In the world of American freshwater angling, the Nez Perce tribe occupies a special place. Take, for example, the case of Rapid River, a relatively obscure stream approximately 150 miles north of Boise, Idaho. The trout-filled, remote, and rugged upper 27-mile section, accessible only by...
On a sweltering August evening, our trip to Idaho’s sylvan St. Joe River was winding down. After dreamy days of camping, hiking, and fly fishing along the swift, intimate, fir-fringed headwaters, my wife Mary and I washed up on the wide, languid, lower reach in...
My first encounter with a cutthroat trout came in the era of tail fins, Sputnik, and hula hoops. I was still so young that I spent more time thinking about fish than girls (and my life might have been simpler had it stayed that way)....
As twilight shrouded the lingering light on the Missouri River, members of the Corps of Discovery looked toward the towering cliffs. Rising from both sides of the water’s edge, the rock walls projected toward the sky, with a channel flowing from a narrow break in...
Although we got a late start getting on the river on a sunny afternoon last August, after years of hoping and dreaming about fishing in this legendary spot, my wife and I had finally made it to the Fontenelle Dam on Wyoming’s Green River. As...
One thing is for certain: Fly fishing guides, when presented with a day off, often elect to fish. That means the dirty interior of the guide rig will go another day without vacuuming, and the dozens of circular plastic boxes full of flies — likely...
Montana has a reputation as a literary enclave, with such internationally known luminaries as A.B. Guthrie, Dorothy Johnson, Norman Maclean, and Ivan Doig. In 1999, the board members of the Montana Committee for the Humanities (now known as Humanities Montana) decided to honor this by...
IMAGINE, FOR A MOMENT, a stereotypical snowmobiler. If mullets, heavy metal, diesel trucks, and garish neon apparel trimmed with checkered flag graphics come to mind… you’re not all wrong. But the clichés of that culture don’t represent the whole story, especially in the mountains, where...
DIE-HARD MONTANA SKIERS KNOW THE DRILL: Every Monday, check the weather around the state to find out where it might snow the most. Read the snow reports and see which ski area has the best chance of a powder day. Start calling or texting friends:...
THERE ARE CERTAINLY A SOLID NUMBER of fair-weathered fly anglers out there. Once the low temperatures hit, ice starts to form on the riverbanks, snow flies, and the thermal layers and gloves are no longer optional, many hang up their rods and waders and wait...