Fisherman add 907.8 million to Montana Economy
Everyone knows that the driving force to Montana’s Economy is tourism. In the last 20 years the economy of this great state has shifted away from mostly agricultural/timber/mining that has dominated Montana from the time of the trappers. The big question is what exactly is the dollar amount spent by visiting anglers and hunters in our state. In the last year Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks conducted a study on just that question. What they found astounds most of us. It show...
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Tackle Shop Madison River Newsletter
Take a look at the new newsletter from The Tackle shop. It is full of useful tips, Ennis happenings and fishing forecast. Remember if you want to sign up for our monthly newsletter you can do that from the contact us on the home page. Tackle Shop Newsletter
Read MoreFly Tying
Now that I live in Ennis, MT I get to fish the Madison River as often as I please. In other words, I’m on the Maddie almost everyday.The Madison is a bug factory. There are days when these fish will eat almost anything you put in front of them. Just the other day my buddy Chad got a 18†rainbow to eat a bright orange hopper. Fish regularly eat hoppers in late summer, but its only April 27th, further proving my argument that these fish will eat almost anything. With that in min...
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April Madison River Montana Newsletter
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here Website About Guided Fishing Blog Fishing Reports Contact Shop Dear Friends, April has always been a temperamental month in regards to the weather. Some days are reaching 70 degrees while others are barely over 30 ...
Read MoreHow To Properly Set Up Your Fly Fishing Leader
Our article was picked up by the Orvis Blog! With the nice weather we've been having anglers are flocking to the Madison. The most questions I get in the shop and the biggest mistakes I see on the river are setting up a rig properly. I will go through how I like to set up my rigs whether its nymphing, throwing streamers or running dry droppers. Please go to Orvis.com to read the rest of this article: Read Article Nymph Rig: Nymphing is all about depth. When we are nymphing, that ty...
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Fishing Gear for the Madison Wind
Springtime in southwest Montana is honestly one of the best times to fish. However with the arrival of spring comes the dreaded windy days. Many anglers don’t think about the gear they’re using but still head out to the river with gale force winds. Chances are these folks give up 10 casts into their day because their equipment can’t handle the adverse conditions. Like I said, many anglers overlook their gear but still expect it to perform in rough conditions. Th...
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Fishing in The Wind
First off, Happy Easter! I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter Sunday and are now about to sit down and enjoy a nice meal. Everyone has their own ways of celebrating the resurrection of the Almighty; Mine, as you may have guessed is spending some quality time on the river. Given the winds were upwards of 20mph, it made for an interesting day on the water. Fly fishing and wind are like oil and water, they don’t mix. It scares many anglers off the water and for good reason. Any ...
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Streamer Fishing the Madison
Being a self diagnosed streamer addict, I was eager to get up to Ennis and throw big streamers for browns. Hailing from Colorado, Montana was known as the streamer fishing mecca. I’d hear stories and see pictures of prehistoric brown trout being landed with 5 inches of rabbit, schlapen and marabou hanging from his mouth. I spent all winter tying big bugs and put together a solid inventory of streamers. Upon arrival in early March, I set out on the Madison in search of trophy brow...
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10 Early Spring Patterns for Montana Fish
10 Early Spring Patterns for Montana Fish. While the calendar might say it is still winter but thanks to some El Nino fueled warm days the river and the fisherman are starting to wake up. Good fishing can be found across much of Montana during this time of year and eager local fisherman after a long winter lay over are more than happy to oblige. If you’re headed out for the first trip of the year or just a few hours on the river there are a few flies that you need in your box. San Ju...
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What Do Our Fishing Guides Do in the Winter: Julie Mattson
Julie Mattson Everyone who has come into the store knows Julie. She is the smiling person that is always eager to help with fly selection, learning a new knot and is the person that teaches a bunch of our fly fishing 101 classes. Before returning to her native home to work for the Tackle Shop she was a outfitter in Alaska for 13 years. During the summer you can find her either in the store or on the river guiding. She is a great teacher and specializes in instructional guided adventures...
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