Embrace the Girdle Bug
Embrace the Girdle bug You might know this fly by a bunch of different names such as Pats, Pedro, turd, rubber leg but for the next month or so if you are fishing the Madison River you need to embrace the girdle bug. The first rubber leg stone fly nymphs in this genre were tied with the rubber from a women’s’ girdle hence the name. From the first time rubber legs were added on a stone fly nymph the world changed and this style has been the go to. It is now tied in the rainbow o...
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If you read only one article about the Salmon Fly Hatch on the Madison River Read this one.
Everyone is going salmon fly crazy even though we are still a few weeks away from the main Hatch on the Madison River. Yes there have been reports of toilet bowl rises and spot hatches of bugs on the Big Hole but the real wave is still some time off for us Madisonites. We have been getting calls daily from booked guests wondering if their dates are still good, what the "epic high water" they have been hearing about will do and when we will start to see bugs. Lets break this down one by o...
Read MoreMuddy Water Madness
June has arrived and with it, the high muddy water that fly-fisherman dread. This is typically a time where anglers put their rods away and turn to the vice to restock fly boxes for the coming months. Muddy water tends to scare the average fly-fisherman into thinking "If I can't see the bottom I can't fish!". WRONG! Just because the water is murky doesn't mean the fish have stopped feeding. High muddy water can be an excellent chance for the ambitious angler to avoid the crowds while stickin...
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June Madison River Montana Newsletter
Dear Friends, June has arrived and we are full steam ahead. Town is getting that summer Buzz that we love, the weather is improving by the day, and shorts and sandals are now the norm. We love summer and it shows. Our seasonal staff has arrived and they are ready to help you in the store. Next time your in town stop by and say Hi to James and Austin. Take a look at their bio's below. Our guides are chomping at the bit to be pulling oars each day and the river, while...
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The Tackle Shop has again Kicked Plastic on our Guided Trips
Our Montana Fly Fishing Guides Kick Plastic We will again be Kicking Plastic on all of our guided trips this year. Each guest will receive a reusable aluminum water bottle to keep after their trip. The guide will have bulk water in other reusable water bottles to refill during the trip. This is just a good business decision. Reusable plastic bottles are filling our landfills and floating like islands in our oceans. Last year for this program we eliminated 2800 plastic water bottles just from ...
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The Abdication of a Montana Shuttle Queen
The Abdication of a Montana Shuttle Queen ab•di•cate -cat•ed, -cat•ing 1. to give up or renounce (authority, duties, a high office, etc.), esp. in a voluntary, public, or formal manner 2. to renounce or relinquish a throne, office, right, power, claim, or responsibility, esp. in a formal manner. ab`di•ca′tion, n. Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights re...
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High Water on the Madison
Things are big out there and right on the edge of being dangerous. Those who love to float rivers should take heed that the Madison River is running really high and it is extremely dangerous to float. Its a true bummer that the scheduled flush of the Madison occurs during the first big weekend of summer. Both fisherman, recreational boaters and fly shop owners are hurting the lack of good floating opportunities. The ones that are out there require some skill. Each year about ...
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May Madison River Fly Fishing Newsletter
Website About Guided Fishing Blog Fishing Reports Contact Shop Dear Friends, Stop what your doing for a moment and think of green carpet of the valleys, the slow retreat in the mountain snow line and the beautiful Madison River flowing in the valley. With the this last winter's snow and recent rains the Valley floors have turned into almost neon g...
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Fishing High Water Might Just Change Your Life
This is an interesting year for fly fishing. Most of the golden triangle of hallowed rivers in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming has seen tremendous snow pack. This translates to epic high water during the runoff period. Unfortunately the runoff has come late and some of the high water will interfere with historically good fishing weeks across the west. While you week long trip to the promise land might not be what you expect there are options to get into fish during this time. It might make you jus...
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Show Me Your Whitefish Photo Contest
We love Whitefish and feel they are the most underrated fish in the Madison River and Montana in general. So, to show the love for the whitefish we are having a whitefish only photo contest this season. Send us your best whitefish photos to be entered and the best will win great prizes. All whitefish must be handled ethically and returned to the water unharmed. Keep them wet is the name of the game. Whitefish can come from any water body that it is legal to catch them. Categor...
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