Old Kirby Place 1810cfs
Varney Bridge 2870 cfs
Lower Madison 3540 cfs
A couple of big things happened in the last 48 hours. The first big thing is that the beginning of our run off or spring melt has started and we will now be watching gauges and creeks to keep an eye on changing conditions. The second big thing to happen in the past 48 hours is the Governor Bullock state in a press conference that quarantine restriction for people traveling to the state of Montana will be lifted on June 1.
Touching on the second part of the big news first, this is good for many Montana families that are dependent on the tourism industry to make a living. I think a fairly large collective sigh of relief happened yesterday. It is still likely to be a down year overall but maybe now the tourism industry doesn’t starve to death. The quarantine requirement will be lifted on June 1st. Along with this it sounds like the west entrance to Yellowstone National park will also open. Currently it is only open on the Wyoming side.
As this is still evolving we are going to continue to be flexible as we do not know exactly what variables will still effect travel to the state. Things like lowered flight options, restrictions in a travelers home state, general fear of flying are all likely to have an effect on the overall travel to Montana over the coming months and if this impacts a planned trip to fish here on the Madison I want to make sure that you are still taken care of. I will still be asked that anyone that is sick to avoid going for that day or days. There will still be lots of hand sanitizer (bring your own too), boat cleaning, wiping down of vehicle surfaces and in general best practices to keep myself and my anglers as safe as possible.
Moving back to the first part of big things that has happened in the last 48 hours, runoff is finally here. The Madison River really spiked up the last the couple days and has mae for some very muddy conditions through town. The fires up on top of the Gravelly Range a couple years ago have contributed to more mud coming out of both Ruby Creek and Wigwam Creek during the melt. This is new as over the past 20 years these have not typically been a major source of silt and dirt for us. This has added to a faster muddy condition on the lower portion of the river near Ennis. Having gone all the way to top floor yesterday afternoon there is a distinct mud line from the West Fork of Madison. above that all the way to Quake lake for now has great color and clarity. Cool wether and night will generally help with the clarity and the flows to some extent. But its here and we will be making adjustments and conditions change.
As of now it looks great above the West Fork. Now is a great time to start thinking about lake fishing if you have the chance or are in town. Hebgen Lake is fun place to be over the coming months and can offer a welcome change to fishing big muddy water.
On a side note I was invited to participate in new Podcast series being presented by the good folks at Eastmans and hosted by Brian Barney called Eastmans on the Fly and can found where you normally find your podcasts. I think its about two weeks out or so. He also hosts a great hunting podcast Eastmans Elevated. It was a fun, very casual and I am sure that I rambled on a bit. Thank you again for having me.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Thanks for tuning in and as always…
Keep you tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 1400cfs
Varney Bridge 1600 cfs
Lower Madison 2310cfs
So we got a little more information on guiding and outfitting as restrictions begin to loosen and some of begin to go back to work. As of now the 14 day quarantine stands for both non resident and resident travelers entering the state of Montana and reads as follows.
Self-Quarantine for Persons Arriving in Montana:
This will obviously limit the number of people coming to Montana and our potential to guide because of it. So far this seems to be based own the honor system as I don’t know that anyone is enforcing this. This part of the Directive is to last until the “End of the Emergency” so it is not clear when this will or should be lifted.
On to some of the new guidance for guides. The original wording for opening guiding and outfitting back up was very vague and just said to follow guidelines. That is why I would say that I had some of the open ended ideas about how to do what we do safely and I appreciate peoples fed back and comments on that. Although I could not find the specific new wording in the directives for reopening it was discussed with the Governors office and should be posted or added soon. The new wording is copied and pasted below.
“PHASE ONE AND TWO: GUIDING AND OUTFITTING
Operations that require close personal contact for an extended period result in exposing guides and customers to greater levels of risk. These situations require additional safety and health precautions.
So it sounds like the responsibility of confirming if a person has completed quarantine is on the outfitter? Did I just read that wrong or mis interpret that. Our organizing bodies have suggested that we have folks sign an affidavit that they attest to having completed quarantine and that at least puts some responsibility on the persons traveling to Montana. Obviously this all still comes down to both the outfitter(us) and the clients(you) making good judgment calls regarding work and trying to get out to go fishing. So it still comes down to individual risk tolerance and the outfitters ability to asses if someone is telling the truth. Maybe we didn’t get clearer guidance after all. Seems as though we are all going to filling out more legal paperwork this summer.
Although this definition does clarify the two anglers in a boat question. Seems as though if two anglers quarantined together or separately, even though not technically from the same household for the practical purpose of quarantine they are. That makes some sense to me. It was also the path we where going down with the same thought experiment shortly after we got clearance to guide.
It still seems to boil down to whether or not the Outfitter believes the customers declaration of self quarantine during this period and feels safe about taking that person or persons fishing.
Runoff? Maybe. Just a little taste of it over the weekend. With a warm week finishing with some rain we began to see some of the first push of low level snow melt move into the rivers over the weekend. A little bump in volume and a bit of turbidity in the water. Still 3 to 3 1/2 feet of visibility in Ennis on the Madison River. That is still enough vis to have fish rise for dries when the hatches are going. If you’ve been around me for any time you’ve probably heard this but I’m going say it again. Up to a point its mostly rising water volume and flow that hampers fishing more than the actual color or tint of the water. when it gets to chocolate milk color and sounds like sand paper being drug across the bottom of the boat that point is mute. Until then watch the flow charts at USGS to see flows. Until it is too warm to stop we will see very good windows for fishing conditions during the early stages of runoff. Cool weather will be followed by a drop in flow and some clearing. If you can see your feet in ankle to calf deep water there is plenty of vis for trout to eat.
River Report: Green, falling water conditions, look for rising water following several days of warm weather and the reverse for cool weather. Starting to see lots more bugs including the Mothers Day caddis hatch. Matt over at Trouts N’ At Outfitters and I took an exploratory float and saw more March Browns than in previous days, Blue Winged Olives and more Caddis. Of course we fished dries, and it wasn’t pretty. I think I got one. Thats not to say that the fishing sucks. It is just that if you are going do something very particular just know that it might work as well. Same goes for all fishing. Starting to see some flashing in riffles which means fish are moving into feed on the new insect activity. This is all good news for the fly fishing angler. Bugs of choice, Purple Haze 10-16, CDC Princes12-16, soft hackled PTs, skwalla stone dries 8-12, small rubber legged stone nymphs 8-12, zebra midges 14-18, caddis pupa( I still like LaFontaine’s), Peacock caddis dry for Mothers day.
It looks Madison River Fishing Co doors are open so you can head in for a license if need one and some current bug choices. Many small shops have gone without customers for some time lately so don’t forget to swing in and get some bugs, a hat, hell maybe even a new rod to help support the small shops all over Montana that we all love.
Stay Frosty and as always…Keep your tip up!
Thanks for tuning in.
Brian Rosenebrg
As of late March all guided fishing in the state of Montana was shut down until April 10th, then extended until April 24th. At this time the Governors office has started a plan to begin the reopening process. For more information check here. If you have any questions please contact me.
Under this plan, Outfitters and Guides are allowed to resume guiding services. While resuming services we will still have to follow current guidelines on physical distancing and sanitation of equipment and vehicles. This will result in a few changes that differ from the traditional way we have done things. Some of the changes will be temporary while others will be with us for the long haul. Some of the foreseeable temporary changes are having clients drive themselves to put ins and having their vehicles shuttled along with the guide rig. This maintains distancing guidelines. We will limit float fishing trips and guided lake fishing trips to a single angler to also comply with distancing guidelines. Wade fishing trips can still have two or three anglers but separate vehicle travel will still be required. At this time we are also halting or getting rid of the Extra Person policy. During this time we will not be able to take extra persons on guided fishing trips. Rigorous cleaning and sanitizing the boat, vehicle and equipment will happen after each trip. For more details click here.
I will remain flexible on cancellation policy during this time as well.
Many of the changes are temporary and result in lowered operating cost for me and some extra expenses for the customer. This has me thinking about cutting those costs off the top of the trip for anyone booking trips in the near term for the summer. The Spring Fishing rate of $400 is still good until the end of May. I am also thinking about offering a special to any Madison County residents that would like to go fishing. If you have thoughts on this I would love to hear them.
Keep in mind that there is still a mandatory 14 day quarantine for both residents and non-residents traveling to the state of Montana.
