Category Archives: Techniques

Flies for Montana Rivers: Soft hackles There are few things in fly fishing that are more satisfying than tying flies that adhere to the adage “less is more.” Soft hackle flies are a perfect example of flies that play off of simplicity, clean lines, and perfect proportions. They’re also very fun and...

When we are first learning to fly fish the concept of the dead drift is constantly reinforced. It almost seems as if beginners are taught that trout won’t eat a fly unless it has zero drag on it and it’s drifting along perfectly with the current. Fortunately, not all insects just “dead drifting”...

Tips for fly fishing Montana's small streams As the snow flies during the winter months here in Montana it is easy for the mind to wander to warmer days spent exploring the intimate water that we fly anglers hold near and dear to our hearts. Perhaps a sense of exploration pulls us toward fly fishing...

How can you fish more without going fishing more? The simple answer is to make your time on the water more efficient by avoiding knots and tangles. Let’s face the facts: knots happen and are part of the game of fly fishing, If you can’t stomach a few tangles on the water, then you shouldn't be...

August is an extremely popular time to visit and flyfish the Madison River. The Madison can fish well during all 12 months of the year, and each month sees a different set of challenges for fishermen to solve. During August, those challenges can include warm, sunny weather, fishing pressure, and in...

Fishing with Sinking lines and Sinking tips Fly fishing industry insiders like to reference the movie A River Runs Through It as a bench mark in the growth of the sport from a cult like following into a mainstream recreational activity. The classic novel by Norman Maclean was made into a Hollywood...

Montana is filled with a variety of different rivers, spring creeks and lakes. The diversity of fishing is staggering and the complexity and variety only increases as we consider different times of year as each fishery changes dramatically in how and where the fish are found over the course of the...

5 Top Nymphs for the Madison River The Madison River is quite simply a fantastic nymph fishery. Day in and day out, nymphing the Madison produces quality fish. The consistency of the fishery is one of the main reasons why it is so famous and draws anglers from around the world. Lets take a look at 5...

The “Lower” Madison is one of the most reliable float fisheries in our area during runoff. Though the river will get high, it only rarely becomes too muddy to fish, making it a good option in May and June when the Yellowstone is blown out. The “Lower” refers to the section of the Madison River below...

It is hard to pull a fly fishing magazine off of a shelf and not find an article or photo of Montana. The shear number and density of world class trout rivers in the state rivals any other location in the world. Rivers like the Madison, Yellowstone, Bighorn, Missouri, Gallatin, Big Hole, and...