The Madison

The first time I went to Montana, in the early 90’s, I was a rooky at fly fishing, when I say rooky I had just bought a rod combo at a fly shop in San Francisco, a pair of neoprene waders, leaders, a few flies and I had practiced a few casts in my yard, which were more like whipping the air than fly casting. I had bought myself a vest with penty of pockets in West Yellowstone, I was ready! A few years later after having practiced for hours and hours I could go back to Montana, this time it wouldn’t be the same, I was with the late Michel Fontant, a French fly fishing guide from Bud Lilie’s fly shop. And it was not the same, we covered almost all the rivers, and it was heaven! The Madison was everything you ever dreamed of, plenty of fish, and fish that wanted to eat your fly! But like any other part of the world, too many anglers, climate change and the river changes. Like anywhere else, it takes less than 50 years to put a river in danger. So as you’ll see in the film, there is action to be taken, this river is a jewel, let’s keep it that way!

Every time I here the word Madison I always think about that scene with Charles Aznavour, Anna Karina and Samy Frey in Bande à Part by Godard.