Madison River with Kelly Galloup (DVD)

reviewed by Randy Dunbar

Madison River with Kelly Galloup. Produced by Cascade Mediaworks in 2005. 100 minute DVD. $29.95 retail. Available in many fly shops or online (google the title and author or go to the producer)

have many recollections of fishing the "Golden Triangle" where Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming come together. Every fly angler owes him or herself a trip there.

Okay, several trips!

Think of a journey here as a pilgrimage to fly fishing's Mecca. The area is an overflowing smorgasbord, with the Madison River as the centerpiece. While the Madison is sometimes described as a "fifty-mile riffle," there's much more to it than that. It's only one segment of a productive and diverse system.

Kelly Galloup, owner of the Slide Inn and a frequently-published angling author, has done a fine job of presenting the Madison in all its glory--from headwaters high in Yellowstone Park to the town of Ennis. This DVD spans the entire stretch with the exception of the still waters of Hebgen Reservoir and Quake Lake.

Segments of the River

Galloup breaks the river into segments. Within each segment he focuses on a type of fly or a collection of flies. He also describes water types, hatches, and fishing techniques for each segment.

He acknowledges the popularity of the river and frequently inserts reminders of proper angling etiquette. Wading safety is highlighted too--mostly in the portion dedicated to the Slide Inn stretch below Quake Lake. Land ownership and access information is presented. Regulations centered on what stretches of river are wade-fish-only and those that are open to fishing from driftboats are woven throughout. Nearly all boat landings are shown.

Lots of Fish

The fact that we all like to see fish is not lost on Galloup and the video's producers. He catches enough trout to nourish our visual needs, but does not go overboard. A segment filmed in the summer while floating the driftboat stretch with Mike Lawson is nicely done with a goodly amount of arched-over fly rods.

Technically there's only one small clip where the exposures went south on the videographers. Overall, the image and sound quality are very good. Kelly speaks well, with an admirable absence of "umms" and "uhs".

I found the entire 100 minutes entertaining and informative.

Bottom Line: Informative and entertaining with good videography.  Reviewer Rating: 4

Randy Dunbar is fly angler who lives near the McKenzie River. He has worked the last 35 years at floating and fishing the waters of the West, Canada, and Alaska. He has much work still undone.

Uploaded 04/29/2008.

User Reviews

5=tops  3=average  1=low

Rated as 5 by RCM on 04/30/2008

Comments: I purchased this DVD last summer before heading to the Madison. I have talked with Kelly Galloup in his shop and found him very personable. I love the DVD and use it to dream of the Madison the other 51 weeks that I can't be there. He does a fine job and the videography is well done. I only wish it showed a little more fishing as he spends a lot of time showing you the water and talking about it. Definitely worth the purchase though.

Rated as 5 by whitefish ed on 07/03/2008

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