It is on all of us to make good judgment calls over the coming weeks. If you’re coming to the state, quarantine for the 14 days. Don’t short cut it. Don’t ask guides to take you even though quarantine isn’t finished. Help keep us safe. If you’re a fishing guide don’t say yes because you need the money. Say yes because all the requirements have been met. Don’t take people that do not abide by our emergency directives. Phase One is not a free for all for guiding again. As we will be some of the likely vectors for future transmission of the virus throughout our communities it is our responsibility to hold ourselves to high standards of cleanliness and good judgment with regard to health guidelines. We owe it to ourselves and the people around us.
Let me know if you have questions or comments.
I know my wordpress blog has some crappy adds. I will be transitioning away from it for an internal website blog over the coming weeks. Thanks for your patience.
Keep your tip up and remember that the world is a dangerous place.
Stay Frosty.
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 1130 cfs
Varney Bridge 1270 cfs
Lower Madison River 1470 cfs
I have found it difficult to write river reports during these times. For one; I am not fishing nearly as much was I would like. Two; with no work and cancellations into June it is hard to justify the expenditure for research on the rivers and lakes when we do not know when we will be able to take trips again. Third; it seems a little silly to write about the current fishing at at time when things still seem very uncertain. Unfortunately this isn’t a paid vacation for many of us and surviving and staying operational through the 2020 summer and into the 2021 season is a top priority. That may mean that I don’t get to do as much research (read fishing) as I would like but after 20 years of trying to learn the Madison River I still have a handle on what she’s up to currently.
On that note I did get a chance to float (by myself) on Sunday afternoon 4/19. It looked like a good day to possibly find some Blue Winged Olives hatching, maybe a March Brown or two and try and find some Skwalla Stoneflies. Two of the three happened. I saw BWOs and Skwallas but no March Browns. This time of year I try and cherry pick the days that from a weather standpoint actually look terrible. Overcast, rainy, low pressure days that follow a warm spell can be some of the best for the early spring hatches of Blue Wings and March Browns. Throw in some Skwalla stones and we have the makings for the beginning of our dryfly season here on the Madison River. It is not the end of nymph fishing for the season but it does give us the option of fishing it under dries now instead of indicators. As a die hard dry fly angler I wait all fall and winter for this time of year to come around. It is finally here and the bugs are showing up on time as well.
I fished a mini chubby pattern and small para wulff most of the day and was able to raise a fair number of fish to the dry. Some on blind casts to likely water and some to rising fish working midges and the occasional Blue Wing floating down the river. I found that it wasn’t too difficult to find risers and fish willing feed on the surface. Although fish where mainly feeding on Midges and little mayflies the small stonefly was the best at getting larger fish to rise. Look for some early caddis with the warm spell and as we get closer to the first week of May.
Montana snow pack for the area is still very good at around 100 percent of normal and little lower than normal precipitation for the year. With warming days and some rain in the late week forecast its about that time when we can start to see the very first influences of the spring melt. Moores Creek across from the house has already started to color a little bit. As low snow melts it will bring a little color to river. I’m not talking full blown run off, just the same thing we always see over the coming weeks around this time of year, just the beginning. I for one like a little color as it means I can fish stonefly dries to 2x tippet or 1x and we like that. If I have learned anything about runoff and the spring melt it is to go with the flow and the fluctuations and in July we will know how it happened. Until then we are along for the ride. Like years past we will see some great fishing up too, through the melt. It is just a matter of where to look for it.
Talking operations and closures. We are still closed to outfitting until at the minimum April 24th. Thats the expiration of the Governors “Stay at Home” orders. Madison County has us closed until the end of the Month and so in theory we can begin limited operations on May 1st. This could change and as of now we don’t know if we will be included in the easing back to work. There is obviously some concern about a wave of out of state visitors flocking to the area as things ease. I don’t believe we will see a tidal wave of visitors the day things open. Both FOAM and MOGA have been putting together great information on how we can safely take those anglers whom are already here and have finished or completed their quarantine as well as guidance on how to safely assess and take customers fishing as they arrive over the next several months. Most of all of these recommendations will likely become standard practice over the coming months. Anyone concerned about the risk of fishing with an outfitter as restrictions ease is encouraged to contact us to get more details about what we are doing to ensure your safety, ours and the safety of the community at large as we begin to restart.
Thank you for tuning in and until next time…
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 1030cfs
Varney Bridge 1150cfs
Lower Madison 1280cfs
This is not an April Fools joke. Seriously, it seems as though it should be but it is not unfortunately.
Montana was recently issued Stay at Home (click link for more info) orders until April 10th and this means Guiding and Outfitting have become non essential business. So we are officially shut down until April 10th. This doesn’t change much in the near term as everything through April has cancelled anyhow. My gut tells me that we will see similar guidance to what the Fed is doing and will likely be shut down through the end of April. That is just a guess and I will revisit this around April 10th when we know more. Are we allowed to fish? Yes. Are we allowed to guide? No. Outdoor activities are not closed or off limits to people but the outfitting industry is deemed non essential and is closed for now because of this.
The Governors office has also directed travelers coming from other states to self quarantine (Self Quarantine Directive) for 14 days. This is no surprise as many people view Montana as a safe place to be right now and so we will continue to see an influx from areas that are more affected by COVID-19. It seems many are already practicing this and some well before any directive was given. People looking out for other people. What an interesting concept. I want to take this time to thank our non-resident and out of state visitors as many of you are why we are here in the first place. Why we get to do what we do. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
During this time of uncertainty I am being very flexible with deposits, cancellations, refunds and rebooking. Cancellation policy has pretty much gone out the window for now. I will refund any of those that wish it up till the days before the trip over the coming months. Anyone that can rebook for a later date is encouraged to do so. I am also acutely aware that how this impacts individuals across the nation will vary dramatically. Some folks will need to make last minute changes for various reasons over the next 4-6 months and I understand this completely. Being fluid, flexible and understanding in times like these is all we can do.
What does all this mean? More uncertainty, that is for certain.
What I do know for certain is that the Montana Outfitting industry is being proactive and has been sharing strategies to help us and our clients stay safe when we get to resume life as normal-ish. Some may prove difficult, some not needed and others critical to the new normal for guiding fishing as we move forward. We will continue to make adjustments to help keep our clients, our community and ourselves safe.
Thanks to MOGA, FOAM and the fly shops in Ennis for helping get good information out to those of us that need it.
Please do not hesitate to call or email with any questions.
Be well, be safe and as always Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 1030 cfs
Varney Bridge 1140 cfs
Lower Madison 1460 cfs
A lot has happened around the country and around the world since the last time I checked in. Obviously the COVID-19 virus has dictated much of our lives over the past couple of weeks. There are still things that are proceeding normally. That is always a welcome feeling in times of uncertainty.
A few things that have not changed recently include Springs march toward summer. We are still tying flies to fill boxes for the summer. Trout will still eat stoneflies and small nymphs this time of year. Gardens are getting planted and seeds are getting started. Montana gardens are waking up and we will see our first flowers in Montana gardens soon. Some already have a new splash of color from spring flowers and honestly I’m a little jealous of that. My tulips are still a couple weeks away from having flowers. Montana snow pack hasn’t changed much and thats a good thing for trout, farmers and anglers. For folks like myself this hunkering down thing we are doing is fairly routine and by no means a disruption to my daily life. I wish I could say that was true for many others. Unfortunately it is not.
I do not want to list all the things that have changed. I started to do that and began to get a bit depressed so I deleted all of it. Many of you are acutely aware of how much changed and do not need me as reminder. One more reason for this is that we are still in the beginning of this problem in the US and I do not know how much more will change. Likely a lot.
As for the fishing? Honestly, Its has been fairly busy out there. With the many out of school and out of work people right now fishing seems to be the thing to do. It looks a lot like late June on most weekends around the Madison River. Except it is the end of March. Much of the normal fare still works but it will not be surprising if fish wise up to certain things now that fishing pressure has increased significantly. Stonefly nymphs, midges, eggs, worms, and various streamers (some things don’t change) will still be the way to go until we start getting more consistent hatches a little later in the spring. Looking forward to seeing some BWOs, March Browns and Skwallas by mid to late April.
