where my fly line ends and my leader starts. It has passed with flying colors on the creeks with the three weight up to a couple of fish on a streamer with the 6-weight. All those hot Missouri fish. No more nail knots or loop to loops for me. For now anyway.
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