montana

[trout whisperer]

whisperer sez: just got home after spending two days floating and wading the madison river in the area of ennis, montana. we caught many browns and rainbows in the 16-18" range, and even managed to haul in one 20" hog. about half the fish we caught were white fish. they were just as much fun to fight on a flyrod; they were just not as photogenic as the trout. we stayed at the madison river valley lodge in ennis, and they did a great job in every respect. the accommodations were excellent, and the food was really out of this world. i would recommend that place to anyone making the trip. we made all our arrangements through a place named the tackle shop which is located in downtown ennis. the manager is also an outfitter, so he can supply a guide with a boat as well as furnish any tackle that you need. they had no problem with my request to spend part of each day wading. i let them know up front that i didn't want to spend my whole time standing up in some mckensie boat, and they made sure that we had several good places to try wade fishing. the river flow was normal and the weather was beautiful. i guess the highlight of the trip was watching an eagle and an osprey fight in mid-air over a fish that the osprey had caught. what a sight!! if anyone wants any additional information on my trip, e-mail me. regards, TW