As we approach the middle of July each year, I tend to feel a little bit of anxiety as I begin to consider the bewildering diversity of fishing opportunities that surround us here in West Yellowstone. As a guide, now is when I begin to have almost TOO MANY good...
Hello there from West Yellowstone - the Trout Capital of the World! I left today, Monday morning, for the Missouri River. I'll be up north guiding with Greg Falls for next several days. On my way through the Madison Valley my truck and drift boat somehow found their...
Fishing the iconic Salmonfly (Pteronarcys californica) hatch on the Fifty-Mile Riffle is an epic experience to say the least. Snow-capped mountains and lush green hillsides frame a robust river flush with the bounty of early season snowmelt. Tremendous browns...
Hello there from West Yellowstone - the Trout Capital of the World! July is here and if one thing is for certain, our days will be filled with dry flies and rising trout. We have now entered one of the most coveted timeframes in Greater Yellowstone Country. Each day...
Hello there from West Yellowstone - the Trout Capital of the World! Mother Nature showed her true colors this week providing us a mix of weather including rain, high sun, clear skies and 80 plus degree temperatures; it felt pretty darn nice to spend our days on the...
Well folks, we've held out as long as possible to update everyone about our summer community appreciation event. Formerly known as the Grand Opening Celebration. Turns out, those banners finally wore out. The simple fact is, now is not the time to invite all of our...
Hello there from West Yellowstone - the Trout Capital of the World! Summertime showed up in true fashion this week with sunshine, wind, chilly mornings, a bit of snow in the high country, sunsets that start at 9:15 PM and most importantly - consistent dry fly angling...
The days are long now, and often warm. Runoff wanes. Water levels drop and water temperatures climb into the optimal range. Everything is green. Streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds all explode with life. Wild rose blooms on the banks and...
One of our favorite thing about the fly fishing community is how many amazing artists there are out there who express their visions of fish, fishing, and nature through their work. Fish are brings us so much joy, that we can't imagine our fly shop our our homes...
Hello there from West Yellowstone - the Trout Capital of the World! Snow fell last weekend and winter returned for a few days leaving a blanket of white gold in the high country to melt at some point down the road. At times it was dumping sideways with...
Simply put, it is one of the most iconic pieces of trout water on Earth. The very mention of the storied Railroad Ranch section of the Henry’s Fork conjures images of expansive flats with large rainbow trout sipping away on the surface. Anglers who...
June is a month that we all look forward to and it's finally here. It's a month of anticipation, of hatches, of long days on the river, of beers at the boat ramp and sunsets that make everyone stop and watch because they don't last long enough. It's the true beginning...
This fly first started out as a #14 rusty spinner and I tied it for the Madison River. At Lyon Bridge, the mornings can be filled with spinning mayflies dancing in the air above the boat ramp. It is always a wonderful sight to see, that's for sure. For me, fishing...
The month of May has flown right on by, that's for sure, and it's certainly been like any other May we've known. Slowly but surely we are starting to find some added sense of normalcy. The fly shop is now OPEN daily from 9am to 5pm. As always, we are selling flies,...
Updated 10/28/2020 Big Sky Anglers is currently open for business in both the fly shop and our outfitting service, and looking forward to seeing you! Our lodging facility, the Golden Stone Inn, is now open and fully operational with updated...
Hello there from West Yellowstone, MT - the Trout Capital of the World! We are starting to wrap our minds around what this season will look like, even though it seems to be changing by the day. The one thing we do know is that flexibility is key and at some point just...
Back in 2004 I came up with this flying ant pattern while sitting at the vice in my house outside West Yellowstone. Back then, I lived on Denny Creek and my tying bench overlooked a meadow filled of three foot tall sage and high priced breeder bulls, and the southern...
Years ago, Gary La Fontaine tied the original buzzball on the Missouri River. Some say this fly looks like dead and decaying matter often seen floating in back eddies and that Gary tied the fly for midges shucks while hanging out at the Trout Shop in Craig. The...
If you’ve ever worked in a fly shop, you’ll know that a good soundtrack makes the time go by a little easier in between customers, when restocking the fly bins and folding t-shirts is the order of busines. At Big Sky Anglers, we believe that great music leads to the...
Dan Vogel, Steve Dixon, and I just finished a week of sea trout fishing on the Rio Grande River in Tierra Del Fuego. At the very bottom of South America, TDF is an unbelievably unique, harsh, and beautiful place. From the scenery, to the wildlife, to the wind, and...