Yesterday Jackie and I loaded up fishing gear and headed to $3 Bridge on the Madison River. The truck’s thermometer read 27 degrees when we arrived at the parking lot. Our only company were several mule deer grazing the nearby hillside, nosing thru the snow to feed on sparse sheep and Idaho fescue.
I walked over to the informational sign at the old safe that still stands guard at the site. Every year many anglers inquire about this safe, wondering its purpose and why it is still there. The old cowboys who once owned this incredible section of the Madison River and 5,600 acres surrounding it put the safe there over 50 years ago asking anglers to deposit a daily fee of three dollars that would allow them rights to trespass and fish the area.
There was a sign at the safe announcing to anglers the program to pay $3, park and fish there. Check out the photo below.
Old sign at 3$ bridge, Madison Valley, Montana.
Today the sign is gone and parking is free, and the area along the river is publicly owned by all of us. Check out the photo of the “Acknowledgement” board.
Over 20 years ago we worked with partners on the $3 Bridge Access Acquisition to ensure several miles of the Madison River and surrounding uplands were placed either in public hands, or under strict conservation easement protections forever keeping the area free from harmful streamside development, protecting and enhancing wild trout habitat and allowing the public to fish, hike and enjoy this incredible wild trout river and wildlife habitat, forever.
I looked to the east, across Highway 287, over the Olifee Ranch and into the Madison Mountain Range within the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area recalling the conservation easement we’d worked on there too. This easement completed the over 2-mile walking path so anglers, birders and hikers could forever walk and wade the river from Raynolds Bridge downstream joining the $3 Bridge access already in place. Too, the Olifee family’s easement secures public access for hunters and hikers, cross country skiers and birders to forever enjoy the ranch and adjoining wilderness.
I tell friends that I am the luckiest guy I know. I’ve been able to live and work, hunt and fish, hike and explore the wonders in the incredible Madison River and its valley resource for over 40years.
Yesterday, staring off at this wild place, I finally pinched myself and woke-up to the main reason Jackie and I were there. Calm conditions and warming temperatures mean winter midges will emerge from the river and wild trout will rise for them. I’d tied up a few new midge patterns the past week and was anxious to try them on rising trout.
We sat on the bank upstream of the venerable old bridge and waited for trout to begin coming to the surface for emerging midges.
We were not disappointed. Within minutes the fish began rising. At first a few small fish came up, we did not cast, instead waiting for larger fish to show. Within minutes larger fish took over, forcing the smaller trout out of prime feeding lanes. Big noses broke the surface and we were in for an hour of fine winter dry-fly fishing before the wind came up, temps dropped and we headed home for hot chocolate and fly tying. One of my new flies worked very well and is, as so many successful flies are, almost too easy to tie! I’ll share it here soon so stay tuned.
Winter midge fishing on the Madison River, Montana.