Much like everyone else around here in the guide and outfitter community I have lost all of my late March and April bookings and some into May. This comes as a hit but with broader perspective is not the time that makes or breaks many of us. Is it painful? Yes. Is it the end of the world? No. Our counterparts in the Florida Keys right now have lost the equivalent to our mid June through July. Let that soak in for a minute. Thats 40 to 65 days for many of them. Gone. I am not about to freak out about a dozen or so lost days at this point. I am also starting to see older clients cancel summer trips to err on the side of caution and I can’t blame them as COVID-19 is proving far more lethal for older Humans.
For personal reasons I have to be hyper cautious and so have been following the full quarantine guidance. With people eager to fish I want to thank all those for being patient and waiting a couple weeks to start fishing again. Some of these are summer folks and some are residents but all of them are important to our local economies.
I’m going touch on that last bit some. I am starting to see some “locals” post and otherwise say nasty things about non resident people showing up to stay in their homes and otherwise get away for a bit. Let us not forget that these are the same people that put food on many of our tables. Even you don’t deal with them directly by taking them fishing, serving them food, doing repairs or maintenance on homes that money still flows from my pocket to yours in a small community. Many people understand but ignorance abounds in times like these. Many of these people are our friends and our extended family and as such they should be treated like it. Does that mean we shouldn’t ask people traveling to self quarantine especially if coming from a high risk area? Absolutely not. Honesty and straight talk are needed. I would ask the same of my direct and immediate family at this point. It is what is best for the elderly of this community.
As I do start to take trips again in the future we will be doing our best to minimize transmission of COVID-19 through a wide variety of steps informed by current CDC guidelines. Many of these steps include ways to keep things sanitary and minimize our direct contact with clients. Both outfitting organizations MOGA and FOAM have had good thoughtful ideas on accomplishing this for future trips. It is also good to see this and more good ideas coming from the local fly shops like Madison River Fishing Co. as they have influence over many of our younger guides in the community and many of our non resident local anglers that are starting to show up. Thanks to everyone for being proactive. In addition I want to thank everyone for thinking critically about this and sharing ideas.
I am going to refrain from diving more deeply into rant mode. I can do it, as there is lots to be said. But I will hold my tongue as this is not the place for it. For now.
Don’t forget to thank a store clerk, healthcare workers, truck drivers, farmers and ranchers over the coming weeks. These folks are helping keep food on shelves and on our tables and will fight to keep many Americans alive over the coming months.
Thank you and as always, keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Ranch 959cfs
Varney Bridge 1120cfs
Lower Madison River 1460cfs
March 2d in the Madison Valley and it is really starting to feel a lot like spring. Markedly different than this time last year. At this time last year myself and others where scrambling to dig drift boats out of 3 plus feet of snow and find places to launch for those early season trips that come in. This year? My yard is clear of snow, the river gorge didn’t reach Valley Garden access and aside from a drift here or there we will be able to launch with no troubles fo upcoming early season float trips. All this with a good snow pack hovering around 100 percent of the long term average with some wet months to come.
Is winter over, not technically, but the inevitable march towards spring will win out over the last of winter. Increasing day length just cannot be defeated. Day length increasing is a key factor as to why we also don’t see the river gorge in March. These are all good signs for anglers. Be ready for a winter blast but enjoy these warmer 50 degree plus days we are going to see.
March 1st is the beginning of our 2020 license season, be sure to grab your new fishing license before you head out to fish. Licenses can be obtained on line at Montana FWP website or at local fly shops.
I keep my winter fishing box fairly simple. It consists mostly of larger stoneflies, midges, eggs and worms. Of these stonefly nymphs are still my go to unless there is a good midge hatch happening. I fish #4 and #6 black rubber legs more than anything else. Midge droppers in black, amber and or olive can make good droppers. I don’t usually fish midges in sizes smaller than #18 on the Madison but they will eat the smaller sizes if you like that kinda thing. With some warming water temps an angler might see a few more fish willing to chase streamers if you’re into that kinda thing. Olive and white is a go to color but in the streamer game changing colors can be a good thing. Eggs will be more important as we move closer to spring.
I will be making some shake out floats over the next week to prep for upcoming spring trips and will keep you updated on conditions and boat ramps. Also Varney Bridge is still closed to traffic. Anglers should still use the Highway 287 side to access Varney FAS. I will let you know as soon a construction is complete and we can cross the bridge again.
Thank you and Keep your Tip Up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 982cfs
Varney Bridge 1020cfs
Lower Madison 1480cfs
We are about a third of the way through winter here in southwest Montana. It’s been fairly mild so far. Flies are getting tied and fly boxes are beginning to fill back up in preparation for the 2020 season around Ennis, Montana. We have even had a good number of days worth getting out and doing a little fishing on the Madison in between those days spent ice fishing local lakes.
For better or worse this is starting to look a bit like last year. What happened last year? Well for many around Ennis it seemed like winter would never end and because it was so nice and mild many people lost their minds when we got 3 plus feet of snow and 3-4 weeks or sub zero temperatures staring in mid February. You can tell how many people are loosing their minds based on the frequency of “I’m tired of winter” posts showing up in the social media feeds. I like to remind those people that they choose to live in Montana and it’s still winter. They can bitch about winter lasting too long in April and May and not the last week of February or first week of March. Actually, they can bitch about it although I will be sure to make fun of them for it. But we will wait and see if that happens again this year. Like I always say, we will know how the winter was at the end of March.
We still have almost two months of winter left and the snow pack is close to 100 percent of average with some of the snowiest months to come. That’s always a good sign going into late winter. It’s comforting knowing more snow will add to the snow pack and give the trout more water rather than just get us back to even.
A couple good things to note. Montana Fish Man is teaming up with long time friend and colleague Matt Carey at Trouts N’ At Outfitting to offer guided float trips on the Big Hole River during the spring season. This is a favorite time for us over there as we start to see some of the best early season dry fly fishing. Good Skwalla stonefly hatches, baetis and March browns all being in the menu in the spring months. This often starts before the Madison’s dryfly Fishing gets rolling. This is also a great way to break up a couple of days of fishing the Madison River with something a little different. Also the good folks at Burnt Tree Brewing have been hosting and open fly tying session on Sunday afternoons starting around 4pm and going to 6 or 7. It’s been lots of fun and there are a good variety of flies being tied. If your a beginner and want some help, bring a vise and come tie some flies with us. It’s informal, fun and with the variety of tiers there is definitely someone who can help with any fly tying related questions you might have. Did I mention they have great beer and have also been making great pizza to go along with the great. On a side note I will be giving away all the flies I tie each Sunday at the Brewery and you can check that out and enter to win them at Montana Fish Man Instagram account. Hope to see you down there.
Thanks for checking in
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 1030 cfs
Varney Bridge “ice” likely around 1050-1100 cfs
Lower Madison 1260 cfs
As we tick away at the last hours of 2019 I can not help but look back on the year and be thankful for another year spent on the river with old friends, family, old customers, new friends and new customers.
2019 was the year of the Hopper (although last year was pretty good for hoppers too) and it has been about a decade since I have seen that many grasshoppers in the Madison Valley. What will 2020 be? Like many years it will be the year of the dry fly for me. Oh wait, that’s every year. Maybe it will be the year of the salmon fly or the year of the ant. No one really knows for sure. One thing I do know for sure is that I will look forward to it with anticipation and excitement.
I have a long list of thanks to give and I know I will forget someone if I make a list of people to thank. I think it becomes a little like a drawn out Oscar speech and no one really wants that. I have been rattling them off in my head and I think I’m close to a hundred “thank you” and counting. I owe all my success to those around me and this includes family, friends, colleagues, mentors, fly shop owners and customers. There, that’s an encompassing list with out being drawn out.
Some highlights for me include a fun trip to chase pike and bass around Fort Peck with a good friend and likely unbeknown to him a mentor. A fun filled trip with my brother to chase bass in North West Montana. Just awesome to see him get to fish hard for a whole week. He’s an animal when it comes to fishing even though he doesn’t get to do it as much as he’d like. He’s working hard to take care of his family and It was a privilege to get some of his valuable time. My earliest guided float trip ever on January 13 or something like that. An awesome boat launch with friend and colleague Mike Lum (I will release the video some day). I had some very memorable beginners, one of my favorite types of anglers to have in the boat. I love seeing things come together for them. A day with Joan the wife the John Seaman the man solely responsible for getting me to Montana in the first place 21 years ago. Time spent with returning customers chasing slamonflies around the Madison River. The return of a customer that has not been able to come out the last couple years. The opportunity to take a good friend and his law school buddy fishing during the one of the best hopper years in a decade. Congratulations on you both passing you Bar Exams. My biggest trout of the year on the Madison was a 23 1/2 inch rainbow trout (that same day another angler from the same group caught a 25 inch brown). Thats crazy right? Thats the Madison for you. Just when you think you have the big fish locked up for the day.
