Alice Owsley of Riverside Anglers is our Madison River Fly Fishing guru today, and she’s reeling in a boatload of wisdom.
We unlock the secrets of Montana’s most fished river, share tips for DIY angling adventures, and the different hatches out there.
Madison River Fly Fishing with Alice Owsley. Hit play below!
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(Read the Full Transcript at the bottom of this Blog Post)
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Madison River Fly Fishing Show Notes with Alice Owsley
03:00 – Alice initially aimed to become a forest entomologist and was fly fishing for fun on the side. After a summer job in Oregon and a week-long journey across Montana, her experience at the Federation of Fly Fishers Conclave in Livingston sparked her interest in the fly fishing industry.
04:20 – Alice also connected with the International Women Fly Fishers and met some amazing women. Although she completed her major in Forestry, she really had her sight set on moving west at some point and being in the fishing industry.
The Madison River
09:00 – According to Alice, the Madison River is the most fished river in Montana. She shared valuable tips for those interested in DIY fishing in that region:
A. Do a little scouting.
B. Step back and don’t be in a huge hurry.
C. Wait and see what’s going on.
D. Make a plan.
E. Be safe like you would be in any new water.
17:40 – We delve into what sets the Madison River apart as the busiest river in all of Montana, comparing it to other renowned waters like the Big Hole, the Bighorn, Beaver, and more.
18:20 – Madison River is well-known because of the consistent water temperature maintained by the Hebgen Dam.
21:20 – We also touched upon the Montana Stream Access Law.
23:30 – In some of our earlier episodes, we talked to Kelly Galloup about streamer fishing and also about dry flies. Alice shared her expertise on the various techniques she uses throughout the year when guiding.
25:54 – Alice incorporates wet flies into her guiding program, but we also delve into the reasons some fishing guides might not include wet flies in their programs.
30:00 – We’re headed back to Ohio this year with Jeff Liskay and Rick Kustich for our Steelhead Alley trip. So, I asked Alice where she steelhead fishes when in Ohio.
40:00 – We talked about resources for learning about hatches in specific waters. Alice mentioned several options, such as hatch charts available in other anglers’ fishing reports, classes offered at local fly shops, and Dave Whitlock’s book on trout foods.
44:50 – The Madison River officially starts at the Madison Junction, which is 14 miles from West Yellowstone in Yellowstone National Park, and it is the confluence of the Firehole and Gibbon Rivers.
Riverside Anglers
46:56 – Alice guides both wade and float trips on the Madison River, as well as wade trips in Yellowstone National Park. In addition to that, she teaches at a women’s fly fishing school in June and serves as an instructor at the Anglers Academy.
54:00 – Alice uses the Loon Outdoors Camo Drops Split Shot.
You can find Alice on Instagram @riversideanglers
Facebook at Riverside Anglers, Inc.
Visit their website at Riverside Anglers Inc.
Madison River Fly Fishing Resources Noted in the Show
Madison River Fly Fishing Videos Noted in the Show
Related Podcast Episodes
WFS 421 – The Anglers Academy with John Hudgens – Henry’s Fork, Bolivia, Dry fly Fishing
WFS 195 – Belize Fly Fishing with Lori-Ann Murphy – Bonefish, Tarpon, Permit
Read the Full Podcast Transcript Below
Madison River Fly Fishing Conclusion with Alice Owsley
We’ve had a blast riding the Madison River’s waves of wisdom with Alice Owsley today. Have you ever fished the Madison River? Share your adventure with us in the comments!