Midge March Madness...NOT

I've run into a few different anglers on the water since relocating to Bozeman who've told me the same story about March affording phenomenal midge dry fly fishing.  For those who don't know what I'm referring to, midges are a tiny aquatic insect that are present in virtually all freshwater systems.  Supposedly massive midge hatches happen in March in Southwest Montana that bring up reasonable trout providing the first dry fly opportunities of the year. 
Yesterday we headed out looking once again for the mythical March midge madness.  Upon getting on the water midges were everywhere, literally hundreds of them flying above the water.  We fished nymphs and watched/waited for the fish to start looking up.  The conditions were perfect, at least according to those who swear by midge March madness, with temps in the mid 30s, little wind, overcast skies, and more importantly a solid midge hatch taking place.  I was sure it was our day and the stars had aligned.  My last fish on a dry was in November so I really, really, really wanted to rise some fish.  Ultimately we saw perhaps 5 fish rise the entire day, never the same fish twice.  Needless to say the mythical midge March madness remains just that in my world...mythical. 
The fishing was otherwise solid if unspectacular with somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 Brown trout coming to hand, mostly smallish.  The best went 18".