When your primary job each fall is to fill the freezer with wild game meat for your family to eat for the coming year, you know you live a good life – a life many fellow Montanans cherish. My young kids are not too interested in hunting stories – they want results – so the job pressure is serious.
End of the Line
Another stellar season is mostly in the books here at Montana Fishing Outfitters and we want to thank all our great anglers and guides for making it happen. It was a bit drier than we like, but overall it was a pretty darn good fishing season, and as we put our trout into their beds for their winter slumber they are looking healthy and happy.
They next couple months here are focused on wrapping up the fishing season, reconnecting with friends and family, chasing birds, elk and the first powder days of the ski season. Hopefully it stacks up deep this winter, and the storm raging out our window today looks like a good start.
We are also looking forward to the 2016 season and all the great fishing fun it will bring us in the near future. Our spring season kicks off in a mere 18 weeks, and it has become our favorite period of the year for many reasons, but mainly because it's awesome. Our Spring Special will be in effect once again so you can sample our early season trout on the discount.
Have a great holiday and harvest season, enjoy your time with loved ones, and get your ducks in a row for your next angling adventure. The next season will be here before we know it, and we're here to help you put together a fantastic trip.
Garrett and Pat
406.431.5089 ~ 406.439.4545
Think You Have What It Takes?
Then you should consider attending a Montana Fishing Guide School session soon.
Our October session wrapped-up a few weeks ago and the fishing and weather were great—Blue Wings and flip-flips…only in Montana! The 2015 October session marked our third year in operation and we're still chugging with more sessions planned for next year.
We started the Montana Fishing Guide School with one goal in mind: to put the best possible guides on the water. In three years, we’ve done that and more. What started as a concept to improve on existing guide schools has grown into nearly a half-dozen weeks a year. In 2015 we saw the guide school grow exponentially. Feedback from attendees, instructors, and our guest lecturers has been overwhelmingly positive: “this was the best week ever.” Our 2015 guide school calendar began with ten attendees for our March session. We fished the Bozeman-area and the Missouri River all three weeks. Demand for our March session was so high we quickly filled our April session and that one filled so fast we scheduled a May session. Our October session was Bozeman and Big Sky based, and we fished the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks, the blue ribbon rivers, and some secret spots.
To date, the Montana Fishing Guide School has trained dozens of new guides, but we’ve also helped dozens of anglers become that much more proficient in catching trout and rowing a drift boat. For 2016 we’ve expanded our schools to over two sessions a month starting in March and running through May.
Visit our website www.montanafishingguideschool.com for all of the information. And, remember the guide school makes a perfect Holiday Gift for that aspiring guide or expert angler in your life. Tuition will rise in 2016, so be sure to reserve your spot before rates go up.
'Tis the Streamer Season: It Is Finally Here
Here are some tips to help git ‘er done with the big bugs.
You must learn to double-haul. This advanced cast is crucial to success in the streamer game. It adds line speed to your cast, which makes fishing large, weighted flies easier.
Always keep your hand on the line. When streamer fishing, your line hand is crucial. The line hand is the hand holding the line, not the rod. This will help you keep “in touch” with your fly.
Learn to cast further. Distance casting is essential when streamer fishing and this brings us back to the double haul. Being able to air it out fifty or sixty feet can be very effective because you can cover a lot of water.
Adjust your gear arsenal. Longer, heavier rods make casting big flies easier. The rod selection of a streamer fiend will include six and seven weights in lengths of 9’6” and 10’.
Strip-set with conviction. Use a simple strip set, and use it with purpose. When a hit occurs, violently strip the fly line and yank the rod to side. Think about driving the hook in the fish. It happens fast, but the most important thing is to strip that fly line more than moving the rod. Strip, strip, STRIP IT HARD! Get aggressive. You’re the predator going in for the kill.
Fight the fish the purpose. Large fish have a very strong sense of self-preservation and often find a way to elude capture. Be diligent and attentive to your rigging and knot tying. Manage your line carefully whether the fish is on or off the reel, don’t let line tangle disasters happen. Learn the limits of your rig and put the heat on the fish whenever possible.
Trick 'em and Treat 'em To A Release
The first high country snow of the season is right on schedule here in Montucky, and with it comes the beginning of the end of our peak fishing season. October is a month we relish here for the solitude and dramatic change of seasons. Not to mention of course, all the well conditioned trout who must get one last strong feeding cycle in before winter arrives and they go take a nice nap.
We are geared up for the final push - waders are back in the boat along with thermoses of hot coffee and lots of mayfly patterns to match the hatches. Mornings are crisp, afternoons are balmy and the scenery is unbeatable. We love October, and if you haven't experienced fall in the Rockies yourself yet, you really should.
If you are not planning on a Big Sky visit in the next month or so then turn your attention to the spring when things will be rolling again and we'll be here to help you plan an awesome angling adventure.
