Fly Fishing Montana

Missouri River 2018 Snow and Flow

Yesterday, Garrett and I attended the annual meeting of the Upper Missouri Water Advisory Group. It’s essentially a gathering of all the bean counters that work in the watershed of the upper Mo, everyone from fishery biologists to the Bureau of Reclamation and Northwestern Energy attends. As guides and outfitters there is a lot of information in an afternoon long meeting that is irrelevant to our fishing season. However, the two most important topics we want to share with our anglers are predicted streamflows for the Mo and the latest fish counts. Here is the short version.

Timing is Everything

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky, than good. We’ve all heard this old adage before and when it comes to fishing there are certainly times it holds true.  I was reminded of this fact a few weeks ago when a good friend of mine came to visit for a day on the water and then a day of skiing. Which all sounds great, until you consider the fact that these two activities require the exact opposite weather conditions for pure joy.

Late January Fishing Update

As I write this short fishing report, snow is falling outside and the feeling of winter is definitely still here. However, this past week some tolerable weather was enticing enough for my semi-hearty soul to make a trek out to the Missouri, paying a visit to several trout I haven’t seen since October. Even though surrendering to the overwhelming call of a warm couch and binging another season of Stranger Things on Netflix is tempting, the feeling of a bent rod seemingly made sense in the face of cabin fever.

Montana's Fishy Watering Holes

It’s that time of the year when we are thinking about skiing trips, Belizean flats, and summer time risers in the southern hemisphere. However, don’t let that mind wander too far from planning this summer’s fishing trip to Montana. That will be here before we know it and while it might seem far away, this is the time to secure a prime date on your favorite stream. Since part of a fishing trip goes beyond the river, here are my favorite fishy spots around Montana to hang out after a great day on the water.