Howdy Parents,
The Montana Road Trip is off to a Hot start, literally. Like much of the country, Montana is experiencing an extreme heatwave. It took some adjustments to figure out what the fish wanted during these unusual conditions, but our group has begun to crack the code.
We have spent the last three nights camped outside of Ennis, MT on the Upper Madison. This section of river is still cold enough to fish all day long, but we have had the best success fishing early in the morning, taking a swim break during the hottest part of the day, and returning for the evening hatch after an early dinner. The famous Three Dollar Bridge and Valley Garden walk wade sections have been the group's favorite. We started hooking some big fish right from the start, but hooking these big experienced brown trout and landing them while on foot are two different things. We have seen the backing on multiple fish, bent a few hooks, and lost a few to the rocks. With every day our percentages have been going up, and the big fish have started to hit the net.
Tonight we will cool off with some ice cream and watch the fireworks in Ennis. Tomorrow we head to a new campsite along the Ruby River. The Ruby is home to some absolutely huge brown trout, and the group is excited to put their new skills to the test. We will send another update on the 8th.
Tight lines,
Pat, Will, Jeff, and the Crew.
