I spend my summer in Ennis fly fishing the Madison and many other rivers . Salmonfly hatch on the Madison river is really a hit or miss . Some years there are loads of the big bugs and other years not so much. Unless there are plenty of salmonflies on the water the fish seem to ignore them. The Henrys Fork Salmon fly pattern has for me been the most productive pattern for me over the years. Hiring a guide is the best way to catch fish but not all guides are seasoned veteran's and some days the fish don't cooperate. Only time I hire a guide is if I decide to fish the Missouri River north of Helena in The Land of the Giants. Good Luck, Montana for me is the king of fly fishing and the Madison is my favorite river.