Morning - Starting Your Day Fly Fishing in the Garden
Your perfect day in the gardens starts with a hearty breakfast at the Pharmacy located on Main Street. Order the Indian fried bread as a side. Try to get there about 8am and give yourself about an hour. From breakfast to fishing it’s just a skip and a hop. Stop by Pic-a-nic Basket at 97 1st Street, Ennis Mt and get your bagged lunch. They make great lunches for your day in the water.
One of the many fantastic features about Ennis, Montana is that fantastic fishing is right out the back door. The Madison River rolls by right at the edge of town. Follow highway 287 for about a mile out of town and take the exit towards the quaint little hamlet of Jeffers. A little ways down the road you’ll find the exit to the Valley Garden fishing access. Locals call this area the gardens or the channels. The campground comes into sight right as you spot the river. A big pole with an Osprey nest on top marks the edge of the public access area. You park right by the water. Like most Montana fly fishing accesses there is a well maintained restroom (outhouse) right at the site.
On hot days, generally starting in June, you can wet wade this area. Water levels will be knee to hip deep with deep holes that can easily be avoided. The area forks into many channels that offer lots of grass banks. While black buggers with a beaded prince or copper john dropper are the old standby for overcast days, this area is perfect for the dry fly. Be prepared for a long hike and either bring water or filtration equipment.
You’ll want to get in around 9. While fishing can be great in all areas starting right at the camp ground, I recommend you hike down a bit and get some separation from the crowd (3 visible rods is generally a crowd down here). This is a wade fishing only area. You’ll see boats going through on the main channel which is on the right side going down river. For those of you that prefer solitude I recommend you hike down a mile or so and then make your way across river. It’s easy to get lost and separated in the channel. While I’m not a fan of technology on the water, it can save your day by getting you oriented. Google maps shows you exactly how far you’ve hiked down so you can estimate your time to get back or when the next fork will branch.
Bring a small plastic baggie to keep your phone dry. Pack some toilet paper lest you are fond of using foliage or sacrificing a few pages of your favorite book. If you hike in with multiple people I recommend bringing a spare rod. There is nothing that will ruin your day faster than having waded in for two hours and breaking your rod just as the perfect hatch comes off.
Read More Fly Fishing Packing Checklist for Montana
After you get on the water wade on down. The game is to keep on moving. Give them a few couple of looks and move on. Don’t try to hike this area all the way down to the lake. It’s too far and will exhaust you. If however you have a float tube or a pontoon boat, this is the place to launch it. Stay to the right near the main channel. You’ll spend about 4-5 hours floating down. Since fishing from the boat is not permitted you’ll pull over frequently or walk with your boat.
Afternoon - Leave Enough Time For Some of the Best Fly Fishing
Allow yourself at least an hour to fish the mouth of the river down by the lake. You’ll find big cruisers that come up for tasty bits. Much of this lake area is shallow and you can chase pods of fish by foot. Rather than row across the lake to Clute’s Landing boat launch, head right after you exit the main channel onto the lake. There are reeds close to the road where you’ll find a brand new fishing access. A small channel gets you closer to that access where you can portage off the water.
Evening - Recharge and Recount Your Pefect Fly Fishing Day
If you waded, time your day with sufficient sunlight to hike back up river. After a quick change of clothes, head to the Alley Bistro at 59 Hwy 287 on the other side of town for a great meal. They have very tasty food that is reasonably priced. Afer dinner, stop by Gravel Bar for a couple of beers and share your fish stories of the day with other fly fishermen.
Packing List for the Day
- Water or filtration equipment
- Fly: Woolybugger, Prince, Copper John, Caddis, Grasshopper, H&&L, Royal Wolf; Optional: your favorite lake flies if you plan to float down to the lake
- Flashlight – just in case you can’t resist the temptation to fish late
- Small zip lock bag to keep your phone dry
- Pack a rain jacket. You’ll be far down the river and deep into the channels. Weather changes quickly in these parts and temperatures can drop in the midst of hail even in summer. If you stumble and fill your waders a rain jacket can double as a shirt until it dries out.
- Schedule a pickup if you plan to float down to the lake or call Connie's shuttle service to schedule your car to be shuttled. You’ll get the business card for Connie’s shuttle service at the Madison River Fishing Company
- Toilet paper tucked into a ziplock bag
- The usual Sunscreen, polarized glasses and hat
- 4x leaders, 3,4,5x tippet, light split shot
- Optional float tube, pontoon and life vest
Don't forget to let us know how your day went!