Riffles, runs and wild trout make the Madison one of the West's most storied fly-fishing rivers. There are few better places on the continent to test yourself outside than the northern Rockies.

The Madison flows fast and broad, earning the nickname 'the fifty-mile riffle.'

What sets it apart

Wild rainbow and brown trout thrive along its freestone reaches. Small as it sounds, it is exactly the sort of thing that defines the experience on the ground.

Salmonfly hatches in early summer draw anglers from around the world.

Why it matters

Taken together, these threads say something about Montana itself — a state where the wild and the worked-over sit close together. Go prepared, respect the conditions, and Montana's backcountry will give back in kind.