Madison River Montana Fly Fishing Beginning of September

[wiscohunter123]

Not sure if can post this here, but this year as i didn't pull any tags i am going to Montana with my gf for 4 days and we are looking to do some fly fishing/site seeing, and things like that. We really dont care if we catch anything but obviously would like to but more interested in good views and the experience. We are looking at the Madison River as we are camping by Bozeman. Can anyone give us any tips/starting locations on the Madison or any other places we should check out while in that area. Doesn't necessarily have to be for fly fishing either.

 

[Awfulhunter]

The Gravelly Range on west side of the Madison River has excellent car camping and scenic driving in September. Also 4 wheeling if that's your thing. The Madison Range to the east of the Madison River has excellent hiking and backpacking if that's your thing. It's largely Wilderness. Either way, bring bear spray. Have a blast!

 

[wiscohunter123]

The Gravelly Range on west side of the Madison River has excellent car camping and scenic driving in September. Also 4 wheeling if that's your thing. The Madison Range to the east of the Madison River has excellent hiking and backpacking if that's your thing. It's largely Wilderness. Either way, bring bear spray. Have a blast!

Thanks for the tip! Ill look into both of them!

 

[Johnny Tyndall]

I'd check on local conditions. Rivers seem really low and warm this year.

Red Lodge area is beautiful and you can drive a loop through the Beartooth Highway into Yellowstone and back to Bozeman that's really cool.

 

[el_jefe_pescado]

I'd check on local conditions. Rivers seem really low and warm this year.

Red Lodge area is beautiful and you can drive a loop through the Beartooth Highway into Yellowstone and back to Bozeman that's really cool.

^came here to say this. cold water is hard to come by right now. But the Yellowstone basin is still in good(ish) shape.

 

[Esteban]

Here's a fish my uncle caught out of the Madison one time. Bunyan bug stonefly number 2. He lost his hat and cigarettes though

 

[Clovis]

Consider checking out some of the smaller streams up in the national forests nearby. I have fished the Madison and a sampling of smaller waters on foot and really preferred the smaller stuff--no other people around, great scenery, and some good fish on dries. Almost anything that looked like good water was good water. It is counter-intuitive to an easterner, but some of the streams are much bigger once you get up above the private land because water is diverted to agriculture, so you can't easily judge the potential of a stream from where it hits the roads down in the valley. Like everywhere, the willingness to hike a bit can get you away from other people and into less pressured fish. It has been a few years since I have been to the Madison, but i couldn't believe the driftboat traffic on that river--not saying it is bad, but too many people for my taste. I may also suffer from as easterner's discomfort with fishing a gigantic river so you should factor that into what you take away from what I say.