In This Newsletter
- The Fly Fishing Show – Edison, NJ
- Common Trade Show Questions
- Madison River Management Plan Update
- Snowpack
The Fly Fishing Show – Edison, NJ
Our first of two shows in 2022 – We will be at The Fly Fishing Show in Edison, New Jersey.
January 28, 29 & 30 – We will be located in booth #337 – highlighted in pink below.
Location
- The New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center
- 97 Sunfield Ave.
Edison, NJ 08837 - Directions from Bozeman, MT to our booth – click HERE
Show Hours
- Friday, January 28th – 9am-6pm
- Saturday, January 29th – 8:30am -6pm
- Sunday, January 30th – 9am-4:30pm
Cash only at the gate
No need to wait in line
Advance Tickets Sale Here
Adult
- One-day pass $18
- Two-day pass $28
- Three-day pass $38
Children 5 and Under: Free
Children 6-12: $5
Scouts under 16 in uniform: Free
Military with ID: $10
We will follow all national, state and local health protocols related to COVID-19 at the time of the show. We recommend following all CDC guidelines in terms of mask wearing and vaccination. We strongly encourage attendees to stay home if they are sick or have any symptoms of COVID-19, and to get tested for COVID-19.
BOOTH #337 – EDISON, NJ
Common Trade Show Questions
Here are four of the most popular questions we receive and our answers.
- Where is your shop located? This is a popular question and a good one. Not all outfitters in Montana have a brick and mortar storefront, and we are one of those. Fly shops need to move inventory and thus may charge guests for flies and leaders. We have no desire to sell you flies, leaders, tippet, rods or waders. Not having a storefront allows us to include all tackle on our guide trips at no extra charge. We also feel charging extra for flies is a distraction on how you fish; as you start to lose those $3.00 flies two at a time (because most guides run a tandem setup), anglers start to compromise how they fish because they are more concerned about losing another fly (or two flies) when they should be rolling the dice to get that fly closer to the log or branch where the fish is located.
- Where do we stay during our fishing trip? We have several lodging options for anglers including vacation rentals for small or large groups, groups that like to cook their own meals, recommendations for hotels depending on where we are scheduled to fish, inclusive packages, or camping suggestions if traveling with a camper or RV. Guides representing us on the water will pick you up at your lodging location or meet you at a location convenient for you and them. We tailor trips to each angler’s needs based on the anglers’ desires, time of year for the trip, river conditions, and hatches.
- How many guides work for you? TOTF has about 40 guides on our roster. With that said most, if not all, guides in Montana are not employees of outfitters. They are licensed independent contractors that own their own boats, rods, gear and carry their own liability insurance. They are able to work for whomever they accept work from based on their availability. As an outfitter and guide now for the past 24+ years I have great relationships with all the guides I use and know exactly which guide is best for what water- from Yellowstone National Park to the Missouri River near Craig, MT. The guides we have listed on our website are guides we use more often than others and they are okay with us listing them on our site. We have several other I.C. guides that we use often but are not on our site. We have guides that live in Bozeman, Ennis, West Yellowstone, Livingston, Helena, Cascade, Butte, Cameron, and Missoula Montana. As stated above, guides representing us on the water will pick you up at your lodging location or meet you in a convenient location for you and for them.
- How many hours do we fish during a guided day of fishing? Over the past several years of doing trade shows, more and more visitors to our booth who have previously fished in Montana express concerns that when they have paid for a full day trip they end up with only a few hours on the water. Of course it would be disappointing to find out that your day starts at the ramp at 10 am and finishes at 3 pm, with only 5 hours of fishing. I am not sure where this routine started but we are not okay with this kind of treatment. Our full day trips are based on eight hours starting from the time the guide starts setting up your rod and/or the boat. Half day trips are four hours starting from the time the guide starts setting up your rod and/or the boat. If you have requested to be off of the river early we will accommodate.
- How far in advance should I book my trip? We always encourage booking your guided trip a year in advance to make sure you get the best guide, the dates you want, and the lodging you want. It is not out of the question to get a great guide last minute but that is usually because they had a last minute cancellation. For the best experience, we never recommend waiting last minute. For large groups of anglers, we recommend a year in advance too for the same reasons.
Madison River Management Plan Update
The Fish and Wildlife Commission, at their special meeting on December 27th, 2021, followed the unanimous recommendation of the Madison River Work Group and repealed the Rest/Rotation rules on the Madison while maintaining the existing closure to fishing from boats/vessels on the Quake Lake Outlet to Lyons Bridge and Ennis Bridge to Ennis Lake sections.
We were looking forward to the opportunity to fish from the drift boat starting in 2023 in this walk-wade-only section. However, we fully agree on the repeal. This would have been a complete disaster to allow anglers to float and fish from the boat. This is one of the more challenging sections of the Madison river to navigate in a boat, and it would open the door to boaters sinking their vessels, losing gear, or even worse, death.
Current Snowpack
We are in the middle of winter here in Big Sky Country, but it feels a bit warm for January in the Gallatin Valley. The current snowpack is good, but we would like to see these numbers higher. It is early to make any assumptions for summer water conditions. The spring months of March-May can bring high moisture snowfall and really bump our numbers up. We will keep you posted on our snowpack. Follow us on our social media feeds such as Instagram and Facebook for more current and up-to-date information.
Thank you for staying connected with us on current conditions, reports, and news!