JUNE 2026

JUNE “HAPPENINGS” → WHAT’S HAPPENED IN ENNIS, THE BASECAMP OF THE MADISON VALLEY, AS WELL AS NEIGHBORING AREAS?

Jack Creek Preserve presented a Conservation Field School for Educators – Birds of a Feather, and Old Growth Forests.

Madison River Foundation held a Side Channel Restoration Fund Raiser

Ennis Community Children’s School 2026 Scramble at the Madison Meadows Golf Course.
Irish Days, Opening Night at the Brewery Follies, & Virginia City Playhouse in Virginia City!
Montana Premier of, MAN CALLED LEGEND – the Bill Poole Story, an 80-minute documentary of the deep-sea fishing industry in San Diego, was shown at the Madison Theatre.
Music in the Park, in Peter T’s Park, started for the summer.
The Bozeman Symphony performed at the Elling House in Virginia City
Jack Creek Preserve hosted a Wildflower Walk.
There was a Father’s Day Fishing Derby in Lions Club Park
Duck Days were held at the famous Pony Bar, in Pony

JULY “HAPPENINGS”! → WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS COMING MONTH!

July-Labor Day → Cowboy Church services at 10 AM, between Virginia & Nevada Cities

July-Labor Day → A Traveling Exhibit, FROGS – A chorus of Color, at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman. museum@montana.edu.

- July 3 → NRA Rodeo at 7 PM, Ennis Rodeo Grounds, tickets at: https://ennisrodeo.square.site/
- July 3 → 7th Annual Ennis Boat Parade on Ennis Lake. 10:30 AM, meet NW corner
- July 4 → Fourth of July Parade, Main Street Ennis, 10 am (come early to get a spot!) 2026 Theme: Our Town, Our Story, a tribute to every ranching family every fly fisher, every business owner, and every generation that has passed down what it means to be from Ennis MT!
- July 4 → Veterans Memorial Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park, Ennis, 12 noon
- July 4 → Ennis Lion’s Club Picnic in the Park, immediately following the Parade & Memorial
- July 4 → NRA Rodeo at 7 PM, Ennis Rodeo Grounds
- July 4 → Fireworks at Dusk, in Virginia City
- July 5 → Kids’ Fishing Derby in Virginia City
- July 11 → Vigilante Car Show in Virginia City. https://virginiacity.com/events-schedule
- July 11 → Jack Creek Preserve is offering, Mindful Foraging, https://www.jackcreekpreserve.org

July 11 → The Greater Yellowstone Adventure Series, 19th Annual Madison Marathon, “These ain’t no Pansy Ass City Races!” Greater Yellowstone Adventure Series

July 12 → Madison River Foundation Gala, at the Madison Double R, starts at 4:30 PM, https://www.madisonriverfoundation.org/events

July 12 → Bozeman Symphony at the Elling House Arts & Humanities Center in Virginia City. http://www.ellinghouse.org/
July 15 → Linderman Cabin Series: Forgotten Heroes – Dr. Benjamin Rush

July 18 → Madison Valley Home Tour, sponsored by the Madison Valley Medical Center Foundation. https://www.mvmcf.org/events
July 19-20 → Jack Creek preserve is presenting, Keep it Wild. https://www.jackcreekpreserve.org.\
July 25 → Madison Valley Arts Festival, Peter T’s Park, 10 AM – 5 PM, by Ennis Arts Assoc.
July 30 → Trout Rodeo at Burnt Tree Brewery, sponsored by Madison River Foundation.
July 31 → Hunter’s Rendezvous, in a tent outside of Shedhorn Sports in Ennis
July 31-Aug 2 → BOW presents their Summer BOW Workshop, learn how to be an outdoors woman! https://fwp.mt.gov/education/becoming-an-outdoors-woman
Through Sept 7 – A Traveling Exhibit, Frogs – A Chorus of Color, at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, museum@montana.edu.

And, you can go fishing, golfing, play pickleball, go exploring, bowling, visit the library, sit on the Mark Twain bench; do yoga or Pilates, take the kids to Lions Club Park, go to the gym (at the Madison Square Athletic Club), take exercise classes, have a facial & a massage, see a movie, or eat, drink, stroll through Ennis, or go shopping! JUST DO IT ALL!

FUTURE 2026 “HAPPENINGS” → WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS YEAR!

