Welcome to Blackfoot River Outfitters – Missoula, Montana’s family owned Orvis endorsed fly fishing company. We’ve been sharing Montana’s rivers with anglers for over 25 years while imparting fly fishing knowledge that is informed, honest, and timely. We hope to include you as one of our many loyal shop customers and guiding clients. What we…
Let kids come to fly fishing at their own pace
The long-term goal is to establish a pure population of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Custer Gallatin National Forest are seeking public comment on plans to remove rainbow trout from the Buffalo Creek watershed north of Yellowstone National Park to protect the genetic integrity of native cutthroat trout in…
By Walt Gasson Like any great company, Trout Scapes River Restoration, LLC is about great people. Brian Cowden is one of those great people. Brian comes to Trout Scapes after being the VP of Sales and Marketing for a Montana based river restoration firm. Prior to that role, Brian worked at Trout Unlimited where he…
Monday At 3 p.m., my iPad dings with a message from the Calm app. “Your inner peace is a gift that keeps on giving,” says the app. It’s tailor made for this audience of one, downloaded in the early days of the pandemic, back when we were all trying to figure out how to be a…
I adore words, especially when they spring from rivers, and most especially when they are on paper.
Steve Zakur of Connecticut fishes the edge of a stream bank on a small stream in Montana. My buddy Mike Sepelak is a thoughtful angler. He’s got a steady cast, a smart approach to fishing, and, perhaps most importantly, he’s great to travel with. Over the years, he and I have fished in four countries…
Good fly fishing films not only show good fly fishing. I think a good film is more than just great eats, tailwalking fish and unreal cinematography. I think a good film makes you think. Video of "Welcome to Iceland" Full Film In the full version of “Welcome to Iceland,” (above), the German anglers who crafted…
About us We own and operate two remote fishing adventure trips located in the middle of nowhere Alaska. Each experience will take you far away from paved roads and the typical structured lodge setting… there’s no fine paintings, no fancy carpet and few formalities. Just pristine waters, no crowds and mind-blowing numbers of fish! What…
My first bonefishing trip several years back was a disaster. I spent a week on the blustery, rainy flats of Long Island in the Bahamas and didn’t catch a single fish. I know now that my failure was a three-part effort. First, I lacked any flats-fishing experience. Second, the weather and the elements conspired against…
Maybe you’re already planning to attend the Trout Unlimited Annual Meeting in Roanoke, VA in September. You should be – it’s going to be great. And while you’re there, you must – repeat: MUST – visit Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in Harrisonburg, VA. Brian & Colby Trow are twin brothers who opened Mossy Creek Fly…
Photo NBC News New U.S. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke literally rode to work on horseback today, where he was greeted by Interior staffers for his first day on the job. Zinke is now charged with managing about 500 million acres of public lands all across the country, and the best news of the day…
Every spring, our friends at Orvis host their annual Orvis Guide Rendezvous. For the last eight years, they’ve been kind enough to invite me. And I love being there. One of the greatest parts of that event is the presentation of awards for outstanding guides, outfitters and lodges. But this year was particularly sweet. It…
Vote and win great fly-tying gear
“In the end, it all comes down to personal choices. Each of us can say that what we do is so small – it’s just one drop in the bucket. But that’s how the bucket gets full – each one of us making the right choice, one at a time. That’s how things change.”
Stick with me here, because the analogy works for fly fishing (at least in my twisted mind). Great fly fishing prowess is also ultimately built from four key elements—the cast, reading water, presentation and the flies you choose
As is the case with just about anyone who’s been fly fishing for more than a few years, I’ve gotten fairly adept at a handful of knots that I need to get through the average day on the water. Knots are always the weakest point in a fly-fishing rig, from the loop-to-loop knot that connects…
Bristol Bay, Alaska … the center of the earth for wild sockeye salmon. It’s also focus of our battle against the proposed Pebble Mine, which would create North America’s largest open-pit gold and copper mine next to some of the most important salmon rivers left on earth. Bristol Bay continues to produce one of the…
Aimed at helping you have a great outdoor experience in the Greater Yellowstone and Beyond, Sunlight Sports is Cody, Wyoming’s premier backcountry outfitter.
By Cal Curtice “This is probably the last generation of trout fishers.” — Forest and Stream Magazine 1879 In 1620, virgin forest covered the United States from the tip of northern Maine, south to central Florida, and west beyond the Mississippi River. Native brook trout swam throughout their cool, clean waters, including those in the Finger…
