Montanas Best Fly Fishing

Explore the streams less traveled in the state known for its legendary fly-fishing rivers! The Bighorn, the Madison, the Missouri, the Bitterroot - these are some of the biggest, most storied fly-fishing waters of Montana. They host thousands of anglers and guides every season, and they provide some of the most exceptional fly fishing in North America. But beyond these famous Montana rivers, there are hundreds of equally productive, equally breathtaking rivers and streams that are a little smaller, a little lesser known, and a lot less frequented - and every bit as beautiful! In 25 Best Off-the-Beaten-Path Fly-Fishing Streams of Montana, author Molly Semenik explores the best of these under-appreciated fisheries, beginning first with what fly anglers can uniquely expect from Montana, before moving to each individual destination. With over 100 color photographs and local guide interviews throughout, the stream-specific chapters include detailed GIS maps highlighting access roads and entry points, ease-of-access ratings, specific information on local hatches, recommended tackle, fly shops, outfitters, campgrounds, lodging, dining, watering holes, and even local hospitals and treatment centers. As a Big Sky Country native, as well as Master Casting Instructor (MCI), member of the International Federation of Fly Fishers Board of Directors, and owner of Tie the Knot Fly Fishing, Semenik knows Montana streams intimately, and brings her knowledge to bear in this absolute go-to guide for natives and non-natives alike.

The authors, Brian and Jenny Grossenbacher, guided Oprah and Gayle King on the Merced River in California. This book shows you their home waters of Montana. From the Yellowstone River to the Boulder the Grossenbachers guide you through their beautiful home state. Learn where and how to fish Montana - a fly angler's mecca. Fly Fishing Montana gives you a quick, clear understanding of the essential information you'll need to fly fish the state's most outstanding waters.

Anyone who fly-fishes Montana—or plans to—should own a copy of this useful guide. Fly fishing expert John Holt has compiled a complete inventory of Montana’s fly-fishing waters, moving across the state, drainage by drainage, devoting plenty of space to the main river of each watershed as well as the many tributaries, small streams, reservoirs, and alpine lakes that frequently get left out of other guidebooks. The maps are large and easy to use, and the fishing descriptions cover seasonal variations, river conditions, and preferred fly patterns. Also included are travel suggestions, river access, etiquette and rules, and a hatch chart.

From world famous waters like the Madison, Missouri, and Yellowstone Rivers to local favorites like the Beaverhead, Big Hole, and Gallatin Rivers, these incredibly comprehensive maps will lead you to the best fishing Montana has to offer. Official access sites are clearly marked including GPS coordinants, along with boat ramps, campgrounds, and roads and trails that allow additional access to every stream. River miles, public and private land, and a wealth of other useful information for anglers is also included. Book jacket.

“Beautiful. ... A lyrical companion to his father’s classic, A River Runs through It, chronicling their family’s history and bond with Montana’s Blackfoot River.” —Washington Post A "poetic" and "captivating" (Publishers Weekly) memoir about the power of place to shape generations, Home Waters is John N. Maclean's remarkable chronicle of his family's century-long love affair with Montana's majestic Blackfoot River, the setting for his father's classic novella, A River Runs through It. Maclean returns annually to the simple family cabin that his grandfather built by hand, still in search of the trout of a lifetime. When he hooks it at last, decades of longing promise to be fulfilled, inspiring John, reporter and author, to finally write the story he was born to tell. A book that will resonate with everyone who feels deeply rooted to a landscape, Home Waters is a portrait of a family who claimed a river, from one generation to the next, of how this family came of age in the 20th century and later as they scattered across the country, faced tragedy and success, yet were always drawn back to the waters that bound them together. Here are the true stories behind the beloved characters fictionalized in A River Runs through It, including the Reverend Maclean, the patriarch who introduced the family to fishing; Norman, who balanced a life divided between literature and the tug of the rugged West; and tragic yet luminous Paul (played by Brad Pitt in Robert Redford’s film adaptation), whose mysterious death has haunted the family and led John to investigate his uncle’s murder and reveal new details in these pages. A universal story about nature, family, and the art of fly fishing, Maclean’s memoir beautifully captures the inextricable ways our personal histories are linked to the places we come from—our home waters. Featuring twelve wood engravings by Wesley W. Bates and a map of the Blackfoot River region.

