Posts by Anthony VonRuden

  Now that we’ve slipped from Indian Summer into full on fall, the fishing options are pleasantly mind-numbing. Did you wake up with an itch to throw the big junk for a chance at a few big browns? Great. We’ve got the float for you. Maybe you tied tiny BWO cripples all winter and want […]

  We’re looking for a good excuse for the lack of reports, since “we’ve been on the water every day” is becoming a bit of a cliche, but find ourselves at a loss. July, on the other hand, was everyone’s gain: packed with a whirlwind of hatches, one after another that kept us and our […]

  After an extended and eventful high-water visitation in June filled with audibles and long drives to the upper reaches of our rivers and the Missouri, we’ve finally come up for air and are rolling steady in summer mode, with guide boats spread evenly across our diverse and finally fishable watershed. That’s good news. Want […]

  We’re nearing the end of May, and the hydro-graphs have finally begun to tilt downward. Barely, yes, but downward nonetheless!  We’ve had a ton of water, more than in, say, the past 100 years — for a visual, if you’ve ever stayed on the river at the Doubletree, you could make a fairly reasonable […]

Please forgive the lack of posts of late, but starting in late March we got into a nice rhythm of being on the water every day, and the fish have rewarded us for our failed web presence. It’s been awesome to get the regulars back in the boat, and to introduce some new peeps to the […]

  Is it early spring in Western Montana, or late winter?  Can the fish tell the difference? We’re inching our way towards spring, and have been enjoying our days on the water regardless of seasonal distinction. There have been a few adult skwalas sighted on the Bitterroot, and we’ve fooled the first few dry fly fish of […]

The goose is getting fat Winter is here for now — our first real snow filling up the driftboats guides haven’t put away yet.  In addition to watching our snowpack pile up for 2018, another pleasant endeavor is sitting with a bowl of elk stew and paging through the photo album from the fall. It’s […]

Missoula Fishing Report Finally, fall is here, and we can all exhale (and inhale too).  After some good cold rains, the forest fire smoke has all but disappeared–and the mayflies have begun to pop.  Tricos, BWOs, Mahoganies, and tiny psuedos have blanketed the Clark Fork, ‘Root, and Blackfoot over the past several days. That’s right, the real reasons […]

Missoula Fishing Report After a long, hot August full of fire-smoke and threat, the first cool September morning feels about perfect. You need a fleece out there at the boat ramp in the morning, and maybe even a knit cap for an hour or so until the sun crests the trees. If you’re wet wading, […]