It’s been a while since I’ve posted some of Louis Cahill’s photos from our trip out west this summer.  The fact is he’s been a very busy man.  I guess it’s better late, than never.  Enjoy the photos.  We had a pretty good day on the Madison River fishing with my good friend Bob Meade.  We didn’t get the numbers but we got the size that day.

When we pulled up to the boat ramp it was no surprise to see a line of drift boats well over a dozen long.  Let’s face it, we were fishing one of the most famous rivers in Montana, and we weren’t going to find ourselves alone, with the river to ourselves.  Guides were measuring up their clients and rigging rods, and I was really stoked because for once, I was going to be the one fishing not guiding.

Bob dropped the boat in and we quickly headed down stream to get ahead of the crowds.  That day it was windy as hell.  I’m talking 30-35mph winds, with gusts above that.  Fishing a streamer with gamakatsu hooks was going to be a little dangerous :).  Today Louis was the victor on the river.  He landed almost every fish, despite both Bob and I fishing quite a bit taking turns on the oars.  Some days it plays out that way, with one angler seeming to keep the hot stick in his or her hands the entire day.  I was really happy for Louis though, for he has had some tough fishing days on the Madison in the past, and today he had turned the table in his favor.

The hot fly that day was a golden stonefly nymph, however, we weren’t nymphing them traditionally with a strike indicator and split-shot.  Instead we tied them off the back of a streamer and stripped the rig back to the boat for the most part.  Occasionally we’d dead drift them to get the flies down in the deeper sections and swing the flies at the end of our drifts.  For some reason a flashy streamer with a big stonefly dropper was the ticket that day.

Above is a nice brown trout landed on the streamer/stonefly rig.  This brown trout took the stonefly from its trout lie alongside a boulder adjacent to a deep run.  It put up one heck of a fight in the fast water.

I have to say it was a blast rowing down the Madison River.  The boulder strewin river demands your attention at all times.  The last time I rowed the river was way back in 2001.  If you haven’t fished the Madison River you need to check it out.

Click on Louis Cahill Photos for Larger View

Hope you all enjoyed.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Keep it Reel