About 
Dear Friends,

The summer tourist season has arrived in Montana. The weather is warming up, the snow is receding on the Mountains and the summer buzz on Main Street has started. By all accounts this is going to be a really busy summer. The pent up demand along with the risks of oversees travel make the American West a prime summer vacation destination. Hotels, rental cars, dinner reservations and fishing guides all over Montana are reporting large bookings and limited availability. It is understandable why Montana is seeing such an influx in summer traffic. Montana has always been a great place to get away from it all and the original social distancing location. If you have a plane ticket in hand and want to experience Our Montana with a guided trip we should talk soon..

The salmon fly hatch is on the horizon this month. Giant bugs emerging and hungry fish make this the premier hatch in all of Montana. Combine this with almost arctic length days means it is all fishing all the time. We have a expanded selection of salmon flies patterns in nymph and drys and drowned adults. Stop by the store and get stocked up before the rush. Salmon fly hatch can be a crazy time.

We are all staffed up for the busy season ahead. Take a look below at some of the new team members. Stop by the store and introduce yourself to the new guys and gals. The entire team of stop staff and guides are excited to serve you this summer.

The entire town of Ennis is excited to be back in the 4th of July business. This is our finest day: the rodeo, parade, car show , pancake breakfast, Lyons Club lunch are all a go! It is back to normal in the Trout Kingdom on Freedom Day. Come celebrate with us.

Our store is stocked to the rafters with rods, reels, cool clothing, bobbers, nippers, tippets and everything need to help you have a better Montana Fly Fishing Experience. Come on by the store and check out the new inventory or on the WEBSITE. You can now buy everything from the store from your home. On your first online order put in code SALMONFLY to get 20% your first item. Our little welcome gift to you.

We are all extremely excited to welcome all our friends from out of state back to Montana this summer. Remember if there is anything we can do please give us a call.


We are here to help.

 Good Fishing and God Bless,
John Way
5 Years in a Row of Kicking Plastic
For the 5th year in a row all of our guided trips will be single use plastic free. We made a commitment to eliminate the use of single use plastic water bottles on all guided trips. To date we have eliminated about 12000 plastic bottles from the landfill. We give each guest on a guided trip a water bottle for them to keep. Our guides have bulk water to refill when needed during the trip. Many of our guests have the entire collection of colors of water bottles from past years as momento's of their Montana Adventure.
Salmon Fly Time on the Madison River
The annual emergence of prehistoric insects is almost upon us. While the east is dealing with the 17 year cicada we have the yearly salmon fly. This insect lives in the water in nymph form for 4 years and picks just the right time during the end of June to emerge. While most trout offerings are tiny the salmon fly are almost 3 inches in length and have that famous orange body. During a good hatch the air above the river is alive with flying , mating, and egg laying insects. This drives the fish wild. In fact the fish often eat so much so fast they become dormant. Imagine several days of Thanksgiving dinner . It has been reported that fish eat approximately 40% of their protein intake for the year during this window.

If an angler hits it right the fishing can be like nothing they ever experienced.
Common strategy holds that anglers need to be on the front end of the emergence. The bugs start hatching down river and move up every day. Others feel being two to three days behind the emergence is the best place to be. Once the fish get over the first glut they are on the hunt for another big meal day.

This systematic movement of bugs upriver makes for interesting strategy sessions in the store during daily guide meetings. However you play it the salmon fly hatch is an exciting and productive time to be fishing The Madison River.

Some guides are booked years in advance for the hatch with guests reserving their best guess on dates. If you're looking to hit the hatch this year we should get a few dates on the schedule. Usually salmon flies hatch sometime from June 20 till July 15. In fact in many years we have consistent salmon fly fishing during that entire window. When will the hatch peak this year? With the lower than expected snow pack which will impact slightly higher water temps, we feel the hatch will start earlier than normal. Keep in mind mother nature plays a big hand in all of this and things can and will change. Whenever it happens the fish and the fisherman will take notice. Both will start their annual dance and both will have their lives forever altered.

Meet the New Tackle Shop Team Members
Kaylie Palmer
Growing up in Livingston, Montana, I have acquired a wild and overflowing obsession for the outdoors of Montana. From tight mountain couloirs in the winter, to tight lines on the river during the warm months, you can find me doing every activity Montana has to offer throughout the year. Throwing dry flies at risers in the summer, hunting rutted up Mule deer in November, and painting fresh ski tracks on soft snow in the winter are just some of the activities that crowd my schedule. There’s always something new to explore and I can’t wait to discover all that the Madison Valley has to offer!
Manny Hernandez
I grew up blessed calling the Madison Valley and its blue ribbon waters home. I have guided dog sledding in both Montana and Alaska, backcountry horse packed and all around lived the outdoor lifestyle. My time this year will be spent between the store and learning the ropes as a guide in training. I believe dogs are better than most people for fishing partners .
Riley Smith
I grew up in Colorado but made my way to Montana to chase trout last year. I am a plumber by trade but have swapped my pipe wrench for a fly rod. I have been fly fishing for 11 years and even did a summer as a guide in Colorado. I am excited to spend the summer learning the ropes of the Montana fly fishing industry. I believe gummy worms are always on the menu as trout food.
Important Dates in 2021
Planning a trip to Southwest Montana in 2021? Here are a few important dates you may want to plan for.

  • 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.
Great Gear for Summer Fishing
Orvis Men's Drirelease Pullover Hoodie
Our guides favorite shirt for summer fishing.
$89.00
Orvis Women's Pro Sun Hoodie
These new Pro Sun Hoodies from Orvis are just awesome!
$98.00
Orvis Clearwater Rod Reel Boxed Outfit
A great Rod, Reel, Line combo ready to fish at a great price
$376.00
Orvis Mini Sling Pack
The perfect sized pack for a day on the water. Now in the new Fishy Wear Pattern.
$79.00
4th of July in the Cultural Epicenter of Trout
Fourth of July in the Trout Kingdom is our best day of the year. The entire town is polished to a high shine. Parades, rodeo, car shows, pancake breakfast and Lyons BBQ lunch are all designed to entertain.

It is a small town Fourth of July from a bygone era. If you feel the real world is just too fast and want to step back to when life was good and simple give this event a try. The Theme for this years parade is "What I love about Ennis" .




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