All Stories

If you haven’t read the book Trout Flies by Gary LaFontaine, “You betta ask somebody.” I recently purchased a new copy of this book off eBay (new to me) actually signed by LaFontaine. It’s signed, “For effective flies -Gary LaFontaine.”

It is not always the best technique, but it’s not in my nature to put down the spey rod for long. Beyond effectiveness, it is an enjoyable style of fishing. It’s deliberate. It’s laid back. It’s showing a fly to the fish and giving them ample opportunity to eat it. If they like it, they will respond and when they eat, it’s a jolt on a tight line.

In fact, chances are they’ll ask if you are in possession of any bananas before you board their vessel. If you are, they will end up in the water or on the dock. The bananas will not come on board. They all have stories to back up why bananas on fishing boats or fishing trips are taboo. I’ve got lots of them myself.

Sometime in the fall of 2015, about a dozen of us were holed up at a river house we rented just down river from Prewitt Creek on the Missouri River in Montana. It was late and we had fished all day, so with our minds at an elevated level we began to brainstorm the rules of fly fishing. For some reason it occurred to me to write everything down that night, and assumed I’d never see it again.

We love to fish. Fishing is not a crime. We high five those who swing flies, skate dries, and fish 365. We get loud when things go well, and learn from our toughest days. We nymph, we stalk carp, we strip streamers, we troll, we have fun.

Yes. I mean pretty much right? When Ken Morrish invented the Morrish Hopper it was new and awesome BUT… it is a foam hopper. We’re not inventing new insects so in some capacity we are mimicking something that’s already been mimicked.

Once maligned, bull trout now play a starring role in the Pacific Northwest’s wildest places. Words by Greg Thomas.

When I was a kid, my imagination led me to believe that fly fishing was exclusively for rivers and I am sure many others thought the same. As I got older, my dad introduced me to fly fishing and you guessed it, we fished in a river. Where I grew up in Albuquerque, NM there were not many places to fish, let alone fly fish. In the heart of ABQ there is a little gem called Tingley Beach.

It's been a hot summer. We finally got a cold front and some rain, but a couple weeks ago, we were still in the 90's and it was smokey. Many of our favorite waters are a bit warm for trout and we have been giving them a break. So we went Bass'n. https://youtu.be/JHot5jfVnjI Montana may be known for trout, but it is loaded with multiple species options. We love catching any species of fish on the fly, and Smallmouth Bass make a great target species. You will note Calvin using some conventional gear to prospect. Sometimes it's a good way to quickly cover water when you are short on time and hunting for fish. Once we find them, we love to figure out how to get them to eat flies. In the morning, flashy streamers stripped fast through shallow water triggered some bites. Once the sun was higher, deep, slow rolling...

Most people call lake fishing "stillwater fly fishing". Some people consider it boring. The reality is that the wind is seldom still. Wind moves the water and the fish are constantly moving. It's not static or boring to me. At times, it can be very stimulating and fun.

Whatever you call them, blue-winged olives are an important part of a fly fisher’s yearly playbook.

In high school I was a pretty poor fisherman, I certainly didn’t realize it at the time, but I was bad. There was a whole crew of us, and we were all bad at it. Relatively bad, as in we were probably better than most our peers, but we just didn’t know what "better than what we were" should look like.