Punxsutawney Phil says it is, but we're pretty sure winter will be hanging around for a while longer yet. February is a tough month in the Rocky Mountains.
Our annual Spring Special kicks into gear in a month, really gets rolling in later March, and goes through the end of April. $400 for a day of guided fishing is already a sweet deal, and when you time it right and get a sample of our great spring fishing - Baetis! Skwallas! March Browns! Midges!- it can be some of the best fishing of the whole season.
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.
After a month of watching bobbers bob, the mayflies finally popped on the Missouri for me today. Afternoon clouds and intermittent rain triggered a strong blue winged olive hatch, the trout responded nicely, and Ray and Micah both got their first few dry fly caught fish of their lives. It was a real good day.
We also saw the first couple skwalas of the season.
El Nino weather years make Montanans nervous, because we sit on the geographic fence that means it could be fine for winter moisture, but it could also be way too dry to keep us skiing powder all winter and fishing cold water all summer. We never really know until it's all said and done in the late spring how the weather gods have treated us, but a warm and dry February this year made it feel a lot like last winter's weak showing. Fortunately, March has brought us some of the late season snowfall we were hoping for!
Bridger Bowl got 10 inches overnight, and Big Sky Resort is reporting 6-8 inches of their own today. Smaller ski areas around the state also reported fresh snow today, and the forecast for this week is more on the way. All that adds up to a snowpack map that looks like this:
We like all that green, and while it would be nice to have more low and middle elevation snowpack to work with, an average spring rain season should carry us through this year. Our neighbors to the West (Washington, Oregon and California), have fared much better this winter, so hopefully they will keep their wildfire smoke to themselves this summer as well.
Let's keep it coming ol' Jetstream, we need some soaker days in the weeks ahead.
If you are a friend or longtime angler of MFO you probably already know all this, but for new friends here's some background:
We've been in business for 16 strong seasons and between the two owners we have 35 years of professional guiding under our belts. How did that even happen? We must be getting old, but we still feel young at heart, likely because we get lots of fresh mountain air and love what we do for our work.
We are serving up a refreshed website on you today and we hope you like the look. We are continuing our heritage of offering quality over quantity programming, hiring only the most fun and experienced guides, and honoring the wild trout that supply our lifeblood.
One big change is this blog you are reading now. Amazingly, it is our first foray into the fishing blogosphere - we have been really busy the last decade or so - and we plan on keeping you up to speed on all things Montana and fishy here so stay tuned for regular fresh content.
Please check out the new site, share it with your friends, and let us know what you think of it.
Best fishes!
Garrett & Pat
With a whole extra day on our hands this year it seems like there should be plenty of time to get ready for the impending fishing season, but it has snuck up on us once again. Our first guide trips of the season head out next week and our first guide school session kicks off in less than three weeks - it's time to get cracking! We've been busy the last couple months talking about fishing, and now it's time to actually go fishing.
The spring season is not what it used to be, that's a fact. In the good old days March and April were considered the 'warm-up season', and a good guide was working by May 1 at the earliest. Times have changed though; maybe it's the climate changes, maybe it's the info sharing by businesses like ours, maybe it's the desire of die-hard anglers to extend their season any way they can. But this is for certain - we love early season fishing from mid-March to mid-May across Montana and here are the top five reasons why:
Many of us started with single dry flies and have progressed to long leaders with strike indicators, split-shot, and two weighted flies tied-on with fluorocarbon tippets. Why did things get so complicated? Because we like to catch fish, that’s why. Few things in fly fishing top watching a fish eat your dry fly on the surface, but the more you can successfully fish flies under the surface, the more you can enjoy a bend in the rod when hatches wane. Here’s some help I never had:
Spring is knocking on the door in Montana. With many new changes to our angling regulations, such as the Upper Madison and other small streams being open year-round, along with our discounted fishing rates until May 1, March and April will be great months to fish. If the winter months have clouded your angling brain, here’s the best 3-Day Angling Road trip on the planet.
Punxsutawney Phil says it is, but we're pretty sure winter will be hanging around for a while longer yet. February is a tough month in the Rocky Mountains.
Our annual Spring Special kicks into gear in a month, really gets rolling in later March, and goes through the end of April. $400 for a day of guided fishing is already a sweet deal, and when you time it right and get a sample of our great spring fishing - Baetis! Skwallas! March Browns! Midges!- it can be some of the best fishing of the whole season.
It's hard to believe another year has passed here at MFO - this will be our 17th season as a guide service and outfitting business - but we are ready for it and excited for what lies ahead. While it is full-on winter here now, our early season fishing and spring special are a mere 8 weeks away, so there is no rest for us. We also have our first guide school of the season kicking off at the end of March, more info on that below.
January and February are the months that we dedicate to the backend of our business - specifically, to spend time talking to you about planning your trip this season. Now is the time to do it - primo lodging spots and guide calendars are filling fast for the spring and summer months. Montana is a popular place, so you have to plan ahead to get the premium experience you are looking for, that is just how it works.
