blog

What's in our Fly Boxes for Late Summer Fly Fishing in Montana

Beat The Heat: Warmwater Fly Fishing For Bass, Pike, and More

If you're looking for an excuse to shake up your routine, the dog days of summer is the absolute best time to pivot to warmwater fly fishing. Trading in your delicate trout tippets for an 8-weight (or bigger) is the ultimate mid-summer palette cleanser. Bass, pike, and carp don't just tolerate the high sun and warm water, they thrive in it.

Hoot Owl Restrictions in Montana: Where To Go Fly Fishing

As summer has reached its peak, trout fishing on local streams can become more challenging with hoot owl restrictions across Montana’s legendary fly fishing rivers. These restrictions, which prohibit fishing from 2pm to midnight, are designed to protect our beloved trout during the warmest part of the day. But fear not! There are still plenty of ways to enjoy fishing this summer if you adjust your approach.

Top 5 Must-Have Flies For Summer Fly Fishing

One of our favorite things about peak summer is the huge variety of different places to go fly fishing in Montana. From the local go-to’s like the Bitterroot River, Blackfoot River, Clark Fork River, and Rock Creek to the tiny tributary streams that drain numerous valleys out of the neighboring mountains — the options are endless and there is no better way to explore these places than with a fly rod in hand.

Tips For Becoming a Better Dry Fly Angler

For most of the anglers who walk through our shop doors, dry fly fishing is the absolute pinnacle of trout fishing. There’s just nothing quite like watching a wild fish break the surface to eat a floating bug. Now, let’s be honest—trout aren't looking up 24/7, and there are plenty of days when subsurface rigs do the heavy lifting. But when a hatch kicks off, dry fly fishing becomes the ultimate test of your setup, presentation, and patience. Western Montana is arguably the best place on earth to build and hone that skill set.

Top 6 PMD Fly Patterns

While big bugs like salmonflies and stoneflies get all the hype in early summer, many anglers overlook Pale Morning Duns (PMDs) and the exceptional dry fly fishing experiences they provide. For the technical angler, there is nothing quite like the rhythm of a solid PMD hatch.