Montana Angler Fly Fishing Blog

The Yellowstone River flows for over 700 miles from its headwaters deep in the heart of Yellowstone National Park to its confluence with the Missouri River. For its entire course the Yellowstone River flows undammed and wild. With the longest snowmelt runoff of any river in Montana, when the...

Montana is home to nearly a dozen world-class rivers. With a broad network of roads and towns, accessing these world-class waters has never been easier. From the Madison's famous "50 Mile Riffle" to the majestic peaks of Paradise Valley overseeing the broad Yellowstone River, a fly fishing trip to...

River canyons conjure up angling adventure: Yankee Jim, Bear Trap, the Gorge, the Black Canyon, Land of the Giants, and the Narrows are a few of the named canyon sections of some of the great fly fishing rivers for trout. In these canyons lie some of the most productive fly fishing waters in the...

Montana boasts perhaps the highest concentration of quality fly fishing for trout in the world. With a network of well-maintained roads and public access areas, fishing the best rivers, creeks, and lakes in Montana is logistically very easy. Compared to the remote and secluded rivers of Chile and...

With such a variety of waters to fish on a fly fishing trip in Patagonia, a combination trip is often a great idea. In April we did a combo trip of Magic Waters Lodge and the River of Dreams Basecamp. The River of Dreams Basecamp on the Rio Blanco in the Aysen region near Coyhaique features some of...

Patagonia is one of those places that you’ve got to experience at least once in your lifetime. If you love fly fishing, there’s no place like it. Spanning Chile and Argentina, the region holds a vast diversity of fishing opportunities. Trophy trout are a reality here, as are dramatic landscapes...

The family that fly fishes together has a lot more fun together. When planning the next great family vacation, making the trip to Montana to fly fish as a family could check a lot of the "vacation super-hero" boxes. It is well-known that Montana is home to some of the best fly fishing rivers, spring...

The Smith River in Montana is one of the state’s prized fly fishing rivers. The main season for floating and fishing the Smith River kicks off in April and runs into July. In some years late September and early October can also provide floating and fishing opportunities. The Smith River is managed...

Magic Waters Lodge Trip Report 2024 “Hold on, here comes a big one!” shouted Jaime over the thundering whitewater as he maneuvered the 14’ raft through a slot in the rocks and over a class IV drop. With a 5-weight rod in my right hand and grasping the frame with my left, I peripherally noticed a...

Fishing the Smith River in central Montana is one of the most anticipated Montana fishing trips of the year. The river’s 60-mile journey from Camp Baker to Eden Bridge features carefully managed floating and camping regulations. Only a few outfitters are specially permitted on this river and private...