Expectations have a way of framing our experiences. My first real fly fishing instruction was on the Smith River in 1995. My uncle had a friend with a small waterfront parcel nestled in a canyon. The only structures were tool sheds that different families used to store summer essentials — lawn chairs, grills, camping gear
Montana Dries
Well, it finally happened. I spent a good chunk of the day driving my friend to the airport and then tying flies when I got back. I went out for a short, late-afternoon session, not expecting much. For about an hour there was a blizzard of Caddis dancing around everywhere. I saw a few rises
The Drop Shot Nymphing Game in Montana
It felt like early winter out there today in Montana. The morning air temperature was around 40° and it got a little bit higher, but not much. Almost no bugs. I threw jig streamers again, hoping to get another strong morning, but the fish did not cooperate. The water temp had dropped about 15 degrees
Wild Montana
It is hard to explain the scenery out here in Montana. It is as beautiful and majestic and overwhelming as they say. And the fishing isn’t so bad either. Water flows are very low right now, and the fly shops do not expect any bump ups either. The lake above the Madison River is low,