Our 406 On The Fly trout tours are a great place to start if you want to sample the best of what Big Sky Country has to offer for the venturing angler.
We are sure 2016 will bring many excellent adventures for all of us, so start scheming yours and know that we look forward to seeing you in Montana before too long.
Cheers!
Garrett and Pat
406.431.5089 ~ 406.439.4545
There are only 10 weeks remaining until our next Montana Fishing Guide School session kicks off in Bozeman and wraps up a week later on the Missouri River. If you want to learn the skills needed to be a professional guide in Montana, or just improve your game as an angler, this is the ticket. This is a full immersion course that covers stream entomology, rowing skills, fish behavior, fly tying & selection, first aid & CPR, river rescue, conservation and much, much more.
Our guide school schedule for 2016:
March 20 – March 26 Bozeman/Missouri based
March 27 – April 2 Bozeman/Big Sky based
April 10 – April 16 Bozeman/Missouri based
April 17 – April 23 Bozeman/Big Sky based
May 15 – 21 Bozeman/Missouri based
June 19 – 25 Bozeman/Big Sky based
October, dates tbd Bozeman/Big Sky based
Contact us pronto if you are interested, and we'll answer all the questions you have about the course schedule and how you can take your game to the next level.
Montana winters are long, but as anglers we need to cherish the season of white because winter snow means good summer streamflows. If you’re looking for the best of both worlds, here are our favorite Montana winter fishing and skiing locales. To avoid any throw-downs, the listing is alphabetical.
Anaconda. Someone had to be listed first besides Big Sky. Nestled at the base of the Pintlar Range and a little over a half hour from Discovery Basin, this town is a cast-and-carve sleeper. The Clark Fork gets its start near here and the winter fishing on the river near Anaconda is consistent and good for some big brown trout. Rent is cheap in this town. Skiing is surprisingly good. If you love shrimp cocktail and large cuts of beef with real horseradish, this historic place is for you.
Big Sky. Since the ‘70s this is Montana’s largest resort-centered mountain town. Skiing here is massive and lift-lines don’t exist. Nothing about this town is off the radar, but there are few places on earth where you can ski fresh powder in the morning, cast to rising trout on the Gallatin River in the afternoon, and eat great Pad Thai in the evening. The Big Sky trifecta:ski, fish, eat.
Bozeman. The world knows of Bozeman’s great fishing. The skiing at nearby Bridger Bowl and it’s “Ridge” is world class. Bozeman rents are do-able on a Top Ramen budget and the fishing is close by so what you save on gas can go to fend off scurvy.
Missoula. The largest town in the listing. Small freestones and large freestones, and the potential for skwala dry fly fishing in March. Snowbowl is your ski area. Snowbowl is no Whitefish Mountain Resort or Big Sky, but once you’ve had a few drinks at Al and Vick’s you’ll forget all about those other mountains.
Red Lodge. Off the radar indeed, but it shouldn’t be. Beer is great at the Red Lodge Brewery. Fishing, if you’re willing to drive to the Bighorn River, is the best winter fishing in all of Montana. Skiing at Red Lodge Mountain is budget in many ways, but, you’ll certainly have money left in the tank in April to visit your mom or even chase a few tarpon.
Whitefish. Winter fly fishing here is not great, in fact, it’s mostly an ice fishing game. But the town of Whitefish and Whitefish Mountain Resort, the ski resort formerly known as Big Mountain, is a favorite of many long-time Montanans. Despite the lack of winter fishing, the food and drink scene allow you to party like its 1999.
Chase salmon flies for three months? It can happen. We’ve been doing it for years.
Last June while floating the Upper Madison, in between casts to bankside structure, a client asked Pat when was the best time to fish salmon flies in Montana? His response: mid-May through July.
“Seriously?” the angler responded.
For Pat, during May through July it has been a personal goal to fish a salmon fly pattern more often than not. He’s been getting closer each year.
On certain rivers like the Smith and Dearborn, the big bugs can hatch as early as Mother’s Day, but Memorial Day is more likely. After the holiday weekend, west-side rivers like the Clark Fork, the Blackfoot, and others see the big bugs.
By the time June rolls around it is very likely to see three-inch long naturals on the Lower Madison, then the Upper, and then over the mountains on the Yellowstone.
Late July means Yellowstone National Park waters, and primarily the Yellowstone River in the Park, to find salmon flies. For adventurous and fit anglers willing to hike, throwing large dry flies to native cutthroat trout is a well-deserved reward.
By August, the potential for salmon flies finally wanes…but that’s ok, because then it’s ‘hopper season, just another big bug!
If chasing trout with a single, large dry fly on a freestone river is your passion, contact us today to start planning your big bug adventure.
