Spring is here and so is the runoff. Fishing can still be very good on the Upper Madison on the right day. Indicator nymphing can be extremely effective, try a Wooly Bugger, Deep Cleaner, Pats Rubber Legs, worms, or egg patterns and follow them up with a small midge or baetis nymph like a Perdigon, Hares Ear, or your favorite jig nymph. If you aren't hitting bottom, add split shot or nymphs with larger beads. This time of year it is very important to carry a variety of split shot sizes and or flies with a range of bead sizes for different sink rates. Another fun way to catch fish on the Upper in the spring is stripping a streamer, smaller baitfish profiles can be great fish catchers as well as streamers with lots of water disturbance and displacement like a Dungeon, Bonds Dragon, or a Kill Whitey.
Dry Fly
Parachute Adams (16-20), Purple Haze (18-20), Extended Body BWO (16-22), Griffiths Gnat (18-22), Sparkle Dun (16-20), Buzzball (16-18)
Streamer
Woolly Bugger Black/Olive (6-12), Mini Loop Sculpin Olive, Natural (6), Mini Dungeons Yellow/White/Black (6), Baby Dragon Sculpin/Black/Yellow/Whitey (4), Sparkle Minnow Smoke/Sculpin/Brown (2-8) Heisenberg Black/ Olive/ White (6), Kill Whitey Black/ Olive/ White (4)
Nymph
Pats Rubberlegs Black/Coffee, Olive, Black, Orange (4-12), Rainbow Warrior (16-20), Copper John Red/ Copper(16-20), Pink/Natural Quilldigon (14-18), Lightning Bug (16-18), Lil Spanker (16-20), Machines (16-20), Juju Baetis (16-20), $3 Dips (14-18), Steel Worm (6-8), Matt’s Shagadelic Mop, Eggs