The Backstage Pass

Step into a fly shop near any well-known trout river in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming and take a look in their fly bins. It won’t take long to figure out the favorite hatch of local guides and anglers. On the Henry’s Fork near Last Chance the bins are stocked with drakes and duns....

There are many reasons to fly fish—one of the big reasons is to catch big trout. Since we’ve been doing this for twenty years, we’ve got some experience finding trophy-sized trout. And after every trip, we are always happy to return home to Montana because we know great fly fishing trips exist right...

We believe appreciating the literature surrounding our sport is as important as getting it done on the stream or the flats. Reading about fly fishing, especially when going fly fishing isn't an option, can be the next best thing. But, how do you know what classic angling books to read? To call a...

Dedication, plenty of practice, times of great effort and times of great disappointment, yet when accomplished, offers a feeling of euphoria rarely experienced. Are we talking about running a marathon or catching a fish??  What does running a marathon have to do with fly fishing? When it comes to fly fishing for permit,...

As things may slowly get back to normal in much of the U.S., it is only fair to begin to think about fishing again. When we are able to go fishing again, most fisheries in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana will be commencing runoff. This may mean high and muddy rivers. Even still, armed...

For many anglers, our first fly fishing experience was fishing dry flies on small streams. Enthusiastic trout would hurl themselves to the fly, hungry and happy, to eat the drifting fly. Watching those trout rise to our dry fly is burned into our memories and is what whet our appetites for years to...