I’d always wanted to fish Montana. I’d fished its bordering States, but had yet to venture into true “Big Sky Country”. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that it was work that brought me back to this wonderful part of the world. We were in the midst of filming Kelly Galloup’s Masterclass for Anchored Outdoors, and I had coordinated a special member’s trip on the Madison River immediately following the shoot.
The initial plan was straightforward: I’d film with Kelly, enjoy some fishing on the Madison, and then head over to Rooster’s in Twin Bridges. As a part-time resident of Australia, I’ve been fortunate to fish in New Zealand quite frequently. Because of this, I didn’t have particularly high expectations for the fishing or the rivers in Montana. Looking back, I can’t help but cringe at how I once casually categorized the fishery as merely good… “for the USA”. Thankfully, apart from this blog post, those words have never left my mouth. I can only imagine such slander would lose me a few teeth.
Montana’s allure for trout fishing lies not in marketing slogans but in its authentic and deeply-rooted connection to the sport. It’s a place where anglers come to escape the noise of the modern world and rediscover the timeless beauty of nature. What makes Montana special isn’t just the trout; it’s the centuries of history etched into its riverbanks and valleys.
Montana far surpassed my expectations… the rivers, the places, the stories.
“I did not know that stories of life are often more like rivers than books.”
― A River Runs through It
