Montana - Madison River
Well I finally made it to Montana. The flight was pretty easy from Rochester to Chicago then to Bozeman. Flying into Bozeman I could see all the mountains but I could also see a few rivers that looked very muddy. I began to dread picking a date so early in June to fish Montana. I was wondering if the Rivers were really ready to fish. Once we arrived one of the first people I ran into was a guide (Salmon Fly in his hat 
) who reassured me that the fishing would be okay and that the Madison would be fine.
After getting the rental car, a Jeep Wrangler, my father-in-law and I made our way to Ennis. After getting lost for a short period of time we found our bearings and made our scenic way to Ennis. When you go down route 84 to Ennis you go through some beautiful countryside and then you come across the northern part of the Madison River that is above Ennis Lake. What a beauty! It is really exciting to see everyone fishing. You really feel like you have entered a special place for Fly Fishermen.
Once we got to Ennis we were both pretty hungry. We went to the local diner and had an okay lunch but found out later that the Ennis Pharmacy was really the place to eat. Oh well, maybe next time. After eating we took a manditory stop at the Madison River Fishing Company. They have anyting a fly fisherman could want. After dropping some coin here we hopped back in the Wrangler and made our way down the valley to our final destination.
About 45 minutes later we arrived at Papoose Creek Lodge. We were greeted by Madeline Alkire who helped us book our trip. She gave us a tour of this beautiful place and introduced us to the staff and some guests. She made us feel right at home.
After some futile attempts to hook a trout in the lodge pond, my father-in-law and I had a great dinner prepared by Chef Michael Showers and then were off to bed.