August 8 → Annual Noxious Weed Fundraiser – sponsored by the Madison Valley Ranchlands Group, Weed Committee, call for reservations prior to July 31st! THE Social Event of the year! https://www.madisonranchlands.org/noxious-weed-fundraiser. 406 682-3259

August 5-9 → Madison County Fair!, at the Fairgrounds in Twin Bridges
August 11 → Evening at the Preserve, at the Jack Creek Preserve, make reservations at: https://www.jackcreekpreserve.org/events/evening-at-the-preserve2026
August 15 → Fly Fishing & Outdoor Festival, Peter T’s Park, https://www.ennischamber.com/events

August 15– 6 → Fly Fishing Skills Camp for ages 14-16, overnight program at Jack Creek Preserve. https://www.jackcreekpreserve.org/summer-camps-2026

August 28-30 → Jack Creek Preserve is hosting, Woman’s Wilderness Weekend!
August 29 → Wilson & McKee, live at the Elling House. http://www.ellinghouse.org/
Late August → TBD – Grand Opening of Galloup’s North Side Fly Shop, just north of Ennis
September 24 → Cowboy Poetry, live at the Elling House.
October 23 → Hunters’ Feed, Main Street, Ennis, 3 – 5 PM – Free wild game food! And Critter Call at Willie’s Distillery. The day before Hunting Season begins!
December 4 → Spirit of Christmas Stroll, Main Street, Ennis, 3 –7 PM
December 11 & 12 → Splendid Feast! At the Elling House in Virginia City

MONTANA NEWS → What’s Happening around the State and the Legislature

Montana ranks in the top five states with the fastest-growing economies since 2021. “In Montana, our economy is growing and stronger than ever as we continue to welcome new business investment, strengthen our workforce, and increase access to international markets for our major industries,” Gov. Gianforte said. “By supporting business owners, we’re unleashing good-paying jobs for Montanans, so our kids and grandkids don’t have to leave the state in pursuit of a career.”
According to a recent report released by Visual Capitalist, business investment, population growth, and energy production helped drive growth in many of the top-performing states. Montana ranked fifth, behind Texas, New Mexico, Florida, and South Carolina with real Between 2010 and 2020, Montana’s population grew 10 %, becoming the third-fastest-growing GDP.
When it comes to wage growth, Montana ranks third in the nation for fastest wage growth and is only one of two states in the nation where wage growth has outpaced inflation since 2020.
Montana’s fiscal health surged into the top 10 states nationally, rising from 22nd in 2021 to 8th in 2025. https://news.mt.gov/Governors-Office/Gov-Gianforte-Announces-Montana-Named-Top-State-for-Fastest-Growing-Economy

FISHING REPORT → Trout Live in Nice Neighborhoods!

June is here – the month we have all been waiting for. It is like Christmas, your birthday, and Valentines Day all wrapped up into one, just for the fly fisherman! Big things are happening. This is the month where it all comes together. First, one of the two questions everyone has been asking is, “How is the water?” Right now, Hebgen Lake is less than a foot from a full pool. We have been getting pounded by rain the last few days, and more rain is in the forecast for the next week. This is great short term and will help out long term. It will get darn close to full, and this should ensure we have good water all summer long. They are holding water now, but they will release it as things warm up. The second question we have been getting is, “When will the Salmon flies show up? Historically, good Salmon fly fishing is June 20th till July 4th. With everything being dry and ahead of schedule, will this mean the salmon flies as well? Short answer is, yes. But how early is up to Mother Nature. Every time I try and predict that woman, I am wrong. Kinda of like picking up dinner for your wife and not asking her what she wants. It will always be wrong. But, sometime between now and July 4th, we will see salmon flies.

Wow! 250 years. That is what we are celebrating this July. What started out as a whisper on self-determination has lasted 250 years. We should all celebrate and be proud of this moment. Let’s all take some time and realize just how special this country is and how fortunate we are to live here. We take for granted all the freedoms that we have and opportunities we are all born with. We are sure darn lucky!

If you were around last month, you know just how good fishing was. Salmon flies, caddis and may flies kept fish looking up for food. Currently, we are on day 4 or 5 of real rain. While a bummer for now, this is going to save our butts this summer. It is a total Montana refresh. Significant new snow on the mountains and several inches of slow steady rain is just what everyone has been praying for. The lake will be full, the river cold, and the mountains will have more moisture. If you are one of those folks complaining that the fishing has been off the last few days or that the rain has disrupted your perfect Montana vacation, get over yourself. This weather event just saved the Montana summer, not just for fisherman, but for farmers, ranchers, loggers, fire fighters, and anyone looking to spend time outside this summer.

With that said, July is looking to be really great. When it warms up, we will see the tail end of the salmon flies, golden stones, yellow sallies, and more caddis than a guy can count, and PMD madness. This is our dry fly season and now is the time to fish dry. We like the combo of a golden stone with a caddis trailer. Caddis is king on the Madison River. Small chubbies, Burkus and even old school PMX will work as a golden. For caddis, we like corn fed, All Season, and even the X caddis.

