Dear Parents,
We hope this update finds everyone well!
Following the kids’ return from the Missouri River, which we absolutely crushed, we set out on the Madison once again. With some more experience under their belts and some more bugs on the water, the kids caught their fair share of Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and the occasional Whitefish. It's been great seeing everyone grow more and more comfortable reading and fishing the different varieties of trout water we have encountered on this trip, and the fishing is only going to get better as the rivers start running a little lower and clearer. Plus, the salmon flies are starting to show their wings!
We've spent the past few days on the Madison, after which we decided to switch things up and took the majority of the group to the Ruby River. While one group fished the Ruby, those who wanted to float the Madison did so in an effort to cover some more water and find some more fish. The group at the Ruby River had an unforgettable day, landing nearly 50 big Trout in crystal-clear water (not to mention sight-fishing some of them as well). The kids that floated the Madison were able to get their hands on some nice fish too, and continued to develop the practice-makes-perfect skill of fishing from a raft. Following an already long day, the kids were somehow eager to burn off even more energy, so we drove back to Ennis and played a game of ultimate frisbee on the Ennis field, followed by some football and even a little kickball.
Yesterday we switched things up yet again, trying to hit as much new terrain as possible, and took most of the group to the famous Gallatin River in an attempt to fish the salmon fly hatch. Because of the record snowfall in the Montana Rockies this year, combined with an unusually wet spring and early summer, the salmon fly hatch happened a few weeks later this year than it usually does. Luckily for us, this meant that we fell right into the sweet spot of the hatch, and the kids had an epic day throwing massive dry flies for hungry trout, with the beautiful backdrop of Big Sky Mountain only adding to the experience!
As our trip comes to a close, it has been a truly rewarding and satisfying experience watching all that the kids have accomplished and how far they have come not only as fly-fishermen, but also as young individuals. We are looking forward to wrapping things up on our final night with what will be a tasty steak banquet dinner, while watching the Montana big sky sunset one last time.
It’s been a blast spending these last ten or so days with the group, and we hope to see everyone again!
Tight lines for now and always,
Drew, Josh, Max, and the Crew