Looking forward to the 2020 season and the ability recreate, revisit and make new memories with old friends and new. Thank you all for your friendship, support and taking a little time from your day to stop by.
See you in 2020!
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 1100cfs
Varney Bridge 1180cfs
Lower Madison 1620cfs
I’m going to do this fishing report thing kinda quick. It’s hopper season. Fish a hopper. Maybe add an ant or moth or beetle if you’d like to get fancy. Waters good, temps are good, fish are bigger and they’re plentiful. That’s it. Until it gets cold. Enjoy it while it lasts. See you in the fall.
It has been one of the best grasshopper years on the Madison River in a very long time. Not that you’d know from my river reports. As there were still mayfly and Caddis hatches the last time I sat down to do this. Well it has not really been that long as we had a pretty great grasshopper season last year too. But seriously, the last really crazy good hopper year might have been 2003 or 2004.
We have been blessed with a bountiful late summer abundance of grasshoppers and as gardener I don’t really like them but interestingly enough I don’t get them by the thousands in downtown Ennis. But if you’re a gardener on flats and most other areas of the valley you are inundated with them. Sucks to be a gardener sometimes. It’s good to be both a gardener and an angler. That way we can go fly fishing and fish the hopper plagues and feel better about how many hundreds of thousands of them there are in the Madison Valley right now eating all your leafy vegetables.
Look for those windy days. Those are almost always going to be the best hopper fishing days. South winds are easiest to fish in. North winds will create similar bites but are harder to throw casts into. But that’s why you have me. I’ll teach you how.
We have had steady warm afternoons and as long as that continues we will have grasshoppers around. We did also have our first cold front in some time about 5 days ago and those will start showing up more over the coming weeks. I even fished streamers all afternoon that day and it was decent. That’s what I’ll do when they come. But I will also look for the warm up and the winds after any cold snap to revive that hopper bite and many times with a new intensity. It’s not a bad cycle to be in.
Check out the Instagram if you want to see more.
Thanks again for tuning in and as always keep your tip up.
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 1360cfs
Varney Bridge 1720cfs
Lower Madison 2060cfs
I haven’t been anywhere else. So this is the only report I have. If you want to know how the Ruby River is fishing you should go check it out. I would love to hear how it is. I love that little river. I also love fly fishing the Madison River. On the flip side I can’t say that I hate river reports. But I do avoid writing them. At least I try and do as little as I can possibly get away without it not being updated and just completely out of date. Below you may find some useful information, or you may not.
There’s lots of busy people around Ennis, Montana right now. This town knows how to work. I like that. There’s something gratifying about hard work. Work in general when I think about it. Working at a passion is even better. Taking pride in something and owning it. I am very fortunate to be able to do that this time of year and it gives me a ton of joy. Thinking about all of this I tend toward pondering about everyone else around town working their butts off. Thanks to everyone for that. Thanks for a beer with a smile. Thanks for a friendly conversation in the morning or evening at the store. Thanks for a friendly smile picking up lunches and slice of coffee cake. Thanks for an early shuttle when the hail and lighting are dropping from the sky. Thanks for enthusiastic help in the shop in the mornings.
What’s happening here. Is this a river report or what. Have I mentioned I dislike these. All kidding aside. It’s changed a good deal out there. Water volume is still up for the year but falling. From almost 1900 at Varney Bridge to what it is now. I love the extra water. It will likely continue to fall as we get deeper into summer. The river is fairly mossy down from McAtee bridge. One of the reasons I love fishing dries in the summer. Less moss slime. I dislike moss as much as River reports. I like river reports more. Sunny high pressure will be a nice little change from all the electrical storms over the past couple weeks. Although they’re great for the hatches.
With salmonflies gone from the main body of the upper Madison fishing seems to be getting a bit more consistent. I love fishing the big bug but I really like when fish are on normal hatches the rest of the summer. Doesn’t matter if it’s little nymph to mimic all the various insects or dry flys. Fish are on little bugs again. At least until Nocturnal Stoneflies start hatching. Saw a few shucks above town today. Nocturnal what? The summer stone or short wing stonefly. They are somewhat to very photophobic. I’ll get their scientific name next time around. And a pic. Back to hatches. Caddis, PMDs, various small Sally Stones, some lesser green drakes and more are available just about every day and fish are feeding well. We could talk about what flies to use but you know what I’ll say. Prince’s, various Chubbies, you’re favorite pmd that you can float and see, same with Caddis, or yellow sallies, pheasant tails and hares ears, don’t forget about soft hackles and Caddis pupa. Those jiggy flies make good dry droppers. Always a good setup. That fly thing doesn’t change much for me.
I am also starting to see all the 4-7 and 8-10 inch fish show up in greater numbers and that makes for busy fishing some days and more consistent bite overall. Poking around and fishing sneaky spots has resulted in locating some great fish lately. Several break offs, a cut leader getting run around the back of the boat, cartwheeling fish that come unbuttoned and clinched up grips leading to straightened rods and snapped off fish. Yup I’ve been finding some nice fish out there. It’s been lots of fun. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I think there’s a fishing report in there somewhere.
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 1180 cfs
Varney Bridge 1700 cfs
Lower Madison 2010 cfs
With dropping flows and clearing water conditions the Madison River is in great shape. Even with some new snow on the first day summer runoff is over and on its way out here in the Madison Valley. We may see water levels rise a little as Hebgen Lake fills up and dam flows increase. That’s not likely to adversely affect things at this point.
With warming water temperatures we are seeing lots of bug activity on the river. Numerous Caddis species, some PMDs and I’ve even seen birds get the first couple salmonflies above Ennis. With clearing conditions and falling water levels the dry fly fishing had gotten better by the day. We are even starting to see some larger fish up to patterns that represent both Caddis and mayflies. With larger stoneflies in the way the Madison is in for a bountiful couple of months.
As for the big bugs it’s still a few days away from really getting rolling. The birds are waiting, the fish are waiting and the anglers are waiting for them and they will soon be here to deliver some of our most exciting dry fly fishing of the year.
Get ready. It’s coming and we are all ready.
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 1890 cfs
Varney Bridge 3190 cfs
Lower Madison 3120 cfs
Runoff…It’s on again. At least for a time. There is still more than average amount snow in the Madison drainage for this time of year. With daytime highs reaching into the high 70s and low 80s the Madison is seeing another rise in water volume and will loose some visibility. In short it is going to get worse before it gets better. Southwest Montana experienced a significant cold front that really slowed runoff and gave us 5 or 6 days of very good conditions. The fish responded to the dropping and clearing flows very well and have been on the feed. This is likely going to change today and tomorrow as the flows are now skyrocketing again. My experience tells me trout are affected more by rising water than by the color of the water itself. This rise may make for some grumpy fish and likely tougher fishing over the next several days. The following graph depicts what we have seen on the Madison the last week. The peaks on the left of the graph made for tough fishing but not impossible. The drop and the bottom trough made for much better fishing. Can you guess what the right side of the graph might do t the fishing? Thats spring in Southwest Montana. Take the good with bad.
Getting above a majority of the creeks that influence the river can help. So can fishing the local lakes and reservoirs. Both options give anglers a way to mitigate rising waters effects. Having fished the upper Madison through the last rise and subsequent fall with the cold weather it is noticeable how the fishing gets a little harder each day with the rising flows and then gets significantly better on the drop and at the bottom. It is next to impossible to plan for these events. So we take them as they come and do the best we can with the conditions we are given. Such is life of a trout angler in the Rockies during late May through June. No amount of wondering, worrying, speculating or whining about it changes a thing. Mother Nature doesn’t care what we think. Best just to be patient and thankful for the opportunities that present themselves.
