Keep in mind what the Madison used to appear to be in December and January? | picture by Reimar
Should you had been on the water within the Rockies this December, you seemingly seen one thing lacking: ice. A record-slow begin to the Western snowpack started this fall, with snow water equivalents monitoring at barely 30% of common in elements of Colorado and Montana.
For the weekend warrior, this has been a surprising present. Information studies from the South Platte and the Madison describe “balmy” 50-degree days with energetic midges and even late-season Baetis hatching in late December. Reddit’s r/flyfishing is flooded with “New Yr’s Eve on the River” posts displaying anglers in hoodies slightly than parkas.
In a typical December, the fly fishing narrative shifts decisively to tailwaters, measurement 24 midges, and the numb-fingered perseverance of the die-hard nympher. Nonetheless, late 2025 delivered a climatic plot twist. An unseasonably heat climate system, stretching throughout the Northern Hemisphere, has stalled the winter freeze-up, preserving river flows steady and bug hatches energetic long gone their typical expiration date. For anglers prepared to courageous the shorter days, this anomaly has unlocked a “bonus season” of dry fly fishing that feels extra like late October than the winter solstice.
However the veteran guides are nervous. This unseasonably heat winter motion suggests a brutal low-flow summer season forward for 2026. The chatter in fly retailers from Missoula to Durango is cautious: “Benefit from the simple wading now, however pray for a Miracle March dump.”
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