The Madison is our "Home Stream."  We know every rock in the river and fish it from top to bottom! Quake Lake to Three Forks, MT where it joins the Gallatin and Jefferson to form the headwaters of the Missouri.  The Madison is a beautiful river with majestic high mountain scenery in every direction. This is classic Big Sky country with plenty of wide open space.  We fish the Madison predominately from a drift boat, but there are also  many opportunities to wade fish. 

Both the middle and lower sections of this Blue Ribbon river fish well for good size Rainbows and Browns. The average fish are Brown and Rainbow Trout 14-16" but many very large Rainbows and Browns, 20 inches and larger, are being caught regularly during all seasons. Go to the Hall of fame to see a few Pigs.

The Madison fishes well throughout most of the year except the extreme winter months when we'd rather being skiing or casting to Bonefish anyway.  April and May can be two of the best months of the year on the lower Madison.  The water begins to warm as the days grow longer and we start to see significant insect hatches. First there are Midges, then Baetis, then finally the much anticipated Mother's Day Caddis hatch in early May.  This is often some of the best dry fly fishing of the year. Any serious angler should consider a trip during this pre-runoff spring bonanza.

Runoff usually happens between about May 15th and July 1st. Fishing can be good through the high water periods but conditions vary year to year so be sure to check with us if you want to fish during this time.

Beginning in late June the Madison usually turns on for the summer action. Great fishing can be had at virtually any time between July and September. Action comes on a variety of patterns and tactics. Larger trout are often caught on streamer patterns.

The Big Hole is a classic western Trout stream. It has the classic structures; riffles, runs pools, and cut banks.   The big Hole is a very long river with many miles of good trout fishing. It is well suited to both wading and floating. We prefer to float.  There are many possible full day floats on the Big Hole. Drive times range from about 40 minutes to an hour and a half each way. 

Dry fly action on this river is usually very good for much of the prime season beginning in early spring with the Sqwalla and  Baetis' hatches in April. Streamers are also very effective, especially for larger fish. Several 6-8 lb. Brown Trout have been taken on streamers.  And then there's this 16 lb. beast!

 

A unique Trout stream in every way. It is very small yet hosts one of the state's largest populations of trophy (20" +) Trout. Population surveys have revealed approximately 700 Trout per mile that were 20" or better. The best section is directly below Clark Canyon Reservoir. Drive time is about an hour and a half each way from Ennis but it's usually well worth the trip.

We typically float the Beaverhead, however the best fishing is had by stopping frequently to wade fish. As I mentioned this is a small stream. The willows put a tight press on the river, targets move fast and change quickly making this a difficult stream to fish out of the boat.

The best fishing is often had using small nymphs and large streamers. There are certainly times when drys work well too, especially the PMD, Yellow Sally, and Cranefly hatches.

The prime stretch of the Beaverhead opens to fishing on the third Saturday in May, and it fishes well from then until it closes again in November.

The Ruby is a beautiful small stream. In fact, to call it a river is really a misnomer. Most Montanans would refer to it as a "crik". It is located just over the Virginia City hill from Ennis, about a 25 minute drive each way.

We fish the Ruby on foot and it is ideal for your light rods (1-4 wt.). The fish however are usually not that light. Average trout are 12-18"  Browns, but there are many in the 18-20" class also.  Light rods, fine tippets, and small flies make a large Trout quite a challenge here. Unless of course you get 'em on our favorite tactic; stripping buggers~!

There are good hatches all year beginning in early April with the midges and Baetis.  Fish will rise readily to drys on overcast days.  Small nymphs fished through the riffles and deep runs also work well. However, when it's just right treamers are the real killers on this little gem.

My vision of Heaven includes a stream just like the Ruby where only I am allowed to fish!  What more can I say.

The Yellowstone is the last truly "wild" major river in the lower 48.  It is a spectacular river from top to bottom. We fish anywhere in the large stretch from Yankee Jim Canyon to the town of Big Timber. This is the area known as Paradise Valley and if you've fished the Yellowstone there, you know why. The views of the Beartooth/Absaroka mountain range are spectacular.  It's about a 90 minute trip each way from Ennis.

The Yellowstone is a large western river and is best fished from a drift boat although there are also plenty of good wading spots. It offers good dry fly, streamer, and nymph fishing at different times of the year.  It has all the structure of a classic trout stream, but on a magnum scale. There are also many magnum fish in this big river. Streamers are usually the best way to catch the big ones. Dry fly action is good during late summer and early fall using the ubiquitous hopper patterns.

Due to its wild nature, runoff on the Yellowstone is substantial and can extend well into July or even August. For this reason the Yellowstone usually fishes best in the spring (march-may) and in the fall (Sept.-Nov.).

Named by Lewis and Clark after Thomas Jefferson, this river is what's known as a "sleeper."  Trout populations aren't that good compared to other area rivers, however fishing pressure is almost non-existent and there is something to be said for that.  When the Trout of the Jefferson do turn on though, there are more than enough to make for some good fishing. And, there have been many true lunkers (5-7lbs.) caught there over the years.

The Jeff is a large slow moving river formed by the confluence of the Ruby, Beaverhead, and Big Hole.  It is generally an early and late season river due to water temperatures and flows.  It will usually fish best on cloudy days with big junk. If you got some time to explore it's worth a day trip. If nothing else it's cool to float a stretch of river that the Lewis & Clark Expedition also floated.

Yet another named by the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Robert Smithwas Secretary of the Navy in 1805 under Thomas Jefferson. We are acting as a booking agent for a few different Smith River Outfitters.  For information on guided Smith River floats click here.