Flies haven’t changed much over the past two weeks and my MVPs are still stonefly nymphs. Easy to see, and easy to eat for trout on the Madison. Both Salmonfly and Golden Stone nymphs are moving toward banks now and over the coming weeks in anticipation of their emergence toward the end of the month and into July. This makes it a good choice for a first fly selection. I have noticed more of a larger caddis we see leading up to that time period locally called The Brown Bomber is it is a large specimen in the range of a hook size 6-8 and I think is in the Genus Arctopsyche or Hydropsyche but I am not positive about that and would need to do more research to be sure. Think giant Elk Hair Caddis, larger foam caddis in the 6-10 hook range for dries and large Prince Nymphs, Hares Ear in similar sizes.
Thanks for tuning in and as always…Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 1490cfs
Varney Bridge 1920cfs
Lower Madison 2080cfs
It has been a cold week here in South West Montana. Steady 15-20mph winds out of the North and cold temperatures have really slowed the progression of run off over the past 7-10 days. Water levels have been dropping and the river has cleared substantially. It is a beautiful slightly murky green color that I have come to love. Its not clear, its not muddy, its not to low and its not to high. As Goldilocks put it, “Its just right”. How long this will last is anyones guess. For the last week and at least for another few days runoff is on hold. I try not to make many predictions about how and when and what will happen when it comes to runoff. Inevitably I am wrong or off about it and so I just roll with it. Some constants are true. If it gets hot and stays it will come out of the mountains fast and muddy things up. If its cool it will come off the slowly. What we have been seeing is normal, a little of both conditions. It is springtime in Montana after all. If I could choose I would pick the slow burn as it leaves more water up high for longer. But I can’t and so I won’t and I will not fret about it either. Its going to do what its going to do and in July we can tell all about it. When the “Tell Tale” or the “Tell Tail” in Fan Mountain is mostly clear of snow runoff is over. For now it is full of snow.
The slowdown has been good for fishing the last week. All else being equal falling water levels have always been better fishing conditions for me than rising water levels. Thats what the Madison River has done for the past 6 days and it should stay bottomed out for at least another 2 to 4 days. As air temps warm going into next week except this dropping and clearing trend to reverse.
Fly selection isn’t very exciting and hasn’t changed much in the 20 years since I first started. Stonefly nymphs in size 6, 8 and 10 in darker colors seem to be working the best. The ubiquitous black wooly bugger has caught a number of good fish as well. I have been doing well with smaller Pheasant Tail nymphs as there have been good emergences of Baetis or Blue Winged Olives and the fish are keying in on them. Worms, Prince Nymphs and Lightning Bugs have all been producing some fish as a trailer as well. Another combo that has worked well for me over the past week is a size 6 Black Wooly Bugger trailed by a small size 10 black Girdle Bug. I have been seeing more fish rise over the last week but with 15-20 mph North winds not has been difficult (to say the least) to get a cast and good drift to these fish. How’s the streamer bite you might ask? For me its been tough. I can’t really get them to chase or eat it on the slow movement either. Some say its great but thats because they caught one or two nice fish doing it. I have a hard time fishing all day for one or two good fish and so that doesn’t constitute “great” in my book. If you are dedicated to the cause and you are a streamer angler you will find some good fish willing to eat it. Me, I like to get bit. As Gerald Swindle put it and I am paraphrasing here. If your not getting bit you can’t win a tournament. Now I know we are not tournament fishing but thats how I approach most of my fishing. I don’t need one monster. I just need one bite, them I need to get five in the live well (so to speak) and we can upgrade from there. To that end big fish love to eat stoneflies. Thats why I fish them. They work. I have never been an angler that is trying to catch “the one”. I just want to catch one, then more than one. Eventually “the one” will come. But first I must get bit.
Anyhow, getting a little sidetracked there. Because if there is one question I hate more than any other it is “Hows the streamer bite?” Its streamer fishing. If thats what you do, you are going to go do it regardless of what the answer to that question is. If my answer is “it sucks for me but I’m getting them doing this or that” are you really going to do that or are you going to throw the streamer because that is what you want to do? I think we should all fish how we want to. I like getting bit. You may like fishing streamers and sometimes those two things go together. I am ranting again but it really is the dumbest question that gets asked. Do giant swim bait anglers for bass ask how the “swim bait bite is”? No, they don’t. They just go fish it. And they fish it hard and are dedicated to it.
Enough of that. Go forth and enjoy the conditions while they last because they will change for the worse before it is all done. Fish how you want and have a great time doing it.
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Old Kirby Place 1890cfs
Varney Bridge 2150cfs
Lower Madison 2110cfs
May 1st is officially in the books and although Old Man Winter can not decide if he is done with us yet, the spring fishing has been fair to great most days and his grip on us is slowing loosening. True to the Madison Rivers spring form she has been waking up and transitioning from a winter fishery to a true spring and early summer fishery. This means fish are spreading out in the system a bit more than they would during the coldest months. What this means to the angler is that more fish are to be found in faster moving riffles, shallower transitions, small buckets, sides of rocks, fronts of rocks and many more places. Although fish can still be found concentrated in deep runs and holes these are not the only places to find them as we move further away from winter.
Going hand in hand with this is the first emergence of bugs that are not midges. Nothing against midges and I don’t mean wire worms and eggs. Although they work they are not technically bugs. They are flies, in the sense that they get tied on the end of a fly line and leader, although that is debatable depending on whose definition of a “fly” we are talking about. Thats a debate and discussion for another generation. I fish them both so I am not one to judge. Getting back to the bug thing. BWOs or Baetis showed up right on time on the stretch of Madison up from Ennis around the 20th of April. We will continue to see them through runoff and into the end of spring and early summer. There are still lots of Midges. Although not know for it Skwala stones are also on the menu as well. I caught several fish on both BWO dries and a larger skwala stonefly the other day. The fish may not have been much to brag about but it signifies the beginning (sort of) the dry fly season. Officially that kicks off in June as everyday thing but some great dry fly fishing days come in small windows throughout the spring.
Speaking of midges, one of the better fish taken in the last couple days was on a 16 Olive Zebra Midge. It was a 19 inch brown trout that ate at the shallow leading edge of a bucket and several more smaller fish came after.
I have had several good streamer bites out there but larger stonefly nymphs are still out fishing just about everything else for me lately. Although I would say thats been the case for almost 20 years now. After all it is a freestone river with lots of stoneflies. The materials and the names have changed but its hard to beat a Girdle Bug trailed by any of the above listed flies. Even the ones that may not be flies. I will generally put generic trailers like eggs and worms on but when there are bugs hatching fish will key in on them and I will make the switch to more impressionistic flies. Many of these smaller flies will work well under a dry fly this time of year. Its a wonderful time to start ditching the bobber for a dry fly on occasion.
There are still many rainbow trout in all stages of their spawning cycle so pleas be mindful of reads or cleared out gravel areas as these are the places that eggs are laid. Try not to anchor or walk though them and if you see trout on shallower gravel fanning the bottom or darting around leave them be as they are trying to make more trout for you to enjoy. It can be hard to not make the cast at that fish but please resist the urge and let it spawn. Fish a nearby drop off or hole and you’ll find others that are not actively spawning.
Next update will be from Fort Peck reservoir as I head to central Montana in search of a 40 inch Pike. I will let you know what I find.
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Hebgen Dam 1560 cfs
Old Kirby Place 1610 cfs
Varney Bridge 1810 cfs
Lower Madison 2290 cfs
The first major thing of note is that the flows on the Madison River have come up a fair amount in the last week and a half. This is not an early push of runoff water. This is increased release flow from Hebgen Dam as the powers that be continue to draw down the lake level in anticipation of runoff. The extra water is always a welcome addition when it helps give more space to move around and get into places that we would not normally be able to get to.
The fishing and the catching has been fairly steady and reasonably good. Fish are starting to move around or spread out a little more than a couple weeks ago. Fish are starting to show up in spots that might be considered summer spots. Mainly we are nymph fishing but the last couple days the streamer bite has been very good. This time of the year it change quickly with regard to what they will eat or eat well.
The best part about this time of year is that we are starting to see more bugs. I saw my first BWO’s of the year. Lots of Midges and we are also starting to see some Skwallas as well. All this means that fish will start to look up more at some point. This is what we wait all winer for. As fish begin to see more insects on the surface we will start to see more fish eating dries. This is all fantastic news as it really means we are shifting away from our winter fishing patterns into our spring and summer fish holding patterns. We will see more BWOs over the next couple weeks as well as our first March Brown hatches and this really kicks off our dry fly fishing.
