Whitefish Ed and the rest of the crew
Word out on the Henry’s Fork is that the river is back, meaning it’s progressed from a few years ago when anglers insisted that the state begin stocking the river with hatchery-raised trout. You can’t drop much lower than that.
So, what to do? Late on Saturday night I was issued Continue reading
The Gibson
The Gibson is as basic as they come, a pure shot of gin to the veins. It’s a perfect choice after a busy day when things may or may not have gone exactly your way, say, when the guide was late, you snapped two rods, and it hailed and rained on your ass for two hours straight, which is when you discovered that the protective coating on your rainjacket Continue reading
Getting Wild on Montana’s South Fork Flathead
My forest of fly-fishing friends is thinning. It’s as if some cut-and-run logging company waltzed into Montana and whacked them down at the knees. These days when I propose a fishing trip they are likely to say, “For reasons outside my control, I can’t.” I want them to say, “Where do we meet?” When I hear the former I say, “Who wears the pants?”
We all agree Continue reading
Blunder on the Big Hole
There are a variety of possibilities regarding why I missed a takeout on the Big Hole River last Saturday.
Could have been foggyness from the night prior at Wise River Club. Or it could have been Continue reading
Killer Pot O’ Coffee
I’m still taking heat from Starbuck’s Nation for bashing their fall-release of VIA instant coffee. Some say I had a bad batch, some say I just hold a grudge against Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ owner and the A-hole who sent the Sonics and Durant off to OK City. I just don’t like coffee that tastes like bacon, alright.
Well, to make things Continue reading
Kelly Galloup’s signature streamer line
Finally got my hands on Scientific Angler’s new Kelly Galloup Streamer Express fly line and I’ve now had ample time to throw it on a couple sticks and on a couple different waters, including the Big Hole and Madison Continue reading
Hatch Imminent.It’s stonefly time in southwest Montana and judging by the number of salmonfly and golden stonefly nymphs along the banks of the Madison River, those bugs are going to pop in the next couple days. And the river is in great shape, with Continue reading
The Only Game in Town
Montana’s rivers continue to run high and mostly clouded with some, including the Jefferson, pushing out of their banks this morning. So where does a guy fish moving water when the flows are up? Judging by this past weekend everyone has the same idea: the Beaverhead.
The upper mile and a half of the Beaverhead runs clear Continue reading
Second Place at the Father’s Day Fishing Contest
Ok, so the Ennis father’s day fishing contest wasn’t fly fishing, not even close. But it was important, an angling introduction for a lot of kids, a chance to catch a pile of hatchery raised rainbows and a few wild fish that landed in the Lion’s Park pond sometime during winter when the Madison went Continue reading
Riding the Waves
It’s salmonfly time in Montana, but the streams are mostly blown out right now with the Madison flowing mud and the Big Hole breaking free of its banks. I found that out firsthand yesterday when I accepted a fishing invite from Frank Kneeshaw, a guide for Four Rivers Fishing Company in Twin Bridges, and set out for an afternoon float Continue reading