Welcome!
I want to extend warm Yellowstone welcome to you, and thank you for reading my first blog entry. I decided to develop this site to begin telling the past twenty-year conservation story of the Madison River and its valley, along with that of Yellowstone National Park’s fishery programs, and more. If you love Yellowstone and the Madison, and other southwestern Montana rivers, wild and native fish and wildlife, and wild places I urge you to become involved in protecting and preserving these resources for all future generations.
In future entries we will examine many successful conservation stories this area has seen during the last 2 decades along with a hard look at future projects and programs. Along the way you can expect current fishing reports, wildlife news, fun hikes and fly-tying news, and much more.
Thank you for being a part of these adventures and I hope you tell your friends to come along and join us.
December 30, 2019
Today I was determined to fish the river only to have slush ice flows stymie my plans. Last night temps dipped near zero causing anchor and frazil ice to form. By 2p.m. air temps had warmed into the mid-20’s and ice flows broke loose and made for near impossible fishing conditions downstream of Lyon Bridge. Still, I knotted on a #4 black rubber legged stonefly nymph and attempted to cast to open water pieces between the ice flows. One in four presentations managed to sink the fly before becoming hung up on ice. In an hour slugging it out I scored 2 beautiful rainbow trout, both 15” and beginning to show spawning colors even though we’re fully 2 months away. Heading home I could not have been happier with my 2wild trout.
Back home Jackie and I sat at my fly-tying desk enjoying hot chocolate. Me working on a couple black rubber leg stone nymphs while she scanned the Madison Range with our spotting scope in search of mountain goats and bighorn sheep. Tomorrow we’ll head south to chase quail with our 3 shorthairs returning home in time for winter midge fishing to begin late January. Stay tuned here for quail and fish reports to follow and thanks again for joining our new adventure!