Thanks for tuning in and keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Kirby Place 1160cfs
Varney Bridge 1260cfs
Lower Madison 1700cfs
Good size trout coming up to eat big dries on the Madison River in the last days of March? While not unheard of, is a bit of an April fools joke. We tried and tried and tried and only got a couple of fish to look at it. While that title line is not entirely truthful because they are not really “hittin dries” yet we did get a couple to swipe at it. Since it is April 1st, I thought a little stretch of the truth might be in order.
More importantly fish are taking droppers under said dry flies and that always marks the turning point for many of here on the upper Madison River. That turning point is that fish are starting to come out of their winter slumbers and will be looking up before we know it. It is a time to be able to put away the bobbers more often and tie a dry fly on that will float a nymph. Are we still nymph fishing? Sure. Are we one step closer to dry fly fishing. You bet. I have nothing against nymph fishing, or bobber fishing for that matter. I do them both most of the winter and early spring. They are great ways to catch some fish on all those days that are cold and wintery and fish won’t move to eat anything. I am always hopeful and I look forward to the time when we can start the process of fishing and catching fish on dries. Or at least under them for the time being.
The boat ramp situation on the Upper Madison has changed a little since the last post. Still snow on the south end of the Madison Valley. Lyons bridge still has snow. but a boat can be launched there with some creative thinking. Windy Point is accessible. Palisades still has a monster drift in the road and is out. Ruby Creek, MacAtee Bridge, Story Ditch, Varney Bridge and 8 Mile Ford are all doable to take a boat in and out. Burnt Tree Hole has a giant chunks of ice in the ramp and will likely be another week or more unless FWP comes in with a front loader and pushes the ice into the river. Ennis FAS and Valley Garden FAS still remain locked up in ice and will be fro some time. another couple weeks for Valley Garden maybe. Do not take any of this for gospel as conditions change. Please check for yourself that what you would like to do is possible.
Construction and replacement work on Vanrey Bridge began officially on Friday the 29th. Like the Spring Creek bridge a couple years ago the Varney Bridge is being replaced a with a newer wider bridge to support emergency vehicles and relate the 122 year old bridge that is in poor shape. The new bridge is badly needed but it does not make it any less sad to loose such an iconic piece of Madison River history. So it goes. Change happens but water keeps running down hill and will hopefully flow under this new bridge for another 122 years. If you’d like updates on this process you can follow the link to the Montana DOT Varney Bridge website.
Thanks for tuning in!
Keep you tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
Old Kirby Place 1090 cfs
Varney Bridge 1180 cfs
Lower Madison 1730 cfs
It feels good to be back in the saddle again, the proverbial saddle that is. . It is a bit more of a tractor seat but that just does not have the same ring to it. Being in the middle of the boat on the oars is always a welcome change to sitting in the office tying flies. Although not technically my first float trip of the year, as that happened on January 13th, it is still the real beginning of the season. Maybe thats because the first day of spring is only a day way and a trip in January is more an anomaly than getting out in March. What ever the reason, It sure does feel like the start of a new fishing season and it felt good to be rowing a boat again.
As for the fishing, it was what I would expect to see for this time of year. Fish are not dispersed very much from their winter holding spots. That means there can be some down time between spots that are holding more fish but that is normal for late winter and early spring conditions. Over the past several days fish ate readily from the boat as the water warmed up. Fish will begin to spread out over the next couple months and that will make for more productive spots as they get filled in. It is not complicated fly fishing and what I am using hasn’t changed much in twenty years. If its not broke….you know the rest. This time of year won’t be good all day but there should be a window most days when fish are willing to eat fairly well, at least for a bit. Seeing fair amounts of midges but only finding a few risers for them. That should improve through the middle sections of the Upper Madison. For those looking for that type of fishing a stop in at Three Dollar or Reynolds Pass can be a better option.
The river near Ennis actually looks like a river again and has cut through all the ice and now only the large ledge ice remains on the banks. It can be dangerous so be careful around it. The boat ramps near Ennis, Montana are mainly out of commission as are several up river as well until the ice melts. Use caution and inspect your put in and take out before going. I am not here to give you a detailed description of each ramps condition and usability. You need to check that out on your own and make decisions accordingly. Have fun out there and be safe.
The first day of spring is tomorrow and the Vernal Equinox marks the first day of the year that day and night length are equal. It will also be a super full moon and last Super moon until march 2020. This means 12 hours of sunlight and a welcome change as we move officially from winter to spring. Looking forward to longer days, thawing out and time spent chasing fish around the state. Happy first day of spring! Enjoy it out there.
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Kirby Place 1100cfs
Varney Bridge 1150cfs
Lower Madison 1610cfs
Just a quick update on the Madison Rivers gorge ice conditions. In the past 48 hours the Madison River has broken through the gorge ice that was sending the bulk of the river to the east of the main channel. The River was flowing under the highway between the main channel and O’Dell creek and eventually dumped into O’dell Creek. The water was diverted somewhere between Burnt Tree FAS and the Ennis Bridge. Normally when this happens it flows directly into O’Dell Creek. This year was different as it stayed in a smaller channel for some distance before flowing into the spring creek.
That has all changed, two days ago we could see some open ice well up stream of Ennis FAS as the river had fallen back into the main channel from where the gorge ice had diverted its flow from the previous couple weeks. The very next day it had cut a clear path through the ice and was for the first time in a few weeks flowing under Ennis bridge again. This is always a welcome sight as it means spring is near.
It is still not safe to access the river near town and should be given time to continue to establish its corse again. Those chunks of ice are dangerous if they run into you. They can be very heavy and could possibly knock you over. Also, as more than half the fish in gorge areas often die and the remainder flee the encroaching ice it will be a few weeks before fish have dispersed into this section of the river again. If you are itching to fish head up river. At least to 8 Mile Ford FAS. It has shelf ice around from the gorge but has been open for longer.
Headed out to do some recon today and I will let you know what I find.
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Kirby Place 971cfs
Varney Bridge 1050cfs
Lower Madison 1470cfs
Thats not really true. It was as cold as -32 a few nights ago in places around the madison valley and I believe it got to about 41 or 42 degrees today. Almost flip flop weather if not for the 3 feet of snow in the yard. Big change and hint of what is to come. Although it can take old man Winter a while to leave some years. He may show up late to the party but sometimes he doesn’t want to leave. Having a good time is my guess.
All the snow that he brought with him is welcome as always. Fake complaining aside it is never bad to have snow on the valley floor and more in the mountains if you like fishing the greater Yellowstone area in the summer.
Many of the boat ramps are still out of commission due to gorge ice all the way up past 8 Mile Ford FAS. The ice really moved quick once those temps got into the -20s constantly. Others are drifted due to snow. I will get a better look at them again tomorrow when I do ramp recon.
Thanks for checking in.
Keep your tip
Brian Rosenberg
Old Kirby Place: 971cfs
Varney Bridge: 1040cfs
Lower Madison: 1130cfs
The sun is shining again in the Madison Valley. It has been about four or five days since we have seen a bright blue sky around here. Starting last Saturday the Madison Valley and Southwest Montana started to receive snow. A lot of snow. More snow than I can remember seeing in the past 20 years. I don’t have an accurate measure for just how much but I have places in the yard that snow is above my knee caps. These are places snow fell naturally and was not shoveled or added to in any way. Maybe 24 inches. The knee cap depth measurement in the yard being a very precise and scientific form of measure. The snow started on Saturday and ended with another half to one inch last night. To be fair the sun did poke out for about twenty minutes or so yesterday. Somehow it is different waking up to bright blue sunny skies though. Four days plus without significant sunshine and somewhere between 20 and 24 inches of snow in 4 days are two things we do not see very often on the north end of the Madison Valley. Seeing the one for the first time in 5 days and the other finish is a welcome change.
I am not complain about all the snow. Quite the contrary, because my career and livelihood are dependent on water, I like to embrace the snow. I am not the most avid or active winter sports person, however I do not let that deter my enthusiasm for what will eventually bring water to rivers and lakes around me in the coming months. Shoveling, raking off roofs, digging out the cars and clearing places to park are all small inconveniences when compared to what all that frozen water means to Southwest Montana. So I embrace it. I try very hard not to complain about it.
Snow pack in the western Montana drainages is good to very good at this point with average or very above average SWE (Snow Water Equivalent) and precipitation for the month. We still have two of our wettest months yet to come.
