Archive for the ‘Fishing’ Category

Of River Bondage

By ROB BREEDING- There are many variations of the old saying, “You can judge the true character of a society by the way it treats its …” My rendition: ..."by the way it treats its rivers".... 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

Summer Season Begins in Glacier National Park

Memorial Day Weekend marks beginning of primary visitation season at national park.... 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

Tales and Trails: Love in the Time of Cold

By BRUCE AUCHLY - One day it’s warm and sunny, the next day cold and snowy. Welcome to that time on the calendar between winter and spring. ... more

Blue-Winged is the New Black

By ROB BREEDING- It's been my kind of winter: a blue-winged olive winter. Hardcore dry fly junkies know the sure signs of blue-winged weather: canceled ice-fishing and pond hockey tournaments. ... 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

My Most Spectacular Failure Was a Gift

By SHELLI JOHNSON - Former Lady Griz hoopster, Shelli Johsnon tells how getting cut from the team and losing her scholarship was a game changer that led her to an Epic Life! ... more

Ice Fishing Safety Reminders

by JOLEEN TADEJ - While ice fishing is a popular outdoor sport in Montana this time of year, anglers must be aware of local conditions that can impact the stability of the ice.... more

New Year for Hunting & Fishing Licenses Begins March 1

March 1 begins the new 2015 license year for Montana hunters and anglers. The new license year is especially important for early-season anglers, and for those who enjoy ice fishing.... more

Fall Days on the Radar

By ROB BREEDING - The fishing has grown increasingly good as the leaves succumb to gravity.... more

Milestone Season Comes to a Close

By DILLON TABISH - More than a century after it was established, Glacier National Park is more popular than ever.... 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

Warm Flows Prompt “Hoot-Owl” Fishing On Dearborn, Smith and Sun Rivers

Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks has advised anglers on three central Montana rivers that all fishing will close daily from 2 p.m. to midnight until conditions improve; effective Aug. 8th.... more

What Do Ants Taste Like?

By BRUCE AUCHLY-So does an ant taste like a bitter, or lemony, crunchy morsel to a rainbow trout? Nobody knows, and the trout I’ve talked to, don’t answer.... 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

Going Home Again

By ROB BREEDING - I went back to one former home recently, my old stomping grounds in the Bitterroot Valley.... more

Do the Right Thing

By ROB BREEDING - The fish that were in Montana first are worthy of our best conservation efforts.... 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

FWP, Anglers Work Together to End Illegal fish Introductions

Montana fisheries officials and major statewide angling groups signed an agreement recently aimed at curbing the spread of illegal fish introductions into state waters.... more

Becoming an Outdoors Woman Summer Workshop August 1-3

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' popular Becoming an Outdoors-Woman summer workshop is set for August 1-3 at Boulder Hot Springs near Boulder.... 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

Meat in Tube Form

By ROB BREEDING - Bologna gets a bad rap, probably because there’s so much lousy product crowding the deli sections of American grocery stores. But made well, it’s a fine sausage.... 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

Time to Catch a Rainbow

By BRUCE AUCHLY - Want a fishing tip? Rainbow trout are spawning. Run, don’t walk, to your closest reservoir and start fishing near shore for a rainbow trout. ... 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

February Blues

By ROB BREEDING - February is the lousiest month on the calendar. It might not be so if I were an ice fisherman or a hockey player. But I’m neither, so my options are limited.... more

Love in the Winter

By BRUCE AUCHLY - Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we bring you those wonderful love birds – great horned owls. That's right, the most impressive owl in North America as a symbol of Valentine’s Day.... more

Winter Survival

By BRUCE AUCHLY - While we can adapt to winter's overdue cold spells, wild animals have three basic strategies for dealing with winter and they are the same each year, no matter the weather.... 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

Montana Riffraff Win Again

By ROB BREEDING - You’ve probably heard the most recent attack on Montana’s Stream Access Law has been tossed out by the state Supreme Court. It’s still safe to plan on fishing your favorite river this su... more

Christmas Shopping Suggestions for the Outdoor-Type

By ROB BREEDING - It's hard to buy Christmas gifts for the serious hunter or angler, but here are a few gifts I think most culinary-minded outdoors types would love to find under the tree:... more

Trout Numbers Remain High in Missouri River

By BRUCE AUCHLY - Fish surveys this year indicate rainbow and brown trout numbers remain above the long-term average in the Missouri River between Holter Dam and the town of Cascade, says a state fisheries biol... 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

Agencies Advise Limited Consumption of Some Fish Species Below Mill Site on Clark Fork River

F.Y.I. - Three state agencies today issued fish consumption advisories for northern pike and rainbow trout on a 105-mile stretch of the Clark Fork River in western Montana.... more

The Third Week in September

It's the autumnal equinox, which some equate with death. But for hunters, anglers, and hikers, the third week of September is a time to anticipate, to delight in, to anxiously await. ... 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

Fishing Restrictions Lifted on Dearborn, Smith and Sun Rivers

By BRUCE AUCHLY - Fishing restrictions have been lifted on the Dearborn, Smith and Sun rivers in north central Montana, state officials say.... more

Complete Fishing Closure Begins Thursday on Blackfoot River and Tributaries

In an effort to protect fish from the stress of low stream flows, Montana FWP is imposing a complete closure to fishing on the Blackfoot River effective Sept. 5, 2013.... 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

Comment Sought on Fishing Regulations Changes

The Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission is seeking comment on proposed 2014 fishing regulations.... 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

Miracle Fish

By ROB BREEDING - I caught a trout the other day. Then another, almost. That second fish exploded out of the water, holding itself above the Flathead River by the fury of its beating tail. ... 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

Warm Flows Prompt “Hoot-Owl” Fishing on Dearborn, Smith and Sun Rivers

By BRUCE AUCHLY: Montana FWP has advised anglers on three central Montana rivers that all fishing will close daily from 2 pm to midnight until conditions improve.... more

Summer Heat Has FWP Watching Conditions For Possible Fishing Restrictions

With recent temperatures leaping into the 90s throughout Montana, state fishery officials are gearing up now should the need arise to protect wild fish. ... 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