Cheers!
Garrett and Pat
406.431.5089 ~ 406.439.4545
Casting For Recovery and Rowing For The Cure
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Here at MFO we’re always looking for ways to give back. From our long-time commitment of time and dollars to Trout Unlimited, Prickly Pear Land Trust, the Montana Land Reliance, and others, we take pride in helping others. This month is no different.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we feel like Casting Recovery and Row for the Cure are well-run organizations and deserving of your support. From retreats to single day events, both of these organizations offer many ways to support those affected by breast cancer.
For more information, visit their websites and get involved.
Casting for Recovery
Rowing for the Cure
Simple Secrets to Group Trip Planning
We have really enjoyed the fun and camaraderie of the group and corporate trips we have done the last few seasons - and we want to do more! Arranging the perfect lodging and logistics so everyone gets what they need from the trip is our strong suit, and our great guides and tremendous trout take care of the rest.
There are three secrets to success, and we're happy to share them with you:
1. Choose your crew wisely. Friends, family, couples, employees, customers; whoever it is you are inviting, be thoughtful about the mix of personalities of your group.
2. Stay at the right spot. The river(s) and the lodge or house or hotel you choose will be the defining characteristic of your trip. Freestone or tailwater? Fully hosted fishing lodge or a cozy house on the water with self prepared meals?
3. Choose the sensible season. If you group likes easy logistics and flip flops then come in the summer. If they like to gear up in waders and layers then come in the spring or fall.
Need more fodder to keep the wheel turning? Check out this excellent article on corporate fishing trips from the recent issue of Trout magazine.
Big Smiles in September
The fall season is upon us now as summer heads out with cooler nights and shorter days, bringing some of our favorite fishing of the year. There are about eight weeks left of primetime fishing conditions in Big Sky Country, so now is the time to act to get your share before it's too late. Terrestrial fishing is still our focus, but the fall mayfly hatches will begin soon enough and our trout will have one last feeding frenzy before winter arrives.
Blue Wings and Golf Swings
We’ve always disagreed with the saying “you can’t mix business with pleasure.” That’s exactly what we do! In fact, at MFO we take things even further—mixing golf with fishing. That’s right. Here in Montana, and for the next month, our weather is ideal for the links or the stream. Here are a few ideas to give your swinging or casting arm “the twitch.”
Expanded Guide Schools Coming Soon
Rookie guides have to start somewhere. Some have chosen to attend a guide school. In fact, some of our stellar first year guides attended our guide school, The Montana Fishing Guide School. If you want to get better, take a stab at guiding, or know someone who does, then put October 11-17 on your calendar for the Montana Fishing Guide School. The fall session is filling, but we still have space. We've also just posted the dates for our 2016 sessions--we're adding another March session!
Yellowstone is Splendid in September
If you throw a dart at a map of Yellowstone Park and draw a circle in a five mile radius from wherever it landed, you’ll find a few places to wet a line. Extend that radius ten miles and even more places exist. Come-out ten more miles and there is arguably a lifetime of fishable waters. This is big country and it is hard to know when to be in the right place at the right time.
In September, much of the mystery of fishing in Yellowstone Park is gone because all the waters fish well. The Firehole, Gibbon, and Madison on the west-side of the Park will see hatches of Blue Winged Olives and some October Caddis. Hard-core anglers seeking a trophy brown trout can pry the likes of the Barnes Hole and the Cardiac. As the early morning frosts grow in frequency, so do the aggressive attitude of that area’s large brown trout. If snow flies get to these holes quickly.
For anglers seeking Yellowstone Cutthroat, the northeast corner of YNP is a walk-wading anglers dream. Slough Creek, Soda Butte, the Lamar, and the Yellowstone are the more popular creeks and rivers. A few smaller creeks are great fishing as well, but we were sworn to secrecy. Be armed with some Drakes and some size 18 Parachute Adams and most fish will come to hand easily.
Despite the fall having less tourist traffic than high summer, many creeks and rivers still see angling traffic. If you want solitude, consider fishing some of the Park’s lakes. Grebe Lake near Canyon Village is an easy day-trip. The trail is flat and the fishing is often on the surface. It is also one of the best places in the area to catch a grayling on a fly. Trout Lake near the Northeast Entrance is full of fat cutthroat trout that cruise the shorelines, and armed with a good cast and small flies you might entice a few to eat.
Yellowstone National Park is wild country—it is one of the reasons we love to fish there. But if you plan to fish alone, tell someone where you are planning to fish and be armed with bear spray. Bear spray is like a spool of 7X tippet. You carry it, but hope you never have to use it.
Sweet, Sweet Summertime
Despite a fishing season marked by lower than average flows, funky hatch cycles and variable weather conditions (snow in the mountains last week, 90 degree temps this week), we have been finding the trout we need to have fun and productive days on the water. It seems that everything is about two weeks ahead of schedule this year, and hopefully that means fall will also make an early arrival as well.