The New York Times–bestselling classic set amid the mountains and streams of early twentieth-century Montana, “as beautiful as anything in Thoreau or Hemingway” (Chicago Tribune). When Norman Maclean sent the manuscript of A River Runs Through It and Other Stories to New York publishers, he received a slew of rejections. One editor, so the story goes, replied, “it has trees in it.” Today, the title novella is recognized as one of the great American tales of the twentieth century, and Maclean as one of the most beloved writers of our time. The finely distilled product of a long life of often surprising rapture—for fly-fishing, for the woods, for the interlocked beauty of life and art—A River Runs Through It has established itself as a classic of the American West filled with beautiful prose and understated emotional insights. Based on Maclean’s own experiences as a young man, the book’s two novellas and short story are set in the small towns and mountains of western Montana. It is a world populated with drunks, loggers, card sharks, and whores, but also one rich in the pleasures of fly-fishing, logging, cribbage, and family. By turns raunchy and elegiac, these superb tales express, in Maclean’s own words, “a little of the love I have for the earth as it goes by.” “Maclean’s book—acerbic, laconic, deadpan—rings out of a rich American tradition that includes Mark Twain, Kin Hubbard, Richard Bissell, Jean Shepherd, and Nelson Algren.” —New York Times Book Review Includes a new foreword by Robert Redford, director of the Academy Award–winning film adaptation

The Bighorn River in southern Montana is the world's best tailwater, with more trout in it (measured in fish per mile) than any other river in the United States. This is the first comprehensive guide to the river. • Over 60 of the best guide patterns • Interviews with the river's top guides • Detailed access, advice, and tips for the famous tailwater in Fort Smith, Montana • Includes information on the secret stretch near Thermopolis, Wyoming

TROUT FISHING WHITEWATER RAFTING HORSE PACK TRIPS

With heart-stirring landscapes, benefits for physical and mental health and clean, cold water, Montana’s high country is truly the final frontier in the last best place. That is why Wilderness Adventures Press is excited to introduce this all-new guide to flyfishing southwest Montana’s mountain lakes. These underfished tarns host everything from wild 5-pound cutthroat to the elusive and challenging golden trout to the increasingly rare arctic grayling. Mix in the occasional trophy brookie and all the 12-inch cutts and rainbows you can catch and it becomes apparent that there is no shortage of opportunity. Author Joshua Bergan has spent years exploring these pristine highland gems. From fish and bugs present, to water conditions, hiking difficulty and the flies that work, this guide provides all the necessary information. A broad selection of drive-to lakes, short hikes and several-mile treks with overnights are laid out with GPS coordinates for the trailheads and destinations. The author’s driving directions get you to Point A and Wilderness Adventures Press’ highly-touted maps take it from there. This comprehensive guidebook covers over 250 highland lakes from the Absarokas to the Idaho border, including the Gallatin Range, Madison Range, Gravelly Range, Tobacco Roots, Pioneer Mountains, Beaverhead Mountains and other smaller ranges. Fishing mountain lakes isn’t for everyone, which is why it should be for you. Unleash a lifetime of new fishing spots with this outstanding new book.

Outlining the 100-best traditional and innovative trout flies specifically designed for Montana's lakes and rivers, this guidebook features superb photographs and accessible instructions, making it an ideal companion for any fly-fishing enthusiast. With authentic advice from six notable fly designers and knowledgeable anglers, this authoritative resource covers all types of bait--from dry flies, nymphs, and streamers to midges, terrestrials, scuds, and sow bugs.