Even though this is our dry fly season, many of you will choose to lob a bobber and nymphs. Your choice. If you do anything in the prince family along with tech jig stuff is all the rage with the kids these days. Chase bobbers if you must, but please, de-barb all your hooks. We don’t want to do any more harm to these fish than necessary. So, let’s slow down and improve our fish handling. I am trying to do better at this.

July will be a great month to be in the Cultural Epicenter of Trout. Stop by the store for the latest intel and the best flies in Ennis along with the friendly service. We love to help.

Good Fishing and God Bless

John Way, The Tackle Shop, Ennis, MT, the CULTURAL EPICENTER OF TROUT, (406) 370-5206.
If people concentrated on the REALLY important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing poles!

Check out other Fishing Reports at:
⮚Madison River Fishing Company
⮚Dan Delekta
⮚The Madison Valley Ranch
⮚Joe Dilschneider’s Montana Trout Stalkers
⮚ Kelly Galloup’s Slide Inn
⮚Yellowstone Fly Fishing

⮚ WEATHER in the MADISON VALLEY →

Madison County is experiencing significant, widespread drought pressure this summer. The area is dealing with the compounding effects of an exceptionally warm winter, a heavily depleted mountain snowpack, and a remarkably dry spring. However, it rained for over a week in late June, with snow in the upper elevations, which could really improve the drought conditions. We had wind, rain, and sun! The daytime high in June was 87° with a daytime low of 48°. The nighttime high was 56° and the nighttime low was 32°.

⮚REAL ESTATE TIP →

WHICH WAY TO GO? Follow the crowds or fill the voids?

According to NEXSTAR, the U.S. saw a year of slow population growth between 2024 and 2025, but not every state is feeling the same slowdown, newly released estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show. Nationally, between July 2024 and July 2025, the population increased by an estimated 1.8 million, a rate of just 0.5%, the Census Bureau announced Tuesday. That’s the slowest growth the U.S. has recorded since 2021’s rate of 0.2%. In 2024, the population grew by 1%, the fastest year-over-year growth since 2006, according to the agency. Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for Estimates and Projections at the Census Bureau, said a “historic decline in net international migration” fueled last year’s slowdown.
Only Montana and West Virginia did not see their population growth slow, or their population decline speed up. Meanwhile, the Midwest is the only region in which every state saw its population grow between 2024 and 2025.
The five fastest-growing states in the U.S. were: South Carolina: 1.46%; Idaho: 1.44%; North Carolina: 1.32%; Texas: 1.25%; Utah: 1.03%. In terms of raw population increase, it’s Texas that gained the most residents. Year-over-year, the Lone Star State’s population jumped more than 391,000 to a cumulative 31.7 million. Texas, which received more than 550,000 new residents from other states in 2024, remains the second-most populous state behind California.
Since 2020, Texas’ population has grown by nearly 2.5 million, the most of any state. Florida was close behind with an estimated population increase of 1.87 million between 2020 and 2025.
Several states saw their population decline between 2024 and 2025. The fastest-declining among them was Vermont, where the Census found a population decrease of about 1,800 – a drop of 0.29%, year over year. Only five states saw a negative growth rate: Vermont: -0.29%; Hawaii: -0.15%; West Virginia: -0.07%; New Mexico: -0.06%; California: -0.02%. An increase of just over 1,000 kept New York from appearing on the same list. California’s population dropped by more than 9,000 between 2024 and 2025, the largest drop of any state. The next-closest was Hawaii with a decrease of slightly more than 2,000.

HOME FOR YOUR SOUL → FEATURED PROPERTY OF THE MONTH → BUILD YOUR MT DREAM HOME IN SHINING MOUNTAINS

A great view lot of 6.5 acres just 10 miles south of Ennis and minutes to great fishing on the Madison River or nearby lakes, plus close access into public lands for exploring, hunting, and hiking. This lot is ready for building your Montana dream home, with power already installed and high-speed fiber optic internet in place. Property owners have access to private, stocked mountain lakes. A great property for year-around living or seasonal recreational use.

Shining Mountains I, Lot 273, on Antler Trail.

$215,000. MLS # 408875. GoogleEarth Coordinates: Lat. 45.221770°, Lon. -111.805805°, Elevation: 5,737’.

VIEW LISTING HERE

NATIONAL REAL ESTATE NEWS → Washington, as of June 17, 2026

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recently released its latest monthly report for May 2026. Here is a high-level snapshot of the latest national housing metrics:

Pending home sales in May increased by 3.8% month-over-month and 4.8% year-over-year, with Month-over-month and year-over-year pending home sales rose in the Northeast, Midwest, South and West.

“A late spring buyer rush—even with mortgage rates not budging—is an indication of pent-up housing demand and consumers’ acceptance of above-6% mortgage rates as the new normal,” said NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun.