You can view the rest of the visual reports for snow pack and precipitation at the Montana SNOTEL site.
All that snow is not going anywhere in the near future as Ennis and the Madison Valley are looking at temps that will be between -15 and 5 for the next five to seven days. With all the snow and sub-zero temperatures for the foreseeable future its hard to believe that the first day of spring is just 19 days away. Given the current conditions it seems like a long way away. The fact that my boat is buried in snow and drifts from the plows it seems even further away. Next goal is to dig out the boat because weather can change fast in Montana. Enjoy winter while it lasts because it won’t last forever. Spring is coming.
As a Montana angler I am excited about the passing of another year. March 1st officially marks the start of a new year. If you happen to mark the passing of your year like I do, which is when one fishing license year ends and the new license year begins. Today is officially the start of the new year. Yeah! You thought that was on January 1st. All this is just a friendly reminder to get your Montana Fishing License before heading out. With all these near zero temps it will still be a week or so.
Thanks for tuning in and like always….Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Hebgen Dam 921cfs
Old Kirby Place 1470cfs
Varney Bridge 956cfs
Lower Madison 1470cfs
Winter is here now. Literally right now, as I write, he is sitting outside holding down a balmy -10 degrees Fahrenheit. That may seem cold until you find yourself in other parts of the beautiful state on Montana where temps are below the -30 degree mark like West Yellowstone this morning. Hasn’t he been here for a wile now you might ask? Yes, technically speaking its been winter since December 21st. It’s just that it had felt more like a cold extension to fall until Winter showed up some time in late January or early February. Temperatures that hover between 20-40 always make it seem like it is not really winter, just some murky in-between fall and spring thing that is hard to define and we all must get through to get to the other side. That’s Montana for you. Just when we think we might escape without a river gorge, have early access to Ennis Boat Ramp, get out of it with out sub zero temps, Old Man Winter comes around to remind us that he is not done with us yet. Which, being old and winter, is his prerogative I guess. It just puts a temporary hold on the winter fishing. Gives me more time to get flies tied and write blog posts I suppose. Its not all bad though. With all that cold that finally came our way came plenty of snow.
Snow pack reports across Montana are at or above average for most drainages. Water in the form of snow that gets locked in good with cold temperatures is always a good thing looking forward.
A couple of new items of the vise and ow the wood lathe. I like that I can incorporate the lathe into my life by making some of my own fly tying tools. Mostly bodkins for now but I also mad a hollow tie tool with a bodkin on one end. I can also turn foam poppers which is kinda cool. Although I have to admit I’m currently using the Howitzer popper heads (from at Fly Men Fishing Co.) to construct some flies based off of Niklaus Bauer weedless pike fly. He’s got a great You Tube video on how to put it all together. I went in a popper direction with it. I have also found I can scale it down. With that comes smaller saltwater and bass flies. You can check that stuff out here for now.
I’ll let you know when it warms up a bit.
Brian Rosenberg
]]>
Kirby 1010cfs
Varney Bridge 1070cfs
Lower Madison 1480cfs
It’s been a little while since my last post. Ok, really let’s not kid around here, it’s been a very long time since my last post. I will spare you some sort self deprecating story about how I’m not good at this and get to the point.
I have been working on a new website for some time now because I was loosing support for my previous builder software. I have been wanting to do it for almost a year now and finally got to it over the past several weeks. The domain name will be the same www.montanafishman.com but I have switched platforms to try and bring a fresh look and feel to the website. The foundation of the site is in place and live and I must say that I still have a fair amount of work to do. Since my first web site in 2008 I have done all of the work myself. That has all gotten much easier since my first version with website builders that are basically templates for plug and play features and I’m very grateful for that. Although learning all the SEO and how to implement it still takes some skill and know how. I could pay someone to help me become the top search on google for similar listings but what fun would that be? Plus I don’t make that much money and I’m time rich and I really like learning how to do new things.
Take a look if you have a little time. I’m still working out the “guide trip as a product” type thing so people can pay for and or pay a deposit right through the website. My products are just logo gear for now, online shop products that is. My best product is still my ability to work hard, row hard, know the Madison as best as I possibly can after 20 years, be enthusiastic about fishing and patient with clients. I think that’s still my best product. Anyhow, if you get a chance to visit let me know what you think. Drop a line, post something on Facebook or text me your thoughts. I will be adding more over the coming months including some custom made fly tying tools, flies and more logo gear.
If you have an extra minute or two and would like to do me a huge favor head over to Google or TripAdvisor and post a review if you’ve fished with me before. I promise it will help you catch more fish. No, that’s not true. But it is kinda funny.
Thanks for tuning in and….
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>Kirkby Ranch 1450 cfs
Varney Bridge 1670 cfs
Lower Madison 1910 cfs
Going into the first couple weeks of spring it was obvious that Old Man Winter was dragging his feet a little bit. He didn’t seem to care that we had our first official day of spring and that most everyone wanted a little warmer weather, maybe a sunny warm afternoon to grill and have a beer on the porch with friends. That wasn’t happening. Not on his watch. Although lately is seems as he is taking a hint and spring is really and truly here. How do I know? As I write this it is in the mid 40s outside and raining instead of in the teens and 20s and snowing. We are expected to get some more snow tonight. This may seem like some complaining coming from a guy that makes a living indirectly from what winter brings to the area. That is water. So maybe a bit more like fake complaining because deep down it is exactly what the fish need. Water. I tried a little logic based reasoning the other day when everyone was actually complaining about the 3 inches of new snow covering their boats and garden beds. It went something like this. Fish need water, I need fish, snow is water therefore I need snow. I am not sure that follows the rules of logic as I can’t remember that far back to philosophy classes but it did make me feel better about the whole thing. I always say as an angler I am an optimist and snow pack is like money in the bank or if you’re like me, and angler optimist, like a dream come true.
So whats going on there really. No one really reads this for my waxing poetic right. Its spring out there folks. Like many springs before the fishing can be down right good. Like all fishing it can still give you a slap in face. Water levels or river flows as measured in volume are increasing on most area rivers including the Madison. It is not runoff really(not like most think of it). Just low snow melting mixed with rain mixed with new low snow that melts again so the rivers have more water coming into them. We are getting into the beginning of the cycle we call runoff. Fear not those words though as we are still some time away from the mud and ugly conditions most equate with the word runoff. Just know that now that the cycle has begun it cannot be undone. It may be slowed down with cold or speeded up with heat and rain but it will continue. Water will run down hill. There is no stopping it.
This is all good news as it also means water temperatures are rising, fish are becoming active and we will start to see something familiar. Something we all long to see, bugs and hatches on our local waters. Matt Carey over at Trouts N’at and I spotted some Skwalla stoneflies lower on the river yesterday. I haven’t spotted my first Blue Winged Olives yet but it is still a little early and water temps are still a little too cold. we need another 5-10 degrees warmer water. Don’t get me wrong, I love midges and dirt snakes and eggs and all but I would much rather be throwing dry flies or at least dries with nymphs under them instead of bobbers. Thats just what I like. I made my gal Darci throw the dry dropper the other day and although we didn’t raise any fish the dropper produced and it felt right.
Here at Montana Fish Man we are also gearing up for the upcoming season with some great new items. Unboxing gear in preparation for the new fishing season is always a blast. Some new rods from both Winston and Sage as well as some new reels. I want my clients to enjoy using the best gear and to know that part of providing them with best service I can is to also put the best equipment in their hands. I am excited for my custom reels from Nautilus and will post some pics of those as soon as they arrive. All those great rods and reels mean absolutely nothing without the most important part. Great fly lines. I have been partial to Scientific Anglers fly lines for a long time and I continue to use them on my personal gear and on my clients equipment.
Thanks for tuning in and we will see you on the water.
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
Montana Fish Man
]]>Old Kirby Place 1250 cfs
Varney Bridge 1350 cfs
Lower Madison 1650 cfs
We have been getting out on the water with a bit more frequency over the past couple weeks here in Ennis Montana. Now that spring has officially arrived we are getting into a time period that I have always loved. Spring ushers in a welcome change around the rocky mountains. First we start to see birds that have gone all winter, the slushy rivers start to flow clear and ice free, green starts to emerge from the brown and white that has surrounded us for the last four months. All of these are the first signs of other changes that will start to happen around Montana as well. Many of these changes are exactly what we are looking for as anglers. Warmer days, longer days, warmer water temperatures, more hatches, hungry fish, ice out on area lakes are all good things for me. These are all changes that I love to see this time of the year.
