Archive for the ‘Fishing’ Category
Manners Matter – How to Share Western Montana Rivers
By JOLEEN TADEJ - It's still easy to have a great summer experience on Montana's rivers. The key is river etiquette, a mix of common sense, courtesy, and respect.... more
Motorists Hauling Watercraft Must Stop at AIS Inspection Stations
FWP officials remind private and commercial boaters that state law requires all motorists hauling watercraft to stop at inspection stations.... more
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