October just showed up on the Madison and the fish are finally RSVPing — Trout Stalkers (guide Danny Eiden) reported on October 1, 2026 that the bite’s been climbing for weeks and it’s holding steady, with fall baetis, midges, and caddis throwing a party on the surface while streamer junkies are scoring good-to-great depending on the day, and nymph folk stacking stoneflies, worms, and caddis nymphs (the terrestrials up top are on their way out, so let the hoppers go gracefully).
The real chess move right now? Go skinnier on your tippet when the fish get picky, and skip the split shot entirely — with all the moss in the river, this guide just ties on a beefier bead to get down instead, so tinker with weight and diameter before you dump a fly you actually believe in.
Water’s thin though: Hebgen’s only letting out 665 cfs, leaving the river at 753 cfs at Kirby, 872 at Cameron, and 801 in Ennis as of October 1st — and below Varney it’s boney enough that rowers should either pick their line well or make peace with repainting some rocks, so play nice with other boats since everyone’s just white-knuckling it to the takeout. Load the box with Elk Hair Caddis, hoppers, Mini Dungeons, black Woolly Buggers, Pat’s Rubber Legs, and a Three Dollar Dip, and you’re speaking the river’s language.
Want to get in touch with Trout Stalkers? Here you go!
301 E. Main Street
Ennis, Montana 59729
(406) 682-5150
flyshop@montanatrout.com
Store Hours
Monday – Saturday | 8am – 6pm
Sunday | 8am – 4pm
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