Overview
Welcome to Southwest Montana's finest fly fishing adventures. Blue ribbon trout water is literally steps away when you visit us in the picturesque town of Ennis, Montana. You may spend the day on our home river, the world famous Madison or drive to one of our other local rivers such as the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby or the Jefferson. Whether you are a new angler or an old pro we have the expertise and patience to make your time on the water chasing wild trout a success.
Experience the Madison River Like Never Before
Learn the best spots on the Madison River with 3 great fishing days with Red Mountain Adventures. Eric Shores, with over 35 years of ... moreexperiencing guiding on the Madison River will take you down a journey of the best places to fish.
The journey starts on the Upper Madison River on a guided float trip covering about 8-11 miles of premier fly fishing water. The following day includes a recipe (location flies, and technique) on a do it yourself wade location near the fly fishing town of Ennis. The third day moves you on to where the Madison River dumps into Ennis Lake for a full float day stalking the giants.
Note: The order or location may change based on where the best spots are at the time.
Experience the Madison River Like Never Before
Learn the best spots on the Madison River with 5 great fishing days with Red Mountain Adventures. Eric Shores, with over 35 years of ... moreexperiencing guiding on the Madison River will take you down a journey of the best places to fish.
The journey starts on the Upper Madison River on a guided float trip covering about 8-11 miles of premier fly fishing water. The following day includes a recipe (location flies, and technique) on a do it yourself wade location near the fly fishing town of Ennis. The third day moves you on to where the Madison River dumps into Ennis Lake for a full float day stalking the giants. The following day provides instructions again for a do it yourself wade day. Location will depend on the hot locations during your visit. The final day is another full day float day on the lower Madison River. All together, you will experience the Madison River like never before by true expert.
Note: The order or location may change based on where the best spots are at the time.
With over 55 combined years of experience fishing Ennis Lake and Madison River, we have the deep knowledge needed to guide you to the monsters. Located in Ennis, Montana, one of the ... moretop fly fishing towns in the world, Red Mountain Adventures is conveniently located to help you with your fishing experience.
We'll take you to the land of giant trout that cruise Ennis Lake. Cast to rising trout or bring them in by stripping small lake buggers is a lot of fun. A day on Ennis lake is a special experience to enjoy the views and tangle with fincky monster trout.
With over 30 combined years of experience fishing the Ruby River, we have the deep knowledge needed to guide you down this Blue Ribbon River. Located in Ennis, Montana, one of the ... moretop fly fishing towns in the world, Red Mountain Adventures is conveniently located to help you with your fishing experience on the Ruby River.
Our guided wade trips on the Ruby River are perfect for:
First time anglers who come here first to get easy, effective, and mindful wade fishing instruction
Novices to experts who gain from our deep knowledge and instruction on wade fishing on the Ruby River
Book with us today and enjoy the best in Montana fly fishing.
With over 55 combined years of experience fishing the Montana rivers, we have the deep knowledge needed to guide you down this Blue Ribbon River. Located in Ennis, Montana, one of ... morethe top fly fishing towns in the world, Red Mountain Adventures is conveniently located to help you with your fishing experience on the Gallatin River.
Our guided float trips on the Gallatin River are perfect for novices to experts who gain from our deep knowledge and instruction on the Gallatin River. Book with us today and enjoy the best in Montana fly fishing.
With over 50 combined years of experience fishing the Jefferson River, we have the deep knowledge needed to guide you down this Blue Ribbon River. Located in Ennis, Montana, one of ... morethe top fly fishing towns in the world, Red Mountain Adventures is conveniently located to help you with your fishing experience.
Our guided float trips on the Jefferson River are perfect for:
Anglers looking for less angler traffic yet want to catch bigger fish
First time anglers who come here first to get easy, effective, and mindful instruction on fly fishing
Novices to experts who gain from our deep knowledge and instruction on the Madison River
Book with us today and enjoy the best in Montana fly fishing.
With over 55 combined years of experience fishing the Madison River, we have the deep knowledge needed to guide you down this Blue Ribbon River. Located in Ennis, Montana, one of the ... moretop fly fishing towns in the world, Red Mountain Adventures is conveniently located to help you with your fishing experience.
Our guided float trips on the Madison River are perfect for:
First time anglers who come here first to get easy, effective, and mindful instruction on fly fishing
Novices to experts who gain from our deep knowledge and instruction on the Madison River
Anglers with particular needs including stalking monsters, increasing the score card, or "dries only"
Book with us today and enjoy the best in Montana fly fishing.
