By George
by Colin Pittendrigh
A living legend, on the Bighorn and beyond.
“Aren’t there any good sculpin flies that don’t have the deer-hair head?” I asked. “You bet,” said George. “I’ve got one I call the Foxy Lady, and I … Read more...
Category: People
Life Imitates Art
by Jamie Rankin
Sitting down with Montana artist Mimi Matsuda.
Spend enough time on a Montana river, and you’re bound to see a Mimi Matsuda painting unfold before you—a trout rising in a perfect bend, a heron perched on a … Read more...
Art Imitates Life
by Carson Sprague
Sitting down with Montana artist Pam Dolan.
For Pam Dolan, the river has always been a healing place: a refuge for reverence, reflection, and familial connection through the highs and lows of life. Through her artwork, and … Read more...
Joe Brooks, A Man For Montana
by Robbins Church
A single conversation can alter not only one life but also the lives of generations of anglers and even the economies of entire states.
One day in the winter of 1951-52, a lion hunter from Livingston, one … Read more...
Do What the River Tells You
by Fischer Genau
Craig Mathews approaches the Madison River, rod in hand, but instead of plunging into the current to stalk trout, he sits down and waits. He listens to the slurp and burble of the river. He watches an … Read more...
Charting the Waters
by Katie Thomas
Renowned Montana writer Thomas McGuane once wrote, “If the trout are lost, smash the state.” He’s been fishing for almost 80 years, just about as long as he’s been writing, and the two activities define him equally. … Read more...
Call of the Wild
by Jamie Rankin
Montana’s meandering, scenic rivers are known around the globe for their access to wild trout. Fly-fishers come from far and wide to chase browns, rainbows, and even the elusive cutthroat, all of which are born, and grow … Read more...
Lady of the Line
by Dave Hemphill
It all started in 1952, when Bud Lilly, Montana’s father of fly fishing and often referred to as “a trout’s best friend,” bought his fishing shop in West Yellowstone. Two years later, his wife Pat delivered their … Read more...
Local Legend
by Dave Hemphill
In Montana, Bud Lilly’s name carries weight. Any angler who has knowledge of the West’s fly-fishing heritage has heard of the man. Legends may be soft-spoken, but their reputations don’t allow them to remain silent.
Born in … Read more...