Madison River
Fish are Friends, Not Fodder
Keeping catch and release fishing as ethical as possible! By Guide: James “Jimbob” Terry “Game fish are too valuable to be caught only once” -Lee Wulff Wether we like it or not, fly fishing can be a blood sport. As gentle as we may try to be when handling our fishy friends, occasionally one just doesn’t survive the catch and release process. It happens to the best of us, and I think (hope) that Saint Peter will still let us into heaven despite it… That said, it...
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Gear Up and Get Outdoors: What to Pack for Your Ennis Fly Fishing Adventure
Are you ready to immerse yourself in the unparalleled beauty and serenity of Ennis, Montana, while experiencing world-class fly fishing on the iconic Madison River ? As you prepare for your guided fly fishing excursion with The Tackle Shop, ensuring you have the right gear is essential for a successful and enjoyable day on the water. In this comprehensive packing guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to pack for your Ennis fly fishing adventure. Clothing Essentials: Layere...
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Check Your FLY Line While There’s Still Time
Check Your FLY Line While There’s Still Time By Guide James “Jimbob” Terry Here at The Tackle Shop, we like our dry flies. A quick scan of our fly bins will show you where our hearts are. Luckily here In Southwest Montana, we have seemingly endless dry fly-fishing opportunities and hatches with the options getting vaster as we steam into summer. We’ve already had some great sessions down on the lower river fishing the Mother’s Day Caddis hatch, with a variety of mayflies and baetis...
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Montana Spring Snowpack Summary
Spring Snowpack Summary By: James “Jimbob” Terry As we roll into May (which is my birthday month for those wondering) snowpack across the state is looking less than ideal, but not dismal! The Upper Madison is looking good enough, and I think our nearby rivers are too. Keep in mind while reading these percentages are taken from a 10-year average. On March 1st, we were sitting at 73% of our ten-year average here in the Madison River drainage and some of our neighboring watersheds ...
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Mastering the Art of Matching the Hatch: Mother’s Day Caddis Edition
The Mothers Day Caddis Might Just be the Madison Best Hatch As the days grow longer and the temperatures begin to rise, fly fishermen eagerly anticipate the arrival of spring and the emergence of one of nature's most captivating events: the Mother's Day Caddis hatch on the Madison River. For anglers seeking to capitalize on this seasonal bounty, mastering the art of matching the hatch is paramount. In this guide, we'll delve into the significance of matching the hatch during the Mother's ...
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Beyond the Fly: Wildlife Encounters Along the Madison River
The Madison is More than Just a Fly Fishing River Embarking on a fly fishing adventure along the Madison River isn't just about hooking trout—it's also an opportunity to immerse yourself in the wildlife that calls SouthWest Montana home. From majestic bald eagles soaring overhead to playful otters frolicking in the shallows, the Madison River offers wildlife encounters waiting to be discovered. Spend a day with one of our guides and explore the wildlife that...
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New Fishing Regulations on the Madison River
New Fishing Regulations on the Madison River Among a list of revisions to the Montana Fishing Regulations starting in the 2024/2025 season is a new set of rules on the upper Madison River, specifically from Varney Bridge to Ennis Lake. These rules specially pertain to hooks. Anglers are now required to fish barbless, single pointed hooks. This was changed last fall by the Fish and Game Commission and went into effect the first of the year. The rational is that single point hooks bar...
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Spring in Ennis
Is This Spring? Well the calendar says spring and it is officially the end of April so we should be in spring but really it is 3rd winter. We have seen a winter for the ages. There was snow in my back yard that melted this week that fell October 22. Unheard of for Ennis. With all this cold and snow this winter what is the outlook for spring and beyond on the Madison River? We are seeing some good fishing right now as the river wakes up. Snow banks some as deep as 6 ft...
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A Few Things to Look Forward to for the 2023 Fly Fishing Season
A Few Things To Look Forward To by Jim Bob Terry As I’m sitting here in The Tackle Shop on April 15h I’m also daydreaming of and looking forward to some great dry fly fishing soon to come. While we’re still a ways out from throwing big Salmonfly patterns or drifting hoppers against the bank, we’re very near some of my favorite early season hatches. Blue Winged Olives After a long winter of squinting at midge dries, Blue Winged Olives are a welcome sight. Abbreviated...
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Fishing Report for the Madison River 4-7
Nice Spring Weather on the Way for the Madison Spring is finally on the way here in the Madison Valley. Today it is over 50 and a string of nice days is in the forecast. This means only one thing. Good spring fishing is on the horizon. Get it now while we have some spring. Who knows what next week will bring. We are currently sitting at 127% of average snow pack so we should have good water all summer along with the lakes should be completely full. Right now they are running the river at ...
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