Angling for Aesthetics
by Jamie Rankin
“When painting fish, I try to capture all the intricacies they possess: their scales, patterns, dimension, and texture. When chest-deep in a river, I’m not just chasing fish, I’m searching for a … Read more...
Category: Fall-Winter 2024
Calming the Waters
by Katie Thomas
It’s sometimes said that fly fishing is the world’s most hopeful pastime. From the newbie angler to the seasoned, even the slight possibility of snagging that 18-inch rainbow brings endless joy and anticipation. Optimism is indeed a … Read more...
Watershed Warriors
by Dave Hemphill
Not all heroes wear capes. Some don fishing waders and hold law degrees. The folks who form the Upper Missouri Waterkeeper are such people. Working to protect Montana’s Upper Missouri River Basin, an area that covers 25,000 … 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...
Goin’ For Gold
by Mike England
Throughout human history, gold has always been an object of intense desire. From the pharaohs of ancient Egypt to the Spanish conquistadors, from 19th-century miners to contemporary day-traders, countless men and women have succumbed to the shiny … 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...
Fly Tying: Crulpin
by Luke Boyd
When fall and winter roll around, I have one thing on my mind: trout. The rivers are empty and the fish are hungry. What more does a guy want? As the water temps cool, fish often hold … Read more...
Calming the Waters
by Katie Thomas
It’s sometimes said that fly fishing is the world’s most hopeful pastime. From the newbie angler to the seasoned, even the slight possibility of snagging that 18-inch rainbow brings endless joy and anticipation. Optimism is indeed a … Read more...
Dead Fish Rising
by Jack Jelinksi
While hiking along a high bank beside the Gallatin River one day and visualizing my stretch of water for the morning, I was startled by the insistent call of a fisherman down below. “Hey, you there!” he … Read more...
Dream Streams
by John Holt
As the years pass, I find myself spending more and more time on the little creeks tumbling out of Montana’s mountain ranges. Unlike many big-name rivers, justly famous for their large trout but suffering from the near-gridlock … Read more...