photo: Steven Brutger

The sun is setting on another fishing season here in Big Sky Country, and while it's difficult to sum up seven months in one shot, we thought it was a pretty stellar one. Would you agree? If you hit the hatches right (can you say best trico hatch on the Missouri River in a decade?), you would be hard pressed not to. Water and weather conditions were very good across the board, and we can only hope for more of the same for the season to come.

Thanks to all of you, MFO had another year of strong growth and busy calendars. We put a lot of good guides to work and are happy to do it. We appreciate all the support from both our anglers and our core guide crew - hats off to all of you!

We had a great experience with our spring and fall guide schools, and are already gearing up for the next one March 22-28 based out of the trout meccas of Bozeman and Craig. Want to be a better angler or get serious about guiding as a profession? We can help with that!

November is a transition month here, and although there's still some great fishing to be had, winter is waiting in the wings. Hunting, fantasizing about powder ski days, and warm weather trip planning are the main focus now. We'll be near the phone to talk fishing with you between adventures, so start scheming on next year's plan and keep us in the loop.

Pat and Garrett
406.439.4545 ~ 406.431.5089

2015 Fishing Plans

Is it already time to start thinking seriously about fishing plans for 2015? You better believe it. Bookings for the coming season are advancing earlier every year, so if you are opinionated about who you fish with and where you stay now is the time to get after it. Great lodging options like the Missouri River Ranch, Murray Hotel and choice rental houses are in high demand for the peak points of the season.

If you are looking for something new next year we have a load of ideas for you to consider; Montana has no shortage of blue-ribbon rivers or secluded creeks to fish. Custom trips are our specialty, we can build a Trout Tour just for you.

And don't forget that our Spring Special runs from March 1 to May 1 - a great way to kick off your fishing season and save a bunch of bucks doing it.

Still Have the Fishing Itch?

There is still some excellent fishing to be had, especially given our long and mild fall this year, so you don't have to give up hope just yet. The next few weeks serve up some of the best big-fly fly fishing of the season as our mature trout bulk up before winter comes. Committing to one method of fishing for a day can be a risky endeavor, but it can have its rewards…big rewards. Here’s three tips to better fish big flies for big fish.

Understanding the habits of big fish. Once a brown trout grows beyond a foot or so, their feeding habits change. They actively seek out and ambush smaller trout and larger aquatic food. Target water offering ample “ambush-friendly” habitat such as undercut banks, log jams, fast flowing banks with plentiful underwater structure, and deep holes at the end of shallow runs.

Choose bigger, bolder flies. To truly target trophy trout, you must fish flies that trigger a big fish to react, and react impulsively. If you sneak a peek into most hard-core streamer anglers fly boxes, an abundance of these flies dominate. Sculpzillas, The One, and other large flies should be in every anglers fly box. Choose flies that have over-sized eyes. When a baitfish is being chased by a larger fish, the eyes offer a prime target for the predator. Flies with gaudy eyes out-fish flies without eyes nearly two to one. Bushy or bulky heads are important, too.

Strip it like a pro. It's definitely an art form to tease a strike from a big trout on a streamer, and learning how to dance a fly in the water is crucial. Slower and deeper retrieves as water temps drop help a lot, as do pauses in the stripping mechanism. Get that fly to look like the real thing and they will crush it.