what to bring

First, feel free to contact us with any questions you might have about equipment, clothing, etc.

Montana weather can vary alot, so be prepared with layers and some type of rain gear. We don't get much rain, but you will want to be able to go out when it does. We do carry rain gear, fleece vests, gloves, and much more in our shop. A hat, sunglasses (polarized!), and for warm weather, wet wading shoes of some kind are necessities.

A nine foot five weight rod is the best all around rod for our waters. Standard floating line will cover 95% of your fishing - a sinking line can be nice on our lake sometimes, or for streamers on the Yellowstone River. Leaders are generally around 3 or 4 X, with tippet down to 6x occasionally. Fly selection is typical Western patterns, and we can recommend specific patterns for when you are coming and where you would like to fish. Just contact us and we can help you out. We carry a good selection of flies in our shop and our guides always have the appropriate patterns.

The following are some recommendations and examples:

T-3 six weight - Top of the line cannon for streamers, big rivers, or windy days. Amazing power, throws line effortlessly. Expensive, but worth it. Look at the TLS version for a less expensive option.

TLS five weight - The T-3 is the premium rod, but this mid flex TLS is a great bargain, especially in the 2 piece version. If you only had one rod for fishing the West, this 9' 5 weight is as versatile as it gets. With a double taper line, this is an excellent rod for large spring creeks and tailwaters.

TLS four weight - This is an 8' 6" rod with a mid flex. It is light in the hand, long enough to mend well, and has a nice blend of power and finesse. The T-3 version is an excellent rod, of course, but I am not sure the extra performance is worth the extra price in this weight class.

Superfine four weight - this 8' rod is short and delicate enough to fish the smallest streams, but has more punch than a 2 or 3 weight. This extra punch makes it a more versatile rod while still retaining its excellence on small streams.

BBS - Battenkill Bar Stock reels - these reels are an amazing combination of performance and value. Yes, the new CFOs are amazing, and the Battenkill Large Arbors have some great features. But in flyfishing, a reel is still mainly a place to store line. And these reels look great and have a great drag for those rare (and wonderful) occasions when you need it. I find their weight balances most rods correctly. Balancing a rod differently would be the main reason I considered a different reel. The CFO is lighter, and the Large Arbor is heavier.

Orvis Wonderline - this is a world class line. I use double taper almost exclusively on my four and five weights. And I never use the standard weight forward for my trout rods, I either use the Long Belly or Spring Creek weight forward lines. I find the double taper makes short casts and mending much easier and I sacrifice distance I don't care about. The Long Belly and Spring Creek weight forwards are a compromise between the double taper and a standard weight forward. Remember, though, I have done a lot of flyfishing. If you are a novice fly fisher or desire more distance, a standard weight forward line is probably best. I usually use a full sink line for streamer or lake fishing instead of a sink tip, but that is partly because I need to get a new sink tip line! I do have two different full sink lines; an intermediate and a fast sink.

Waders - I like stocking foot waders. I like the added comfort of separate boots, and the fact that if the boots and waders wear out at different times I don't have to replace them both. But if you are fishing very cold waters, bootfoot waders will be warmer. The Endura waders are the value line, but I recommend stepping up the Silver Labels if you can. The integrated gravel guards are almost worth it by themselves. They are also more durable waders with better reinforcement in key areas and better material. If you live in your waders, the ProGuides or Tailwaters are the waders for you. The Tailwaters are an incredible product, but the for the price, they should be. I think most people will find the Silver Labels to be their best bet.

Ultralight Wading Boots - Best boot on the market, and at a great price to boot. Ok, bad pun. These boots are extremely comfortable, give good support and great protection, and don't shrink. All my other boots (almost all more expensive) with leather or other natural materials in them have all shrunk greatly over the years long before I could wear them out. But these Ultralights have not. As many great features as these boots have, this is number for me.

Fishing Vests - I haven't used a vest in a long time. But when I did, I liked the Easy Entry vest the best. I still have mine, maybe I will have to give it a try again!

Waist and Chest Pack Combo - this is my current fanny pack, but I am still looking for the perfect one. This one is good, but not perfect. My main complaint is that the water bottles are not directly against the belt, they are outside the main compartment. When both bottles are full, that extra distance creates leverage, and they feel heavier. My next pack is on order, the Lumbar Pack. It looked great in the store, we will see how it works on the water. I have high hopes.

Floatant - I use Shake and Float for small flies, emergers and CDC, and HyFlote gel for larger, more traditional flies and my yarn indicators.

Strike Indicators - I just use pieces of Glo-Bug yarn. I snip off a piece and tie into the leader with a slip knot. I can vary the size according to how much weight I have to float. Once it is attached, I coat it with HyFlote gel floatant.

Tools and Gadgets - Snips. These are great and last a long time. Got to have a tippet spool holder. Despite the description, this one will hold more than 4 spools. This Tie-Fast combo tool is nice to have stashed somewhere, although I use it as a backup snips, not my primary one. Little too big. Everyone needs a good Stream Thermometer, and this is the best I have found. You notice I didn't mention forceps. Dr. Slick makes a product called Mitten Scissors, and they are far better than anything Orvis makes. They are forceps with good scissors, and you can use them with mittens on; there are no finger holes. Find a couple pairs and buy them. We do stock them in our shop now, maybe our only non-Orvis item.

Nymph Land and Release Nets - I like the 38" and stick through the belt of my fanny pack. Takes a little getting used to, but it sure is nice to have that big net when you need it. The screen is great for finding out what bugs are in the water. This net has been very durable for me.

Fly Boxes - I use a combination of the M4 size Load and Lock fly boxes, Adjustable fly boxes (usually size medium) , and a combination of small midge boxes, an old wheatley box, free 'hockey puck' containers, and my fleece patch. I usually have about eight boxes stuffed into my fanny pack. Never was good at organization...

Luggage - Okay, I own almost everything in this category. The Dryfloat bag is invaluable when floating, the wader tote is a steal, the waterproof kit bag is incredible, and the duffle bags are steadily replacing all my regular luggage.