Fly Fishing In Its Purest Form

We have been graced with a bountiful hopper season. This is the result of consistent rain through the later months of summer. What does this mean for the dry minded fly fisher you might ask…? Great top water action.

As we turn the corner into fall, we will be back to watching bobbers and industriously dredging streamers along the bank before you know it. For some, this is a far cry from what fly fishing should be about in the west. Having a fish come up for a dry fly is definitely the pinnacle of what fly fishing should be to me, and it is such a temporary thing that I think we should all take full advantage of this while it lasts.

I have even gone as far as to skip the dropper part of the hopper and just go with one fly. This keeps your tangles to a minimum, prevents foul hooking the fish and gives one the simplicity that is missing from our age-old sport sometimes. Why use two flies when one is getting 99% of the fish? Why huck a streamer when a dry fly is catching big fish? Why wear your arm out when you can cast easy? These are some questions I think get overlooked by the novice angler and experts alike.

Okay okay, I know what you’re thinking, this guy has it out for those who enjoy fishing streamers. The answer is that I don’t, I’m guilty of it too. I have a streamer dedicated rod with a sink tip that I love using myself. Maybe this article is an effort to convince myself that I should be using more dry flies too. I feel that fly fishing offers us the tools and opportunity to angle in a variety of ways, including top water and everything below. This is what makes it a unique and diverse way to pursue fish, and we should take advantage of that.

Try to keep your piscatorial pursuit diverse, fish with the seasons and use the bounty they provide your quarry as a compass on what tactics and flies to use. Diversity is key in staying happy, at least in my experience. Swing by our Bozeman fly shop for all the gear necessary for a successful day of dry fly fishing, nymphing, or streamer fishing