Archive for the ‘Fish it Fishing Blog’ Category
Missoula Spring Fishing Report
By TONY REINHARDT- The new Montana fishing season started in March and it was a great month to be on the water. The Skwala stonefly hatch begins in March. ... more
Ducks Unlimited Dumps Access Advocate
By ROB BREEDING- It will be unfortunate if DU's conservation mission suffers due to this misguided decision.... more
Fishing Moose
By ROB BREEDING- I’m not sure I really appreciated how dangerous moose can be until I saw a video of a man who was killed by one on the University of Alaska campus.... more
Dry Rot in the Bitterroot
By ROB BREEDING- The 10th percentile in June means most rivers will be nearly bone dry in August.... more
Tips for Fishing Through the Hoot Owl Restrictions
By TONY REINHARDT-Many assume that because there are fishing restrictions then the fishing must not be very good, not true. Changing your strategy a little can pay off in these conditions.... more
Dry Rot in the Bitterroot
By ROB BREEDING- The 10th percentile in June means most rivers will be nearly bone dry in August.... more
Psychedelic Trout
By ROB BREEDING- Being late for fishing may be an unpardonable sin for Norman Maclean, but I know one far worse: not going fishing at all.... more
Salmonfly Mania in Missoula
By TONY REINHARDT -The time has finally arrived! Many anglers wait all year to chase the Salmonfly hatch, and you won’t find a much better place to do it than in Missoula. ... more
March Madness: Fly Fishing in Missoula, Montana (VIDEO)
By TONY REINHARDT-To most folks March Madness is all about filling out your bracket and the build up to the Final Four. But it means something entirely different to the avid anglers here in Missoula.... more
Missoula River Etiquette
By TONY REINHARDT -With the unbelievably nice weather everyone is looking to get outside so this is a great chance to discuss Missoula River Etiquette. ... more
Early Start to the Fishing Season
By TONY REINHARDT -This time last year we were buried in snow and brutal cold, but the unseasonably warm weather this February has jump started the fishing season for many local anglers.... more
Fall Days on the Radar
By ROB BREEDING - The fishing has grown increasingly good as the leaves succumb to gravity.... more
Fall Fly Fishing in Missoula–The Anglers’ Time
By TONY REINHARDT -For many Missoulians fall is their favorite time of year. Fly fishing is some of the best of the year and for dedicated anglers this is a perfect recipe for isolated rivers and great fishing.... more
Mid Summer Missoula Fishing Report
By TONY REINHARDT -The season is flying by! The fishing has been great in Missoula so far this year, and with plenty of water still in our rivers that should continue through the rest of the season. ... more
Summer Dry Fly Season in Missoula
By TONY REINHARDT - It seems that we have gone from spring to summer overnight in Missoula and the fly fishing transition has happened just as quickly--now is the time to get into the river.... more
The Next Generation–Take a Kid Fishing!
By TONY REINHARDT - Do you remember the first time you went fishing, or the first fish you caught? Odds are it was a father, grandpa, or mentor who took you out on that first trip. ... more
High Water Fishing Options in Western Montana
By TONY REINHARDT -Got the fishing bug? Wonder where can you scratch the itch in the middle of run-off season? The key to success this time of year lies more in your computer or smart phone than in your fly bo... more
Entirely Genetic Bliss
By ROB BREEDING - Rainbow trout don’t belong here. Still, I just can’t seem to quit them. Rainbows may be the most popular gamefish in the Rocky Mountain region, but this is westslope and Yellowstone cutthr... more
Skwala Season Has Arrived in Western Montana
By TONY REINHARDT -Skwalamania has arrived in full force in western Montana. This much anticipated event of the fishing season was delayed by record snow and cold in February, but it is finally upon us. ... more
Fly Tying Season
By TONY REINHARDT - I am a fly tying procrastinator which isn’t a good thing in my line of work. As a full time guide I go through a lot of flies between March and October each year.... more
Late Season Solitude
By TONY REINHARDT - This time of year you could have the whole river to yourself, and if you pick your days wisely you could get in 3-4 hours of quality fishing in the afternoon.... more
The Best Season of All
By TONY REINHARDT - It has been a long hot summer in Missoula, MT and we fly fishers eagerly welcome the cool weather of autumn. The next 30 days will offer some of the best dry fly fishing of the season.... more
Dog Days of Summer Fishing Tips
By TONY REINHARDT - August is typically one of the toughest months for visiting anglers. Hare are several things you can do to stack the deck in your favor and find plenty of Montana’s wild trout. ... more
Somewhere in the Middle of Montana
By ROB BREEDING. I didn’t toss it all to move to Montana two decades ago because of a song. My primary affliction was trout, and there’s a lot of trout-rich habitat in the Northern Rockies. ... more
A Midsummer Night’s Stream
By MATT DEVLIN - Picture the river as it lays in wait. In perfect veiled darkness, our finned friends hold like sails in the wind, controlling with every pitch and pull, their own place in the world.... more
Summer Solstice: Paint it Black
By MATT DEVLIN - (Video) As the summer solstice comes and goes, the days begin a slight but evident bend towards fall. We’ve been getting busy sharing our rivers, our trout, and our love of fly fishing.... more