The terrestrial season is officially here, so chasing hoppers, ants and beetle patterns down the river is the main attraction. It's some of our favorite fishing of the year, and some of our trout's favorite eating of the year too. The days are getting noticeably shorter, the mornings are crisp and cool, and before we know it we'll be heading into the tail end of our season...
But there is still plenty of time to plan your Montana fishing adventure for 2015. Buzz us today to get the scoop on specific water conditions and fishing forecasts for the fall season, and if you are planning on a prime season trip in 2016 you should be herding the cats soon to make sure you get your favorite guide and lodging spot reserved.
Have an awesome August!
Garrett and Pat
406.431.5089 ~ 406.439.4545
Late Summer Angling Plans
Late Summer blues potentially getting you down? Trying to decide where to fish? Here in the Bozeman/Big Sky/Livingston triangle, our waters are staying cool and we’re fishing dry flies daily…in fact our grasshopper fishing is primed to serve up a multitude of “Hopper-tunities.” As the Hoot Owl restrictions are a fact of life on the Westside of the state and the weeds on the Missouri might make things a little tricky at times, the Madison, Gallatin, Yellowstone, and Yellowstone Park waters will be the place to be for the next month.
Even with low water conditions, those anglers willing to get up early and commit to fishing dry flies should be pleasantly surprised. We don’t expect bankers hours, as water temps are climbing throughout the day, but fish early and you’ll have clean and cool water. As an added bonus, the Bozeman/Big Sky/Livingston area has great apres’ fishing options! For the hippest place to stay in southwest Montana, try the The Lark Hotel or if you want cowboy chic, the Murray Hotel is the best play. For dining, it’s hard to beat the shrimp and grits at John Bozeman’s Bistro or the chef special at 2nd Street Bistro. If you want to get away from the urban or suburban feel, consider Big Sky—a mountain resort town on the Gallatin River. From Big Sky the Upper Madison is an hour away and the clear and cold water of the Gallatin is right there. For the Big Sky area, we dig renting a house and employing a private chef.
Whatever you decide, stick to the freestones in August and stick to the Bozeman/Big Sky/Livingston tri-fecta.
Guide School Updates
Our fourth and final session of the season for the Montana Fishing Guide School is set for October 11-17 and there are still seats available. This will be a Bozeman/Big Sky based school that focuses on freestones and spring creeks. We can help you or someone you know take your game to the next level through an intensive and fun seven day course that covers all aspects of advanced fishing and rowing skills.
MFO Co-sponsors the Montana Women’s Fly Fishing School
Looking to be a better angler? Do you think fly fishing is just for the boys? Well...one can always improve AND fly fishing is not a "boys-only" endeavor. In fact, women anglers are coming to the sport in high numbers. In fact, the demand is so high we created the five-day Montana Women's Fly Fishing School. Below is the school itinerary. For more information contact us or visit the school's website.
Fly fishing is equal parts challenge and fun. At the Montana Women’s Fly Fishing School we’ve also learned our relaxed approached is a huge part of our success. This doesn’t mean we don’t get after it. Our week-long school is full of fishing and learning, but there is also plenty of time to put your feet up and enjoy the view. We like to think of our chilled-out style as “drinking champagne out of the bottle.”
Our school itinerary and schedule is one of a kind. Mornings are spent enjoying coffee and breakfast while in a classroom environment, then it’s off to the river. Evenings are unstructured for you to wind down on your own time.
Day One: Monday. Arrival in Big Sky by 8 AM.
Classroom: Introductions.
Casting instruction: fundamentals, fixing mistakes, and specialty casts like the roll cast, double haul, reach cast, and more.
Fishing: Professionally guided Gallatin River walk-and-wade fishing. On the water topic: reading the water.
Day Two: Tuesday
Classroom: Breaking down the tackle and gear mystery. Right gear for the right time. Fitting women’s specific gear, waders, and fly rods.
Fishing: Professionally guided float fishing on the Upper Madison River. On the water topic: hooking, fighting, landing, and release fish.
Day Three: Wednesday
Classroom: Tie better knots. Learn the basic knots and some special knots. Clinch knot, blood knot, double surgeon’s and more.
Fishing: Professionally guided float fishing on the Yellowstone River. On the water topic: Prospecting with a dry fly.
Day Four: Thursday
Classroom: Entomology 101 and fly pattern selection. Learn the bugs the trout want to eat and the flies that work the best.
Fishing: Professionally guided fly fishing on one of the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks or angler’s choice. On the water topic: Take what the river gives you: fish specific to the conditions.
Day Five: Friday
Classroom: Advanced strategies. Headhunting with dry flies, deep-water nymphing, reading water, and everything else under the sun!
