Tricos (genus: Tricorythodes) provide some of the best late-summer action on the Battenkill, so here are three killer patterns from Tightline Productions. (And don’t miss the fabulous. . .
Read MoreVideos: Three Terrific Patterns for “Trico Time”
montana fly fishing
Top 10 Flies for Fall in Missoula, Montana
Written by: John Herzer, Blackfoot River Outfitters
John Herzer celebrates a nice fall trout with a client.
Photo courtesy John Herzer
The rivers around Missoula, Montana–Rock Creek, the Big Blackfoot, the Bitterroot, and the Clark Fork–are already showing signs of the changing seasons. Shorter, cooler days are keeping . . .
Read MorePhotos and Story: Learning the Ropes in Yellowstone
Written by: Will Bayha
Will and Bridgit in the Lamar River canyon, in Yellowstone National Park.
Photos courtesy Will Bayha
When I first heard about the Orvis 50/50 On the Water campaign, I loved the idea to inspire and celebrate women in fly fishing. I knew that’s exactly what I wanted to do with my girlfriend, . . .
Read MoreClassic Photo Essay: Dry-Fly Heaven in Yellowstone National Park
This wild Yellowstone Park brown trout fell for a foam hopper pattern.
Photo by Tom Evenson
Tom Evenson and I spent Tuesday night at Hubbard’s Yellowstone Lodge, which was pretty cool for me: it was the first time I’d stayed there since I was a guide at Hubbard’s in 1994. As you can see from the photo below, the view from the lodge is nothing short of spectacular, looking northward up Paradise Valley along the. . .
Read MorePro Tips: Skate Your Way to More Trout
Written by: Brian McGeehan, Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Caddisfly hatches can be thick, but some of the best fishing occurs when the bugs return to lay eggs.
Photos courtesy of Montana Angler Fly Fishing
When we are first learning to fly fish, the concept of the dead drift is constantly reinforced. Many beginners are taught that trout won’t eat a fly unless it has zero drag on it and is drifting along . . .
Read MoreClassic Tips: “Skitch” Your Way to Better Hopper Fishing
Written by: Tim Linehan, Linehan Outfitting Co.
Sometimes a little motion is what the trout are looking for in a hopper.
Photo by Sandy Hays
A couple years ago, while floating the Kootenai River in northwestern Montana, Bostonians––and fellow Red Sox fans––Tom and Sue Ukena had a great morning sniping trout with long leaders and size 16 Pale Morning Dun spinners. During lunch, . . .
Read MoreHow to Fish the Salmonfly Hatch in Yellowstone Park
Written by: Brian McGeehan, Montana Angler Fly Fishing
The big, poor-flying salmonflies offer a meaty meal for trout.
Photos courtesy Montana Angler
The salmonfly hatch is one of the more anticipated events each year here in the northern Rockies. Locals and visiting anglers alike eagerly await the chance to fish dry flies so large that they often . . .
Read MoreYouth, Passion, and Collaboration in the Fight to Preserve the Rivers of Southwestern Montana
Wade Fellin grew up on the Big Hole, and his passion for conservation comes from his father.
Photo courtesy Wade Fellin
River conservation groups across the country work tirelessly to protect and restore our favorite streams. Many of the founders of these groups are ready to pass the baton to the next . . .
Read MoreTop 10 Dry Flies for June on the Madison River
Written by: John Way, The Tackle Shop
Guide Mike Elliott, who works for the author, releases a stunning Madison brown trout.
Photo by Tom Evenson
June in Montana is a special time—not quite summer yet, but not spring. It’s sort of an in-between time, when you can expect snow one day and 70 and sunny the next. An epic battle between. . .
Read MorePodcast: Montana’s Smith River, with John Herzer and David Brooks
John Herzer of Blackfoot River Outfitters is an advocate for protecting the Smith.
Photo by Tom Rosenbauer
This week’s main topic is the Smith River in Montana, a near-wilderness river that requires a five-day float and is on many fly fishers’ wish lists. It is definitely on mine. To talk about fishing and floating . . .
Read More