Guide Reccomendation for the Upper Madison River?

[Baughb]

Hey friends (Ok, strangers)!

I've been blessed with a vacation to the Yellowstone/Teton area and I want to hire a guide for a day on the Upper Madison, Slide Inn/$3 Bridge area.

I have an idea of the shop that I'm gonna contact and hire out of but, if anyone has a recommendation, I would be really interested in that. Word of mouth as the best advertisement.

Bob

[briansII]

I stayed at the Slide Inn a number of years ago. I didn't use them, but Kelly has some good guides out of his shop. If you are in the Park, I'd look up Blue Ribbon Fly Shop. Again, I didn't use a guide on the trip, but they were very friendly and helpful. Their reputation precedes them.

briansII

[cutt lover]

Fished the area a couple of times........ If your going to fish the 3 dollar bridge area you may not need a guide unless you you want to fish from a drift boat. I've had a lot of sucess fishing the whole section wading with my daughter. She caught countless fish indicator nymphing both times we stayed in the area. Rented a house right by the bridge. She was 10 and 12 at the time. Fished the stonefly hatches as well as the PMD's. I'd just stop by Slide inn and buy some flies and pick there brains.
Zach

[Bernardito]

George Anderson's Yellowstone Angler in Livingston is my personal favorite.

[planettrout]

Hands down...if you want a guide:

http://www.blue-ribbon-flies.com/trips_ ... es/guides/

but, one does not NEED a guide to fish around $3.00 Bridge , go to BRF and Craig or his people will give you the skinny on what works...put the $$$ into purchasing his patterns...

Here is the HATCH CHART from BRF:




PT/TB

[Artin]

Check out these guys,
http://www.deaddriftoutdoors.com/

Ask for Tom Jones, very cool cat. Used to be a Mammoth local and an awesome no BS fisherman.... No pansy stuff. Met him through my Best man at his wedding and fished with him a bit too. All around awesome guy.

Hope this helps

Artin

[briansII]

Hey friends (Ok, strangers)!

I've been blessed with a vacation to the Yellowstone/Teton area and I want to hire a guide for a day on the Upper Madison, Slide Inn/$3 Bridge area.

I have an idea of the shop that I'm gonna contact and hire out of but, if anyone has a recommendation, I would be really interested in that. Word of mouth as the best advertisement.

Bob

Just a followup. The area you mentioned does not allow drift boats. If you want to do a float, it will be below the 3 Dollar Bridge section. As others said, you really do not need a guide for that area. Relatively small river, with well defined runs. One tip. Before stepping in the river, look right along the bank for fish.

briansII

[Baughb]

Well the trip was great! I hired a guide named Nate through the Slide Inn; Nate runs Trout On The Fly guide service. We did the wade and float sections and it rocked. Not a high fish count but, I remember each one especially the huge brown that had us running downstream to keep up. The best results came from obscenely huge streamers through deep buckets. Good day and I learned a lot. And yes, fishing it on my own was too fun as well and I will always be delightfully surprised of how big fish hang in such tiny buckets and side channels.

But as important... The Campfire for breakfast (along the Madison between the lakes) and the Grizzly for dinner (about 4 miles downstream of the $3 bridge) great food at both places.

Spent a couple of days on Flat Creek in Jackson as well. I'd have to be rich to live there because I could spend all day head hunting along that creek. Stunningly beautiful cutthroats that rise to tiny flies but will tackle a hopper with great enthusiasm.

No fish pics because I just get too excited to release the beauties plus the DSLR is heavy.

Thanks for the suggestions and the chart.

Bob

[FFFF]

I know this is too late...but I'd like to plug a guide I have used several times on the Madison. Earl from BigSkyAnglers is one top notch guide and an all around excellent person. He paid awesome attention to my Dad when we drifted with him and was very encouraging and put us in the best holes and runs.
Glad you got to fish the Upper.....my favorite piece of water in the world!!! BTW.....try staying at the Old Kirby Place at the West Fork.....great lodge and Bruce the owner is a super guy too.
Amazing food, great fishing all around there and a very comfortable lodge.