We want to let you know we continue to support progressive conservation groups like Trout Unlimited, doing good work on behalf of our trout and all the folks who fish for them. We are proud to be a member of the TU Endorsed Business program and encourage you to find your own way to pay it forward for all the great experiences that are soon to come from enjoying the wildness that we find in Montana and beyond.
Dear Fellow Fishheads,
It's been a wonderful year for us and we hope it has been for you as well. Enjoy your time with your family and friends this holiday season, and try to find time to reflect on the awesome adventures you got to partake in during the last year. Spring is just twelve short weeks away and we look forward to seeing you in Montana as soon as you can get here. The snow is piling up nicely and we think the 2016 season is going to be a great one.
Happy Holidays from the whole MFO family!
Happy Holiday High Five
Thanksgiving might have officially ended a few days ago, but we can still give thanks for our good fortune, can’t we? We’ve got it pretty good here in Montana. Amidst all the hustle of the Holiday Season, we pause to be appreciative of the good things.
Clean air, water, and open spaces. Thanks to the many groups and organizations dedicated to protecting what we love and enjoy daily. Groups like Montana Trout Unlimited, the Montana Land Reliance, the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, Prickly Pear Land Trust, Upper Missouri Watershed Alliance and many more, all ensure we have plenty of places to wet-a-line, take a hike, and leave things better than we found them.
Helena and the Gallatin Valley’s community parks and events. For small mountain towns, residents and visitors to our area have access to a great parks, ball fields, trails, kid’s playgrounds and more. We also have arts programs, performing arts centers, and many great community-centric events. Many volunteers have played vital roles in making these things a reality.
Public lands. We live in a state where public lands, both federal and state, allow us ample opportunity to partake in the things we love to do: fish, ski, hike, bike, hunt, and more. We’ve got it good in Montana with the amount of public land we use on a regular basis.
Local knowledge and professionals. Within a hundred mile radius of our waters, hundreds of outdoor recreation professionals live and work. These professionals operate stores, run clinics, and are our neighbors. People travel thousands of miles to spend time with the fishing outfitters and guides, ski instructors, horse-wranglers, and other professionals in our area. Be thankful we have this amount of expertise so close to home.
Sharing with friends and family. The best memories are often created with friends and family. This one’s pretty simple: try to find time to spend outdoors with the important people in your life. You'll be glad you did.
If you are looking for a good group to support for some year end philanthropy and future trout karma building look no further than these:
Upper Missouri Watershed Alliance
Prickly Pear Land Trust
Gallatin Valley Land Trust
Montana Land Reliance
Montana Trout Unlimited
We really meant to get the boats covered before Winter rolled in, but in the busyness of a fantastic Fall we forgot to do it. Again. That's the price you pay for having too much fun sometimes.
We imagine you have your own forgotten chores stacking up too, but don't let planning next year's Montana adventure be one of them. Just like we are going to pay the kid down the block a few bucks to shovel all this snow, you can enlist us to assist you in doing the heavy lifting for you on planning your next Big Sky Country fishing trip.
So when you get together with your dad, brother, mother, sister, cousin, friend, child - whoever it is you like to have fun with - tell them you want to go flyfishing in Montana soon and that you know who to call to make it all happen without having to strain your back one little bit.
Enjoy your holiday season and we look forward to seeing you in 2016.
Cheers!
Garrett and Pat
406.431.5089 ~ 406.439.4545
At MFO we pride ourselves in being Montana’s Most Unique Guide Service. We do that by covering a lot of Montana—we have local guides on nearly all of Montana’s trout waters. And, the Paradise Valley Springs Creeks are no different. In fact, two of Pat’s favorite waters are DePuy’s and Armstrong’s Spring Creeks.
Fishing these crystal clear creeks requires a unique approach to fly fishing, as these waters truly have no peer in the world of fly fishing. Fishing these creeks is likened to hunting, as most fish that are caught are seen first. If you’ve done the drift boat thing, let MFO show you the intricacies of walk-wade fly fishing on the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks. The ideal trip is two or three days as that allows you to fish all the creeks, or focus on one or two and fish during the best weather. Rod fees apply, and are their peak in high summer.
You don’t have to be an expert angler to enjoy the spring creeks. All you need is the desire to try a different style of fly fishing than what you’ve most likely done before. And, with an MFO spring creek specialist, you’re sure to have a good time. Plus the streamside Merlot and brie always spice up a day’s fishing.
The three Paradise Valley Spring Creeks are an annual favorite of local and traveling anglers. The creeks themselves are private, but the rod fee and guide allows you access. The three creeks, Nelson’s, DePuy’s, and Armstrong’s/O’Hair’s offer fishing in one of the most beautiful valleys in Montana, the Paradise Valley.
DePuy’s is the longest of the three creeks, then Armstrong’s/O’Hairs, and then Nelson’s. Anglers looking for selective fish in a technical piece of water should try their hand at some of these trout. But if you are serious about making this trip, book it early because the good guides go fast.
We love what we do and want to share it with you.
