The river is in really good shape right now in terms of water color and flows, but the wind was ripping downstream which took the “zest” out of my ambitions for the day. Still, a few hours on the water, fly-fishing around Bozeman is something not to be taken for granted in January.

The fishing was less than stellar, but the rod felt great in the wind with a heavy indicator rig with a crayfish and little nymph setup. It goes without saying that the rod is incredibly beautiful, the reel seat, green finish, and hardware are fine examples of American craftsmanship. I paired the rod with a Rio Elite Indicator fly line as this rod will be used exclusively as a heavy nymphing rod, so it’s worth matching it with a specialty line to help get the most of out of the setup. Loaded on the Bauer RVR fly reel, the reel, rod, and line felt like a perfect setup in hand and while casting.

It looks like we have some mild weather through the early part of next week, but some more colder days heading our way with some snow in the forecast too. The lower Madison River is a great winter fly-fishing option near Bozeman with lots of easy public access in the lower Beartrap Canyon area. Head out there with a light dry fly setup on mild days and look for fish rising to Midges mid-day or take your favorite nymph rig with a crayfish and little nymph (Zebra Midge, Frenchie, Pheasant Tail, etc.) setup for some fun, winter fly-fishing.