I had the pleasure of guiding Matt and Pam on the Madison River, and the mild weather, along with crystal-clear, perfect water, accented two wonderful days on the river. .. And, oh yeah … The fishing was great! Both anglers said it was some of the best fishing they ever had.

The first morning of fishing started a bit slow, with very few bugs in the air and only a handful of fish caught before lunch. But after our lunch break, we saw more and more bugs, with the occasional thick swarm of caddis filling the air, and a mix of mayflies thrown in for good measure. The bugs, like the weather, were off and on. There was a back-and-forth mix of sun and threatening rain, with fisherman putting on jackets, taking off jackets, putting on jackets, taking off jackets, etc. …But no matter; when the sun was out, and the air was warm enough for short sleeves, the fish turned on! And along with the great numbers of fish, the big fish were eating flies hard, with multiple runs into backings and high, majestic leaps out of the water. The anglers were whoopin’ and hollerin’ down the river, and grinning from ear-to-ear for pictures. What a great day!

Our second day again saw a good number of quality fish, just not as many of the photo fish. It was also a flip-flop of the previous day, with the morning fishing hot right from the start, then becoming slower but steady though the middle of the day, and a very slow bite in the afternoon.

The couple left with huge smiles and a camera full of great memories.
Thanks guys for two fun, wonderful days on the river.

The bugs that worked were the #6 Delektable Egghead Brown Stoner, #6 and
#8 Pat’s Brown Rubberlegs, #18 Delektable Lil’ Spanker in Silver, Pheasant Tail and Red, #16 Beadhead Pheasant Tail Tungsten Soft Hackle, and #18 Olive Micro Mayflies.

Tight Lines!

Marty

Opening Day on the Upper Madison….

Dan, Grandpa, and Nancy had a great opening day. It was a warm day with beautiful scenary. Tthe mountains had more snow on them and the sun was in and out. The valley is starting to show signs of green. There was a small amount of the "W" factor. Nancy started off catching more pretty large whitefish and Grandpa was getting jealous. He loves those native whitefish. We floated from Ruby to Storey Ditch because we had to be finished in time for a social outing in Virginia City in the early evening. Not too long after we started, the trout started to feed and we were all catching trout, both Rainbows and Browns and nice sizes.

The flies of choice included the Delektable™ Olive Mega Prince, Delektable Brown/Orange Stoner, and the Delektable EH Twisted Wire Brown/Amber.

For Grandpa and Dan this has been a tradition for many, many years. Grandpa will be 88 this year and still really loves to fish. The boys and I had lots of fun and smiles. Thanks for rowing Dan.

Nancy

Opening Day on the Upper Madison….

Dan, Grandpa, and Nancy had a great opening day. It was a warm day with beautiful scenary. Tthe mountains had more snow on them and the sun was in and out. The valley is starting to show signs of green. There was a small amount of the "W" factor. Nancy started off catching more pretty large whitefish and Grandpa was getting jealous. He loves those native whitefish. We floated from Ruby to Storey Ditch because we had to be finished in time for a social outing in Virginia City in the early evening. Not too long after we started, the trout started to feed and we were all catching trout, both Rainbows and Browns and nice sizes.

The flies of choice included the Delektable>™ Olive Mega Prince, Delektable Brown/Orange Stoner, and the Delektable EH Twisted Wire Brown/Amber.

For Grandpa and Dan this has been a tradition for many, many years. Grandpa will be 88 this year and still really loves to fish. The boys and I had lots of fun and smiles. Thanks for rowing Dan.

Nancy

Dan and Marty, along with four other local guides, Mike, Jim, Bill, and Shad, volunteered in the annual river float of the Ennis High School Science Club. Participants included Science teachers, Wes, a biologist, and the science students. The trip is a highlight of the club’s activities, and combines educational activities with a leisurely float trip on the Madison River.

The day began with an entomology presentation by Dan at the Beartooth Fly Shop. He explained the types and life-cycles of the various insect life in the Madison River. The lessons continued at the boat launch, as the students received another presentation by Mark about the fish of the river, including the fish shocking/counting process conducted by the state biologists and regulators. On the float, the students kept journals of the birds and other wildlife spotted while traveling down the river. This information, along with the presentations, was later compiled in written reports by the students.

An added highlight for some of the students was catching a few fish while floating down the river and spotting wildlife. It didn’t take much time to enjoy some great fishing as the fish were eating fast and furious! The young anglers quickly caught a lot of quality fish before returning to their club assignments.

Important lessons and time on the river, mixing education, the natural beauty of the river, and some fish thrown in … What a great day!

It was, as always, a fun time for everyone involved.

Dan and Marty, along with four other local guides, Mike, Jim, Bill, and Shad, volunteered in the annual river float of the Ennis High School Science Club. Participants included Science teachers, Wes, a biologist, and the science students. The trip is a highlight of the club’s activities, and combines educational activities with a leisurely float trip on the Madison River.

The day began with an entomology presentation by Dan at the Beartooth Fly Shop. He explained the types and life-cycles of the various insect life in the Madison River. The lessons continued at the boat launch, as the students received another presentation by Mark about the fish of the river, including the fish shocking/counting process conducted by the state biologists and regulators. On the float, the students kept journals of the birds and other wildlife spotted while traveling down the river. This information, along with the presentations, was later compiled in written reports by the students.

An added highlight for some of the students was catching a few fish while floating down the river and spotting wildlife. It didn’t take much time to enjoy some great fishing as the fish were eating fast and furious! The young anglers quickly caught a lot of quality fish before returning to their club assignments.

Important lessons and time on the river, mixing education, the natural beauty of the river, and some fish thrown in … What a great day!

It was, as always, a fun time for everyone involved.