Tell Congress to sustain funding and reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund

"Please tell Congress to sustain funding for trout and salmon conservation and to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) What are the issues? Federal budget: conservation programs that benefit trout and salmon are at risk."

Click here to be linked to an email template which is automatically sent to your state's representatives!  This is quick and easy.

If you are not a TU member, just delete that part of the pre-written message.  Also, if you are not a TU member, you should seriously consider becoming one!!

I'm not dead, I've been fishing my ass off...

Fishing the Big Hole with a salmonfly on my shoulder

The past month has included some epic fishing in some epic places.  It is summer in Southwest Montana and I'm surrounded by the best trout streams in the United States.  This has been making it hard to get anything done lately (including paying my internet bill) but I've been having the time of my life.  I've got lot's to share in the coming weeks so stay tuned...

Big Hole Moose in the bush

A day at the Montana Fly Fishing Museum (part 1)

I've been looking forward to this post for some time now.  However, a research proposal and statistics exam delayed it a bit.  In the Butte, Montana Visitor Center, there is an awesome display of flies from the icons of Western US fly fishing.  George Grant, Franz Pott, Don Martinez, Norman Means, and Bill Blackstone all have flies on display.

George Grant Flies:

George Grant soft hackle stonefly

George Grant was a Butte area resident and his feather bodies wrapped with various materials are well known classic wet flies.  The bodies were wrapped with different brands of monofiliment line and v-rib.  The hackles are all woven.

Grant's Soft Hackle Stonefly

Black Creeper with woven hair body

The Banded Featherback Nymph

A display of just the bodies

Woven body flies

The original Muddler Minnow with a woven body 

Woven body salmonflies

Split wing salmonflies

The Bloody Butcher streamer

The Big Hole Demon

Grant squirrel body and collar - white and red streamer

Monofilament-bodied Hairtail Minnows 

God, those are sexy!

Fanz Pott Flies:

This guy was supposedly a wig maker which makes a lot of sense.

Pott Woven Body Soft Hackle

The hairs Pott used

Woven body hair fly patent

Woven body wet ant flies

This is the first installment of two for my trip to the Fly Fishing Museum Display at the visitor center in Butte, Montana.

Next time you drive through Montana on I-90 on your way to a fishing destination, stop in Butte, get some lunch, check out this amazing town with incredibly history.  Then, go to the visitor center and check out this great display!