Annual fly fishing festival kicks-off

By Keeley Fitzgerald for The Three Rivers Edition - 08/28/2007

Go online to www.ennisflyfishing.com for a schedule of events

Ennis’ 5th Annual Fly Fishing Festival kicks-off Friday, Aug. 31, near the banks of one of the world’s most famous fisheries-the Madison River.

Prized for its superb trout fishing, the Madison River attracts anglers from throughout the world each year and has the distinction of being Montanan’s most heavily fished river.

Aside from growing big, healthy fish, the river supports a variety of interests including those related to recreation, agriculture, conservation, and commerce. Maintaining these converging interests has been a top priority for the Madison River Foundation since its formation in 2003.

An Ennis based non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enhancing the Madison River ecosystem, the foundation has a big role in the future of the valley’s watershed as the local “voice of the river.” With plans to be at the forefront of efforts to maintain the Madison for future generations, the organization is also the basis for the annual two-day Labor Day weekend festival. Drawing upwards of 1,500 people each year, the fly fishing festival typically brings in about a third of the foundation’s annual budget while See, FESTIVAL, Page 3 Festival...

Continued from Page 1 bringing attention its mission.

“We’re not a fly fishing organization even though we put on a fly fishing festival,” said Richard Lessner, executive director of the Madison River Foundation. “The festival is one source of funds for our foundation and a way to raise public awareness. The festival is a big part of our mission of preserving, protecting, and enhancing the Madison River ecosystem.” Lessner, who began duties as the foundation’s first executive director this June, says the festival goes hand-in-hand with the foundations role as an advocate for the river. Working with agencies such as Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Bureau of Land Management, Montana Trout Unlimited, the Madison Valley Ranchlands, PPL Montana and the U.S. Forest Service, the foundation has made big strides in terms of preservation and support during its founding years.

“People have to remember that this foundation is only 4 years old. It really has come a long way considering it has only been run up to this June by a very dedicated group of volunteers,” said Lessner. “There are a lot of competing interests. Our view at the foundation is that we can all work together to preserve and protect the river so everyone’s interest is preserved.” Although most of the foundation’s work is not readily visible to the public eye, Lessner says several projects have had a positive impact on spawning habitats, flow characteristics, and bank degradation. Perhaps some of the most important work to date has been done on three of the Madison’s more historically important tributaries-Wigwam, Duck, and Greyling Creeks.

“Tributaries are important to the river. The trout need spawning habitats and most spawn in tributaries. In order to keep healthy wild trout populations, you need to have healthy spawning habitats,” he said.

In all of these projects, Lessner says the foundation has worked to preserve the decades old relationships with the valley’s ranchers. During work on Wigwam Creek, for example, careful planning and fence placement ensured protected riparian areas and adequate water sources for livestock.

With a careful eye on the Madison watershed, the foundation is working to accommodate growth and development in a way that preserves what residents and visitors alike enjoy. At this point, Lessner says the Madison is healthy. But all of that could change if a proactive stance isn’t maintained.

“There are some issues that are appearing on a smaller scale that what we’ve seen in other places,” he said. “We need to be very wise in our stewardship of the valley to maintain our robust, healthy watershed.” This weekend’s festival sports an impressive line-up of experts, many of which have a lifetime of experience studying, guiding, and fishing the Madison River area. Experts scheduled to appear at the festival include Bob Jacklin, Kelly Galloup, Jerry Schildroth, Glenn Brackett, Jerry Kustich, Dan and Nancy Delekta, Steve Hoffman, Tim Bennet, Bob and Christine Inman, Skip Gibson, and Bob and Cezanne Alexander. For a complete schedule and expert biographies, visit www.ennisflyfishing.com.