“Going forward, falling oil prices will help lower mortgage rates,” Yun said. “But declines will be modest given sizable borrowing by the federal government and strong AI investment spending by tech companies.”

Existing home sales increased by 3.2% month-over-month and year-over-year. Month-over-month sales increased in the Northeast, Midwest and South, and were unchanged in the West. Year-over-year sales rose in the Midwest, South, and West, and fell in the Northeast.

- “More Americans are on the move, with home sales rising to the highest level since December. This is great news for the housing market and the economy,” said Dr. Yun. “Improving affordability is helping drive this momentum. Even with mortgage rates ticking up compared to earlier in the year, they remain lower than a year ago and are essentially at the long-term historical average. Income gains are also outpacing home price growth by a small margin in most parts of the country.”

“The new record-high May home price reflects solid fundamentals for homeowners and ongoing supply constraints,” Yun said. “Only 1% of all home sales involved a foreclosure or an underwater situation in which the sale price could not cover the outstanding mortgage balance. This shows that homeowners are on solid financial footing.”

“Increased home sales mean more economic activity — lawn care, furniture purchases, moving services, mortgage originations and other related business activities all get a boost,” Yun added.

Mortgage Rates: The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.49% as of June 25, 2026, up from last week when it averaged 6.47%. A year ago, at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.77%. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.84%, up from last week when it averaged 5.81%. A year ago, at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.89%.

The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. The term Realtor® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

LOCAL REAL ESTATE MARKET STATISTICS →

Our local title company reported that they had a very busy April & May. We are expecting a busy summer as well, with more visitors coming to the area looking for what we have – beauty, serenity, space, and friendly folks. Can’t blame them. Statistics for the Madison Valley area (including Ennis, Cameron, McAllister, Norris, Virginia City, Nevada City, Harrison, Pony), for the month of JUNE were as follows:

RESIDENTIAL: 78↑↑ listings ($350,000 to $11,900,000); 8 ↓ pending sales ($350,000 to $11,900,000); and 43 homes have sold in 2026 ($227,000 to $4,450,000), totaling $36,102,120 @ 95.7↓ of list price.

MULTI-FAMILY: 6 listings ($745,000 to $2,449,000); 0 pending sales; 1 sold in 2026 ($640,000), @ 100% list price.
VACANT LAND: 122↑ listings ($6,500 to $7,900,000); 3↓ pending sales ($185,000 to $199,900); and 60 lots have sold in 2026 ($12,000 to $1,589,000), totaling $14,943,400, @ 93.3% of list price.
LAND with STRUCTURES: 6↑ listings ($250,000 to $2,490,000); 0 pending sales; 3 lots w/structures sold in 2026 ($285,000 to $1,485,000); totaling $2,175,000 @ 82.5% ↓ of list price.
COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES: 9↑listings ($475,000 to $3,250,000), 1 pending sale ($1,750,000); and 3 commercial properties have sold in 2026 ($260,000 to $1,500,000) totaling $2,322,500, @ 93.9% of list price.
RANCHES: 3↑ listings ($2,750,000 to $23,500,000), 0 pending sales, 1 ranch has sold in 2026 ($2,975,000) @ 98% of list price.

“The best investment on Earth is earth.” Louis J. Glickman, real estate mogul/philanthropist

MONTANA TRIVIA →

Did you know that ….Those pretty, purple flowers growing along the highway are the dreaded Spotted Knapweed, one of the Top Ten Most Wanted, Dead or Alive?! They are classified as noxious weeds, which are one of the most significant environmental threats impacting landscapes throughout the west. Left unmanaged, these invasive species continue to spread aggressively, degrading wildlife habitat, reducing biodiversity, and impacting the lands we all rely on for recreation, agriculture, and everyday enjoyment. The Madison Valley Ranchlands Group Weed Committee works to provide educational resources, identification assistance, and information about treatment and management options throughout the Madison Valley. As grasses and weeds begin growing this season, community awareness and cooperation remain essential in protecting the health of our landscapes. If you have questions, concerns, or suspect the presence of a new invasive species, please reach out to mvrgweeds@gmail.com. The Weed Committee is also responsible for sponsoring the Annual “Noxious Weed Fundraiser.” Your participation provides funding to continue supporting their weed-fighting efforts. A great cause and THE social event of the year! https://www.madisonranchlands.org/noxious-weed-fundraiser https://www.madisonranchlands.org/, https://madisoncountymt.gov/222/Weed-Office

A wise old timer from the area once told me,

“Don’t try to change the Madison Valley…let the valley change you!”

Thank you in advance for your personal referrals. They are the lifeblood of our business and the greatest compliment you can give us.

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