Montana Angler Fly Fishing Blog

Many of Montana’s most famous trout rivers flow through agricultural valleys flanked by towering mountains. These fertile valleys provide an ideal habitat for large populations of grasshoppers. The bulk of aquatic insect hatches take a pause in mid summer (with a few exceptions like tricos). Once...

Fly of the Month: April 2018 El Camino, Skwala Stonefly tied by Andrew Grillos April fly fishing in Southwest Montana brings a wide variety of options, a favorite option is trying to hit the skwala stonefly hatch on one of our Montana Rivers. Certain rivers have larger populations of these small...

The Smith River is the crown jewel of Montana’s off-the-beaten path fisheries. The Smith is a small but float able river that winds its way through a limestone canyon that effectively divides the Big and Little Belt mountain ranges. Scenery is spectacular with a blend of lush meadows, towering...

The Madison River has long been an iconic fishery in the world of wild trout rivers. The fish counts, size of the fish, and spectacular scenery have attracted anglers from far and wide for many decades. The popularity of the sport of fly fishing as well as population growth in Western Montana has...

The quantity of amazing fly fishing destinations around the globe can keep the venturing angler busy for a lifetime. In the world of cold water salmonid fishing there are a handful of locations that are so uniquely different that they have no equal. Locations such as the Rio Grande sea run brown...

Here I am, sitting in Montana, “The Last Best Place” - working on a computer and watching the snow flurry through frosty window panes. According to my smart phone, it’s currently a balmy 34⁰F – the wintry weather is a drastic contrast to the climate I experienced during my recent travels to the...

Engaging in any fishing trip is similar to investing in the stock market; you go into every venture with the best of intentions but in the end some stocks are a flying success and others are a complete bust. Wise investors diversify their portfolio with the understanding that there will be both...

There is a natural evolution in the sport of fly fishing. Early in an fly fisher's initiation to the sport, hooking and landing fish is paramount. Over time an angler slowly begins to improve their skills and the focus often shifts from numbers to quality. Hooking and landing truly big fish often...

Fly fishing in Belize Belize is well known for the famous flats fishing opportunities from its northern border with Mexico to the south border with Guatemala. The most noted of these flats fisheries is found on Ambergris Caye, Turneffe Atoll, the inshore waters near Placencia and Punta Gorda. Belize...

A fun and effective method of trout fishing is the down-and-across streamer swing. The popularity of trout spey fishing has grown exponentially over the last few years and for good reason. The simplicity of spending a day stepping down a run casting and swinging is a refreshing change from the usual...