After a nasty cold spell, things are starting to warm up around the trout kingdom of Ennis, MT. As March roles around so does the promise of spring fishing. Spring is one of our favorite seasons to be on the Madison river. Why? Because of how underrated the fishing can be in late March through April. Towards the end of March, trout have been in a dormant state, expending as little energy as possible. As the water temps start increasing, trout are more willing expend more energy to eat. This means you will be able to find fish in slightly faster water and you will not necessarily have to hit a fish directly on the head to get it to eat. Our favorite way to fish in spring is by throwing streamers. Once the water gets above 45 degrees it is game on. Fish are more than willing to start chasing the big stuff. After living off of size 20 midges for the past 4+ months, trout are looking for a big meal. Targeting slow pockets, sun flats, and tailouts are a great way to find these fish. If you keep at it, this is a great way to eventually run into some very large fish. The further in to April, the more we will start to see rainbows move into their spawning grounds. When wading, be careful not to walk over reds, and don't target fish that are posted up doing their thing on reds.
