About 
Dear Friends,

Spring has finally arrived in the Madison Valley. Every day the landscape of both the valley and the town changes. Green grass has started to appear, the river is fishing well, every day we see more trucks pulling drift boat than snowmobiles and town is getting its summer buzz back. Things are starting to come together. We have completed our redesign of the retail store space. Come by and check it out. We feel it has a more open feel. Guides calendars are starting to fill up. It is going to be a very busy season here in the Cultural Epicenter of trout.
Our winter snow pack is slightly below normal sitting around 85%. This can change and in fact currently the high country is getting pounded with snow as the valley sees rain. Let's all do our snow dance one more time to ensure cold water and dry fly days all summer.

If you have not had a chance please check out the new Tackle Shop Website. You can book your trips, buy the best fishing gear around and keep up to date with what's going on in the Trout Kingdom. This website has been quite a project and we are really proud of how it turned out. Buy any product and use code May Newsletter to get 20% off. Everyone needs a new rod or fly line to start the season.

Our new summer staff starts work this week. Come by the store and meet Manny, Riley and Kaylie along with the standard crew from years past.

With the virus fading and most people getting vaccinated the outdoor events Ennis is known for are back on for the summer of 2021. Fourth of July Parade, Rodeo, Brew Fest, Fly Fishing Festival and the Art Festival are all planning on full and open events.

We have a feeling this is going to be a great summer. We look forward to welcoming back all of our friends old and new. We hope to see everyone in Ennis soon.

As always please let us know how we can be of assistance and make your trip to Montana and Yellowstone easier.


We are here to help.

 Good Fishing and God Bless,
John Way
New Flights to the Trout Kingdom
Now, the Trout Kingdom is even easier to get to. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport just announced some new arrivals. SouthWest Airlines will be providing the world class friendly service they are known for starting May 27. Avelo Air will provide direct flights from Burbank Airport. Also, American will provide non stop service from Charlotte NC. Delta, American and Alaska Air have also increased flights for the summer and fall season.
Save Time Book Online!
With the addition of the new website now our guests have the option to BOOK all their fly fishing guided trips and packages online. You can check availability, book single guide days and even multi day packages with lodging. All is super secure and can be done from the comfort of your living room.
Mothers Day Caddis
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Each year about this time a prehistoric event happens on the Madison River and other rivers in Southwest Montana. The water warms up and the first big hatch of the year happens. Brachycentrus occidentallis (Mothers Day Caddis).

The hatch usually corresponds with Mothers Day hence the name. While this hatch may be hard to predict and water and weather conditions make timing tricky if you get to experience it you will never forget it. Thousands of caddis emerge at the same time and produce a feast of biomass for hungry trout. While most people love fishing the dry fly version of the mothers day hatch it might be the least effective. When the fish are up eating the dry flies there are literally hundreds of thousands to choose from. Competing with lots of naturals never works out. We love fishing the emergence with soft hackle flies. The great thing is mothers day caddis ride to the surface fast and takes can be explosive.

If you in the area the first few weeks of May your in luck. The weather and water conditions are looking like this might be the year for great fishing. Stop by the store or give us a call and we can help you out on bugs, where to fish and how to take advantage of this opportunity.
Important Dates in 2021
Planning a trip to Southwest Montana in 2021? Here are a few important dates you may want to plan around.

  • June 5th 2021 - The town of Ennis is bring back "Brew Fest". Breweries and Wineries from all around the state will be setting up tasting booth's at the Lyon's Club Park. Enjoy a great day of fishing on the Madison and cap it off by tasting some of the best beer and spirits Montana has to offer.

  • July 3rd and 4th - The fourth of July is one of our favorite times of the year to be living in Ennis, MT. For one this is usually peak dry fly season and you can usually catch the last bit of the world famous "Salmonfly Hatch" Second, there are countless activities around town that don't revolve around fishing. The Ennis rodeo is a town favorite and normally draws a big crowd. Watch some real Montana cowboys and girls compete at the Ennis fairgrounds. Finally, the Fourth of July parade is a staple in Ennis. Floats from local businesses and organizations line the street. Seeing the entire community of the Madison Valley show it's support is one event you do not want to miss.

  • September 2nd-4th - The Ennis Fly-Fishing Festival will be held the 2nd-4th of September. Dealers such as Scientific Angler's, Costa, Orvis, Simms, Adipose and many more will be in Ennis to showcase their products. Speaker's such as Kelly Galloup will make presentations. Fly casting competitions for pro's, amateurs, and kids will be held. Join us in Ennis for this event you will not want to miss. For those wanting to plan a fishing trip around this event. The beginning of September is usually peak Grasshopper/Terrestrial time. This is a great time of year to be fishing as this is when we see some of the biggest fish of the year.
Fishing Access Sign Logo Short Sleeve T Shirt
$25.00
Orvis Clearwater Rod Reel Boxed Outfit
$376.00
Scientific Anglers "Amplitude" Infinity Textured Line with AST Plus
$129.95
Orvis Womens Pro 1/2 Zip Fleece
$119.00
Lure Me Inn Under New Ownership
Recently, our long time friend Tony fulfilled his lifelong dream of owning a small hotel in Montana and purchased the Lure Me Inn. Big changes are already in the works but the same down home atmosphere will remain.

We partnered with Tony to create some great stay and fish packages that are super comfortable on both the angler and the wallet. If you have not stayed at the Lure Me Inn give them a try on your next adventure to the Cultural Epicenter of Trout.




Did you fish with us in 2020? Please leave us a review!
The Tackle Shop 
127 Main Street, P.O. Box 625, 
Ennis, MT 59729
(406) 682 4263