The Upper Ruby is still fishing good. There are still lots of hoppers--you need to fish hoppers. You don't have to rush to get out ther. Show up around 11:00am or even 12:00. The Ruby ... moreis a nice place to fish away from the Conrow Fire and the Meyers Fire. It's a little cooler, a little les smoky. Fish up at the forest service access are smaller than the lower ruby: 8" to 13". Fifteen is a whopper. There have also been a few ants sighted, so the hopper ant combo is probably the ticket. If that doesn't work throw a little head under the hopper.
Tight lines
Date: Tuesday, 5 Sep, 2017
Calibatis hatch still going strong and good pods of rising fish every morning. Weather has been pretty consistent. Ennis Lake usually stays glassed off until 2:00 or 3:00pm. There ... moreare usually bugs on the water until the wind comes up. If you still haven't had enough you can go out in the middle and free drift beggars in the wind.
Lots of fish in the lake this year, but they are very hard to catch. You have to go down to 5x and the timing has to be perfect. You have to put it down soft and right on the money. Madison river fishing Co. has some very realistic calibatis patterns which seem to help. But overall it is not a game for children. Great eye candy though.
Date: Tuesday, 5 Sep, 2017
Fishing is starting to shift gears on the Madison. Dry fly fishing is starting to slow down and the streamer fishing is getting better every day. Hoppers and ants are still playing ... morepretty well in the late afternoon, but they seem to be getting wise to the combo. Lots of false strikes. Yesterday I fed 3 live hoppers to a fat 16 inch brown. Once I put the fake over him. He came up slashes at it twice, never ate it, then went home.
Fish streamers all day, catch a few giants. Or go to dries in the afternoon for action.
PS. The smoke sux
Date: Tuesday, 5 Sep, 2017
Water levels have somewhat leveled off the Madison at the Kirby ranch ended up at about 2500 and up coming cool weather ought to send it back down toward normal. About 1150 cfs. I ... moredon't think it will get all the way back to normal, it is going to stay high. But it fall with next week's cold weather. This should offer up some excellent fishing operating ties. Although high, the water is already starting to clear up. We only need about a foot of visibility coupled with falling flows and it should be show time.
This last spike in flow was not it for runoff. There is still lots of snow. There is going to be another spike. It's just a matter of when and how big. If this combination of hot then cool weather continues, it could be a be a very civil runoff. Might even be able to fish right through it. Time will tell. Tight lines
Date: Friday, 12 May, 2017
Ennis lake is starting to warm up and so have the fish. Fish have been starting about noon then it slows down late afternoon. Not a lot of bugs on top yet, but you can catch them on ... morenymphs. Recent warm weather has started a bit of runoff. Lake is still crystal clear. That doesn't mean some color is going to kill fishing. Sometimes they like a little color.
Early lowland run off in April caused the big hole to jump from around 450 cfs to just over 2000. This pre runoff really kickstarted the fish. The fish turned on as soon as it started ... moreto fall. it has now stablized around 1500 and fishing remains good on both dries and wets.
There are still a few squalla bugs around so a size 8 chubby chernoble has been a good one especially with a San Juan worm hanging hanging about 2 ft below it if there is a little cloud cover, you can expect a good hatch of march browns by about 1:00. If the march brown do show up look for risers. There are only 400 fish per mile on the Jeff as compared with over 2000 for the Madison. Look for the fish there not everywhere. If you can get a few clouds, streamer fishing stays pretty good all day but the big show is the march browns in the afternoon .
Date: Tuesday, 2 May, 2017
The spawning rainbow thing is going off between quake and hebgan. The rainbows are moving up out of quake lake and stacking up below hebgan dam, but it's no big secret. You will have ... morecompany. It seems to be a race to the first soft water below hebgan. It's a great hole full of fish but angler density is a little to high for me. Down closer to quake lake there are a couple of small channels on the other side of the river that are chalk full of rainbows, if your a strong enough wader to cross the main river. Due to high snow pack they have already started raising flows. As of yesterday it was up to 1400. Which is high for this time of year. Wading caution is called for.
As far as flies. Spaghetti and meat balls "San Juan worm and an egg ball". Have been the best. Although you can still find the bigger fish on a black biggest. Over all fishin is good just expect company.