Fishing: Professionally guided fly fishing on area waters—angler’s and guide’s choices. On the water topic: Photography. Get the best from your fishing pictures.
Evening: graduation party with a guest speaker.
Assigned Reading
Remember when your teacher used to assign you some summer reading to keep your mind sharp and ready to return to school in the fall? Well, we want to keep you informed too, so peruse these pieces when you have the time to keep up to speed on all things about Montana trout.
The history of wild trout in Montana is a fascinating one, and this interview with FWP fisheries biologist Dick Vincent is very informative.
Do you and your fishing partner find yourselves periodically tangled up while fishing together from a drifboat or raft? It's not uncommon, and there are some specific ways to keep it from happening. This article from MidCurrent is spot on to help keep your flies on the water where they do their best work.
You know flyfishing has hit the mainstream market when Men's Journal is profiling hotspots in Montana!
And finally, here's an independent review from one of our anglers from last month on his personal blog.
So study up and let us know if you find any interesting material to share.
Get Wet to Beat the Heat
It's officially summertime in Montana, which means lots of sunscreen, cold drinks, big hats and happy trout. June brought us some fantastic fishing this season but also left us with some earlier than usual heat and very little precipitation, so flows on some of our rivers are lower than we like. Hoot Owl restrictions are in effect on the Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Bitterroot, Jefferson and Big Hole Rivers already, and to protect our important wild trout populations we will be limiting our fishing time to the morning and early afternoon until things cool down a bit. So pack your alarm clock, plan on early starts and a nice afternoon siesta after your day on the water. Adapting to conditions is a key part of rewarding fishing, and this season we'll all need to adapt to lower than normal flows and hope for some cooler temps and moisture in the coming weeks.
That being said, fishing has been consistently good to great statewide and we expect more of that as we move toward August. The hunt for worthwhile fishing while also being thoughtful about the health of the trout that brought us here in the first place is our goal. For more information check out these drought angling guidelines from Montana Trout Unlimited.
The good news is that cooler weather is in the forecast, nothing has gotten dire yet, Big Sky Country is still gorgeous, and there are about a million trout here that half to fill their bellies every day before winter comes. The trico mayfly emergence has begun on the Missouri, and should be in full swing sometime this week we hope. Here's a little trico teaser to get you ready to do battle with all those rising trout.
There is still time to plan a fantastic summer or fall trip to Montana, so give us a call today and let's get it started together.
Tight lines!
Garrett and Pat
406.431.5089 ~ 406.439.4545
Choice Flies for Choosy Trout
The coming weeks are perhaps the best of the year for catching trout on dry flies, so be sure to have some of the following patterns in your vest or pack, or stuck in your ball cap.
Chubby Chernobyl, or variations such as the Super Chubby or Fat Frank. Created to imitate a large stonefly or grasshopper, this foam-bodied fly floats high and is easy to see. Many anglers will use this fly as an attractor dry fly – in other words, one that can be seen – and tie a smaller dry fly behind it as a floating dropper.
Blooms HiVis Parachute Caddis. This fly has eclipsed the Goddard in popularity for a fast-water caddis. It floats well and its parachute post is tied in a variety of colors, which makes it easy to see in low-light conditions.
RS2 emerger in PMD or yellow. As our rivers drop and clear, Pale Morning Duns will hatch and this summer-season mayfly inhabits shallow, riffle-run water. A must-have for any tailwater or spring creek angler.
Rubberleg Stimulator or Stimi-Chew Toy. These two patterns’ roots lie in Randall Kaufmann’s original Stimulator. Tied to mostly imitate golden stoneflies and yellow sally stoneflies, the Stimi-Chew Toy in size 14 and 16 is ideal for mimicking a caddis or yellow sally.
Parachute Adams. Perhaps the most time-tested dry fly ever tied – imitating a mayfly dun – the Parachute Adams is a must-have.
Spruce moth patterns. On many of our local rivers, especially the Gallatin and Upper Madison between Windy Point and Pine Butte, anglers are noting an increase in spruce moths. Be sure your dry-fly box has plenty of spruce moths.
LaFontaine’s Emergent Sparkle Pupa. A list without a Gary LaFontaine pattern? This might be the best caddis pattern ever—it covers a wide range of the caddis life cycle.
Glory Shots
They never seem to get old, even among fishing guides, and with every single one of them being handled respectfully and released it just feels even better. Catching fish is fun and makes us smile.
Trout Unlimited and MFO
Our good friends at Trout Unlimited profiled MFO on their blog site recently, and it's worth a read.
"It’s Montana. You know you want to fish there this summer. I want to fish there this summer. We all want to fish there this summer. The only real questions have to do with the details: How? When? Where? The good news is that neither of us has to know the answers to any of those questions because Pat Straub and Garrett Munson already know them."
You can read the rest of the article here, but you'll have to contact us directly to plan the "summer of your life".
