# Mad River today



## wannabflyguy (Aug 21, 2014)

Started the day off at 5 am in the deer stand. Then I headed over to pick up my uncle and I finally made it over to Mad River for my first time ever. He showed me three spots that he frequents on the mad. I think between the two of us we got about 35 Browns. Most fell to my uncles spinning rod and wax worms but a few were enticed by my attractor, griffiths gnat and zebra midge (thanks to flyman01 getting me to tie those midges). Seems like the gnat and the midge is becoming my go to flies for the local Browns. They have worked better than everything else for me at Clearfork, cold creek, clear creek, and now the mad. Pretty good day chasing game.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

mostly fresh stockers I assume, any holdovers?? Yup the Griffith Gnat is a Mad river staple... I also like a #18 BWO which can be easier to see at times


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## wannabflyguy (Aug 21, 2014)

Fresh stockers? Holdovers? I would not know how to tell the difference. If the answer is in the size of the fish I can tell you most were around 8-10 inches. I got two that were every bit of 12+. My uncle had one that got off right in front of him that he said was around 16". He also had one break his line off which he saw but did not get a good look at and was not for sure if it was a brown or not. He was using 3lb test.


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## wannabflyguy (Aug 21, 2014)

I had several different dries on me just in case I saw something rising which I never witnessed. Dead drift was catching some fish so I stuck with it all day. Ran into five other fly guys. One said he caught three. All on a Renegade attractor. The other 4 said they got skunked.


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## wannabflyguy (Aug 21, 2014)

...and yes I was sinking the gnat dead drift with a small split shot. I would like to give some respect to Gink. The gnat that I used I had put Gink on several weeks ago when dry fishing clear creek. It took forever for that thing to get water logged enough for the tiny spit shot to get it down to the fish.


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## grant778 (Nov 22, 2014)

I was at the mad in mid October. Only caught a couple all on a size 16 caddis nymph, but definitely lots of holdovers. I counted probably 5 or 6 fish over 15 inches in one run, and a few even larger. The mad has excellent holdover rates due to its heavy groundwater flows which keep the water nice and cold in the summer. The trout grow large fast there from what I've heard, and from what I've heard, fish over 20 inches are not uncommon.


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

Thanks wannabflyguy for the acknowledgment; I am glad those patterns are working well for you, they certainly are excellent fly's that represent midges in virtually any water you fish. When nothing is hatching, midge patterns are a reliable bug that will produce fish time and time again! I have had days on the water and the fish are just sipping midges off the surface and nothing seems to be working, put on a griffith's gnat which looks like a cluster of hatched midges floating on the surface and you are in the game! Certainly one of the easiest bug's to tie and a must have in any fly box. I have recently been sold on another pattern that has been producing many and good sized fish for me, the squirmy worm. I have tried San Juan Worms in the past and have not caught but a fish or two on them perhaps due to the materials they were tied with. One of the guides down south that I chat with all the time introduced me to this squirmy worm pattern, I tied a half dozen of them and I was astonished with how effective they are. I tied them weighted and just let them bounce off the river bottom, no indicator just watching the end of my fly line for strike movement. This has proven to be another go to pattern for me, it produced many fish including a big 20" rainbow on my last outing. Based on your Uncle's success on the Mad using wax worms, I can't help but think this would be a pattern that will produce well on that river too. Here is a pick of one that I tied, give it a shot.


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## Ipack (Nov 25, 2015)

Hello All,
The Mad has been slow except for the fresh stockers . Low flows and bright sun are the main reasons ...but with the colder temps the sun will somewhat become your friend ....A inch or 2 of rain wouldn't hurt much either . last fall was pretty much the same .....But as the water cool's things change ......Streamers will work on cloudy crappy rainy days ....while small nymphs will be the staple till around xmas or there abouts.....I have been catching fish every trip but not in great numbers or big sizes....my biggest this fall has been a 23'' on a cloudy misting rain morning .....got him on a wool head sculpin up under some logs ........ Caddis larva and midge larva have been my biggest producers as of late ......I hope to be out turkey day morning , wife has to work and I have another new rod to play with ......... pray for rain ...... till then go small size #18 -20 on like brassies and Phesant tails ...size 16 in a green caddis larva should as well be a good bet ..... approach areas intending to fish with caution .....the river is low and gin clear the fish are not at ease in these conditions......


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## Ohiosmallie (Apr 3, 2015)

When you fish big streamers do you ever use sink tip leaders? or do you just use straight leader material?


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## trekker (Feb 18, 2013)

Ohiosmallie said:


> When you fish big streamers do you ever use sink tip leaders? or do you just use straight leader material?


I always use a sink tip of about 10' when fishing big steamers on the Mad


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