Date: Thursday, 4 May, 2017
Here comes fishin season. The Mother's Day cadis hatch has popped on the lower Madison. More and more bugs every day. Fishing is best when the sun is off the water. Yesterday we fished ... morelate and that seemed to do the trick. We put on at warm springs about 4:00 in the afternoon. Hardly any bug activity until almost 6:30, but they finally did show up and the fish were looking up. We ended up with about a dozen fish by the time we got to the damsel fly takeout. We got out about 8:00 and it was still going off and there was still plenty of light. I wished we would have moved a little slower. As far as mid day is concerned the usual nymph streamer combinations. Seem to be the ticket. Bunny fur or rubber with a size 16 prince has been the best for me. Fishing during the day has been ok but the real show seems to be in the evening all the way to dark
We are in a transition period for the upper Madison. It doesn't know if it is still summer or if fall has really arrived. The upper mad does this every year. Fishin looses it consistency ... moreone day it is good next fishing falls through the floor. The bugs available to the fish are becoming more and more scarce. They are making to the transition back to a fish based diet. Sculpins and juvenile whitefish are fast moving to the top of the menu Streamers of all sorts are beginning to work, but it still pays to put a bead behind it. I think fishing is going to continue to get more and more sketchy The upper Madison becomes a river of extremes in the fall, offering some of the best fishing of the season. But also some of the worst. Every time one door closes another opens. See ya on the lower. E shores
Date: Tuesday, 20 Sep, 2016
Upper Madison isn't sure whether it is still summer or fall. Everything semis to be working Kind of. Nothing is really killing them. Still if your willing to stay with a streamer. ... moreYou'll end up with a few shots at good fish. Hoppers and ants after it warms up in the afternoon are still getting good action. But not seeing much in the size department.
Date: Wednesday, 31 Aug, 2016
Anni Shores loves catching big browns and teaching beginners the art of fly fishing." My patience is legendary, just ask Eric". Together we have over 50 years of experience.
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Eric Shores has been guiding clients on Montana Rivers for over 32 years. He's as wily as any old brown trout when it comes to getting his clients on to fish and his stories will entertain ... moreyou along the way. Many of our clients have become life long friends after a memorable day on the water with Eric.
Think it’s too late to plan a Labor Day weekend fishing trip? Think again. Summer is winding down, but that doesn’t mean you missed your opportunity to get out and enjoy some fly fishing.
Category: Fly Fishing, Perfect Fishing Days
Added Date: Tuesday, 29 Aug, 2017
As Memorial Day Weekend arrives, busy season kicks in for most popular fishing hotspots. The key to survival is usually to plan ahead, especially if you’re looking to fish with a guide ... more(things can get pretty crazy over the holiday weekend).
Category: Fly Fishing, Planning, Insider, Perfect Fishing Days
Added Date: Thursday, 25 May, 2017
As temps begin to rise, snow in the high country starts melting, and creeks and rivers begin to swell. This adds a whole new dimension to my choices of where to go fishing.
Category: Fly Fishing, Planning
Added Date: Monday, 8 May, 2017
It was about 1978 when I started my career as a fishing guide on the Madison. Back then, no one ever seriously fished wet flies, streamers or nymphs.
Added Date: Monday, 14 Nov, 2016
One of the most important items in the fishing vest is your thermometer. Sometimes temps are the most crucial factor when choosing a place to fish.
Category: Fly Fishing, Perfect Fishing Days, Fly Fishing for Beginners
Added Date: Thursday, 27 Oct, 2016
I went out to my car yesterday morning and what did I find? Just imagine. Ice! Only three weeks into August and I already have ice on my windshield. My first thought was "oh no ... morethere goes my garden." But it was my second thought that really got me fired up – brown trout.
Category: Fly Fishing, Insider, Perfect Fishing Days
Added Date: Friday, 26 Aug, 2016
You've had plans with your buddies for two weeks now, the weather is awesome, you’ve got a cooler full of beers, you remembered your license and you actually left as early as you ... morehad planned on, perfect!!! But, you show up to the boat ramp and realize EVERYBODY else had the same plan as you. Bummer.
Category: Fly Fishing, Planning, Insider
Added Date: Friday, 19 Aug, 2016
After a day of horseback riding we pulled into Ennis campground, and I could feel the excitement building in my gut. We quickly compared our mental notes on this fishing location. ... moreWhat are the best spots? How would be divide it up? What flies should we use?
Category: Fly Fishing, Perfect Fishing Days
Added Date: Tuesday, 26 Jul, 2016
The following morning I woke up as the sun began to shine through the window. I looked at my watch. Yuck! 7am. It was too late. I couldn’t go back to sleep so I lay there going over ... moremy plan for the day of horseback riding. Do we get them up early and eat breakfast or let them rise on their own and have hot cocoa and doughnuts at the Rainbow? Doughnuts sounded good. So it was settled.
Category: Fly Fishing, Planning, Lodging, Meals, and Fun
Added Date: Wednesday, 20 Jul, 2016
Since Ethan was born, I have been hoping he would find passion in fly-fishing like I do. The idea of traveling the world and finding new fishing adventures together would be a dream ... morecome true. I waited patiently for his coordination, focus, and patience to develop enough to get him out on the water. With Ethan, I knew there would only be one opportunity to introduce him to fly-fishing, and if he was not enthralled, there would not be a second time.
Category: Fly Fishing, Planning, Lodging, Meals, and Fun
Added Date: Wednesday, 20 Jul, 2016
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