The fishing has been fairly typical for spring so far. Lots of midges most days. Water temperatures that start to push into the low to mid 40s. This starts to help move fish around as bugs become active fish will start to transition into more of their spring and summer haunts looking for food. Some bigger browns are actively hunting now that those water temps have risen. Some willing to chase sculpins and small minnows. Midges have given us a few dry fly opportunities and as we get further into spring we will be looking for BWOs and Skwalla dries as well. Nymph fishing as generally the most productive. Small stones trailing midges and small mayfly nymphs are sure to get some fish to eat.
Rainbows are already spawning and its not hard to see some redds on the river. Please be careful as you move around out there so as not tread on them or anchor on them inadvertently. Please resist fishing directly to spawning fish on redds as they are actively trying to create the next generation of trout and continue to create the great fishery we so enjoy. Because we have a wild population(not stocked) of trout we owe it to the fish, ourselves and future anglers to let these fish create the next generation of fish that we enjoy pursuing. Are we going to catch some spawning fish? Absolutely. This is true for both rainbows and cutthroat in the spring and brown trout in the fall and early winter because we enjoy fishing at these times and many area rivers are open to fishing. There is no way to avoid catching them as they will continue to feed at times during their spawning times. I still don’t think this means that we should target active spawning fish on redds. If you see redds sit back and watch for awhile as you are likely to see some wonderful activity. It is fascinating to watch this. Seeing small males get chased off by larger ones. Watching fish drop eggs, dig out deeper depressions for laying eggs is all very cool. Just leave them be and fish other waters around the area, there will be other fish around. There may even be a good brown trout lurking around looking for an easy meal.
Lets also not forget to or ignore picking up some trash if we see it lying around.
Thanks for tuning in and I hope to see you out there.
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
]]>
Ennis lake has always been an option from the drift boats but was always a bit sketchy when the wind started to pick up. Now that is not really a problem. Even though we tend to loose the great dry fly fishing when the water takes on a bit of chop the leech, nymph and streamer fishing can still be quite good once the afternoon winds pick up.
This new addition also opens up many of the other lakes around southwest Montana as well as the opportunity for some spring bass and pike fishing. I am really looking forward to exploring more of our great state has to offer. I will keep you updated with what I find out there. As much as I am looking forward to getting back rowing down the Madison River I am excited about ice out on our local lakes including Hebgen Lake and Quake Lake.
As for the fishing around here on the Madison. It had been consistent and as with most winter fishing I have found various nymph rigs to be the most consistent. There have been very good midge hatches allowing for an opportunity to get in some dry fly fishing.
Contact us if you’d like to get out and fish the Madison or any of our area lakes this spring.
Thanks for checking in.
Brian Rosenberg
Montana Fish Man
]]>This year I had the pleasure of fishing with Ryan Whalen from Madison River Fishing Co. and another younger angler Tyler Dimeola. We mainly fished streamers with some stretches fishing particularly well. White and or white under olive produced the best for us. We did some nymph fishing with moderate success but it was nice to see aggressive brown trout and a few bigger rainbows eat the meat. Mostly lying in shallow water that was soft and not moving quickly. I like to call it “walking speed” when I talk about what I’m looking for in a good winter spot. Not too fast, not too slow. Just right.
More than being on the sticks for the first time in a long enough while. I find poking around the river, searching and taking the time to notice what is new or changed to be much more rewarding. I think the short of it is I’m glad for it to be changing back into that time of year again.
Spring is right around the corner.
Keep your tip up!
Montana Fish Man
]]>This warmer weather has the river warming and fishing well most days. The ice below Varney Bridge is breaking up enough to get some wade fishing in and there are a couple of boat ramps open enough to float on the south end of the valley. Check back in for current change conditions. Joe at Montana Trout Stalkers did a great spread on what ramps can and can’t be used to launch a boat so I won’t redo that great work. Check the link.
The setups don’t have to be to complicated this time of year as fish will eat most anything that gets in front of them.
Got to poke around the Madison River with Trouts N’ At and actually catch a few fish.
Montana Fish Man
]]>Old Kirby Place 1050 cfs
Varney Bridge 1700 cfs
Lower Madison 2550 cfs (this gauge hasn’t had fresh reading in two days)
Both he Upper and Lower Madison rivers have seen drastically improving conditions over the past several days. Turbidity is decreasing along with the flow decrease. We have three plus feet of visibility on the section of River down for on Lyons Bridge. Below Varney Bridge it’s between two and three feet of visibility. These trends will continue to happen until it levels off. The upper Madison River gauge near Kirby will be the first with Varney Bridge to follow as the creeks recede toward normal flows. It’s been great to be out there the last several days because with those conditions we are also starting to see prolific insect hatches. Several species of caddis, PMDs, and smattering of other mayflies and small stoneflies are hatching. This has started to get some (very nice) fish looking upwards to eat a dry fly. It’s why we wake up in the morning. The fishing in the morning has been great with caddis emergers and PMD nymphs behind stoneflies or under dry flies to mimic large caddis. The evening caddis bite is just starting to turn on. I have seen and caught more fish on dries the last couple of days.
That burning question for this time of year remains. “Where are the salmonflies?” They’re not quite out yet. I’ve spotted a couple on the Madison up river of Ennis, Montana but those have been in the beaks of robins. There are lots of nymphs staged close to shore in very shallow water on what I like to call “good stonefly banks”. It pays to know some these by heart. It won’t be long now. Are you ready? With flows dropping the big bugs will have to make their move for emergence.
Everyone is waiting for it. Biding our time catching fish on caddis dries and nymphs. Fishing stonefly nymphs under large dries hoping for the early rise. Which there are some. Even the birds are pecking and poking around. The robins are looking. The grackles and the various blackbirds are looking. The terns and gulls have showed up from far off oceans. All ready and waiting to take place in the great emergence. To feed. They are ready. Anglers are starting to show up as well. Making similar yearly migrations as the birds to partake in the great salmonfly hatch. All likely ready. Are you?
I’ll be hard pressed to be torn away from the upper Madison for a while. Hope to see you out there.
Montana Fish Man
Old Kirby Place 1430cfs
Varney Bridge 2820cfs
Lower Madison 2990cfs
Technically the official start of summer is something like June 20th but the last five or six days have felt like summer with temperatures getting into the mid 80’s. We had a rainy May and the Madison Valley is as green as she gets and about as beautiful as it could possibly be. Valley wide carpets of green rising to snow covered peaks.
The warm weather has warmed the high elevation snow enough to swell the creeks draining into the Madison River the past seven days and the upper Madison flow charts look like a bullish stock chart. The last couple days the river has peaked and even though there is daily fluctuation we did not hit a higher high yesterday. If it does the same today we may have hit a short term peak. The clarity or turbidity of the river over this rising water trend has remained very fishable with the best clarity about the West Fork of the Madison River. Below the West Fork the clarity varies but is about two feet with the last two days seeing a little change in the clearer direction. Hebgen Dam still has about 1.3 feet to fill so we could potentially see some increase in flow as it fills but I don’t believe this will be added to the rising water we have seen this week. It would be clear water anyhow. Likely what will happen is as runoff subsides there will be slight increases in dam flow to maintain normal flow. The telltale on Fan Mountain isn’t clear of snow but it is getting close. When this is clear of snow we are done with runoff. Im not going to make a prediction for when it will start to turn the corner but it doesn’t seem like it will be long.
We are also starting to see some of the great hatches that really kick start our dry fly fishing on the upper river. large chocolate caddis, some mayflies and soon we will start to see the famed salmon flies and golden stones. There are a few reports and I think I even say a fishing report that posted a picture of a salmon fly on the Madison. It is not happening yet but large numbers of nymphs are starting to stage under rocks near the banks and there will always be a couple early emerging stones. Thats mother natures hedge for survival.
NOTE: Madison County has started work on replacing Blaines Spring Bridge and the Varney Bridge will be next. This means that Varney fishing access site cannot be reached by the west side (Varney Road). It can be reached by the 287 Highway side just north of the town of Cameron. Anyone self shuttling from Varney Bridge to 8 Mile Ford or Burnt Tree will have a long shuttle to do.
Keep your tip up!
Brian Rosenberg
Montana Fish Man
]]>