Take Her Fishing
By MATT DEVLIN - Take her fishing because she deserves it, to impress her, or to say thank you, or sorry. But Whatever you do, just take her fishing a time or two before the summer.... more
Epic Salmonfly Hatch Predicted for Western Montana Rivers
By BRYCE MCLEAN - By all predictions, the 2013 Salmonfly Hatch should be EPIC! We're talking about all-out crazy, fish eating every cast, don't even finish one beer all day because you don't have time...kind o... more
Montana’s Clark Fork River: A Return to Glory
By BRYCE MCLEAN - As most of you probably already know, they opened up the Clark Fork from Turah to Sharon last week. Just like the rest of Missoula I couldn't wait to fish it...and it didn't disappoint.... more
In Love with a River: Montana’s Bitterroot River
By MATT DEVLIN - (VIDEO) I'm frequently asked which of Montana's rivers is my favorite. My answer: the Bitterroot River--why? Because she's the hardest to catch fish out of. ... more
Back to Missoula and Back to Montana Fly Fishing
By MATT DEVLIN - I've been gone for the past 6 months working in Key West. But the pull of river currents and drifts undisturbed except by eager fish brought me home. God Bless Montana! .... more
Early Runoff: Is the Skwala Hatch Finished? A Rundown of Area Rivers
By BRYCE MCLEAN - Here's a complete run down of the areas rivers so you can make an educated decision on where you want to fish this week.... more
The Mighty Missouri: My All Time Favorite Trout River
By BRYCE MCLEAN - As much as I love the movie "A River Runs Through it" and as amazing as the fishing on the Blackfoot can be, my all-time favorite trout stream Has to be the Missouri.... more
The Elusive Skwala Hatch
By BRYCE MCLEAN - I have been fishing the skwala hatch since I was 10 years old. And after all that time I've learned: If you think you "definitely" know when it's going to happen, you are most certainly going ... more
The Fish It Guide to Fall Flies
By MATT DEVLIN - The pigskin is flying, the leaves are a’changing, the trout aren’t so willing in the morning. Fall's arrived. Here are the best flies for the season.... more
The Year of the Big Blackfoot
By BRYCE MCLEAN - The Blackfoot River has once again risen to the top of many anglers' lists of the greatest trout streams in North America, and it has been sweet.... more
The Perfect Pair: Montana Craft Beers & Fly Fishing
By MATT DEVLIN & BRYCE MCLEAN - There's no better way to beat the heat than enjoying a cold beer while flyfishing. Here are our favorite local beer and river pairings.... more
Missouri River Fly Fishing, the Best in America
By BRYCE MCLEAN - I'm lucky to say I learned to fly fish on the mighty Missouri River. Last weekend, I was reminded why the river is the best dry fly fishing in America.... more
One of Those Flyfishing Days
By MATT DEVLIN Well, I’ve thought for a while now that a flyfisher gets around five perfect days of fishing the Salmonfly hatch in his or her entire life. I’ve got three left now by those calculations... more
A Flyfishing Dream Fulfilled
By BRYCE MCLEAN - Take it from me, go to Belize with a fly rod. There's no place like it. And there are few things like seeing 100 bonefish feeding 60 feet off your boat.... more
Spring Flyfishing Highlights and the Pursuit of a Dream
By BRYCE MCLEAN - (VIDEO) My dad, brother, and I have long dreamt of catching some big 'uns on a salt water fishing trip. The dream will soon be reality.... more
Spring Runoff: Big Wheels Keep on Turnin’
By MATT DEVLIN - When the rivers are blown and life is playing like a bad country song, there's only one thing to do: Ride it out in hope of clear, trout-filled waters.... more
How to Escape the Boat Hatch
By BRYCE MCLEAN - It's no mystery that spring brings good dry fly fishing the Bitterroot. But to escape the crowds, you've gotta venture to other rivers around Western Montana.... more
Zen and the Art of Not Fishing At All
By BRYCE MCLEAN - The other day, I was reminded of one of the great traditions of fly fishing: Not fishing at all, but just enjoying the scenery and watching the river flow by.... more
It’s Skwala Season on the Bitterroot River
By BRYCE MCLEAN - It's a special time of year to fish in Montana. When you look through snowflakes to see a 22-inch brown come up for a dry fly, you'll know what I mean.... more
Fly Fishing Film Tour This Friday at the Wilma
By BRYCE MCLEAN - The Fly Fishing Film Tour is this Friday at the Wilma!... more
Don’t Underestimate Fishing in Winter in Montana
By BRYCE MCLEAN - People often underestimate winter fishing in Montana. Sure, you might go 4 days without catching a fish, but on the fifth day, you might catch the biggest trout of your life. ... more
River to Table: A “Blast and Cast” Trout and Duck Harvest
By BRYCE MCLEAN and MATT DEVLIN - As big game season comes to an end, we find ourselves looking for other ways to spend our weekends. Fortunately, fishing season lives on and duck season still has two months to... more
Fall is for Swinging for Steelhead
By MATT DEVLIN and BRYCE MCLEAN - Fly-fishing for steelhead trout in the high-desert hills of eastern Idaho is all one could ever ask it to be.... more
Best Brown Trout Flies for Spawning Season
By BRYCE MCLEAN & MATT DEVLIN. This weekend was the opening weekend of this year’s big game hunting season--one of the best weekends of the year. Unfortunately it falls during some of the best streamer fishin... more