If you are staying in Ennis there are six great trout streams within an hour, and hundreds of places to fish on each river. The options are endless. I have been a guide here for 30 plus years and have yet to fish them all.
The top 6 rivers near Ennis all provide ample opportunities for the most avid of fly fishermen:
Read More Top 8 Fly Fishing Rivers in Montana
Choosing a river to fish is an information game. What are the water levels here? What are the water temps there? What kind of bugs are happening, and when? Fishing is never a "good all the time, everywhere" thing but you can almost always find good fishing somewhere if you know where to look.
Getting the timing right at any location is the real trick. Do your research. Talk to fellow anglers. Get your finger on the pulse.
The best source of info is the boys behind the counter at Trout Stalkers and the Madison River Fishing Company, but the real score comes when you find something good that no one else is on. Somehow, catching big fish with just you and your buddies is the best. And the only way to find that is to do the miles. Fish, fish, fish!
Read More The Fly Shops of Ennis Montana
Unfortunately, it often takes time to find the diamonds in the ruff, and not everyone has the time to search out all the sweet spots. That’s why a guide is a good place to start. Depending on time and skill considerations, I usually suggest that people start with a guide early in their trip so they can learn what’s going on--what the techniques are and what flies to use. I often end up guiding people on the last day of their vacation. They finally learn what to do and how to do it, and then they have to head for home the next day.
Where, when, and how to catch fish is a fluid thing. It’s hard to keep up with, but once you find something good it is ever so gratifying. So choose your river, choose your guide and stay open to all new incoming information. Good luck out there!