Fly Fishing Veterans

06/11/2026

06/08/2026

“It’s a blood sport whether you like it or not.” Those were the words spoken by my client Rick as I was trying to revive a mature cutthroat trout that was hooked deep with a barbless dry fly one late July morning. Rick was an older gentleman, retired from a career in the military and he did not mince words when it came to the sticky subject of fish mortality and catch and release fishing. Since then, those words have hung in the periphery of my consciousness. As a result, I find myself asking more and more, what are the impacts to the fisheries I work on from my role in the guide seat?

It is a fact that not every fish we catch and release is gonna survive the encounter. According to several studies that have surfaced in the past 20 years related to trout mortality through the use of catch-and-release practices, anglers are looking at anywhere from 0-10% mortality with good water conditions and mortality rates much higher (40+%) when water conditions are not ideal. Those are numbers that can keep fishing guides up at night.

I accept my impact on the fishery and strive to hold myself and the guides that work with Wild Montana Anglers to the highest standards once the fish has hit the net. We do this by using the best available practices of handling and releasing fish. Sometimes that does not allow us to get a photo of the big one or fish throughout the afternoon in the dog days of summer. But it does allow us to take better care of the places we are so fortunate to work on. Below are three principles learned through and that help in the goal of minimizing mortality and that we use everyday on guided trips.

1: MINIMIZE AIR EXPOSURE

2: ELIMINATE CONTACT WITH DRY SURFACES

3: REDUCE HANDLING TIME

To keep things readable for this platform, I did not dive into the details of these three principles. If you are interested in learning more or want to check out more literature on how to reduce fish mortality check out website(https://www.keepfishwet.org/) and keep an eye out for more posts from us on how to be better stewards of the wild places we love.

06/07/2026

Awesome

05/30/2026

Green Drakes are one of the most prolific hatches of the year.

When these big mayflies show up, trout notice. They are large, clumsy, high-calorie bugs, and on the right day they can pull fish to the surface that have been glued to the bottom all week.

The big thing to remember: don’t just fish “a Green Drake.” Try to figure out what stage the trout are actually eating at.

🪳 Nymph
Green Drake nymphs live on the bottom, often in clean, cold rivers and streams. Before the hatch, they become a serious food source as they crawl or drift toward the surface.

🌊 Emerger
This is the danger zone for the bug and the opportunity zone for the angler. Emergers often get stuck in the film, which makes them an easy meal for trout.

🪽 Dun
The adult rides the surface while its wings harden. These are big, visible bugs, and they can create some of the best dry fly fishing of the year.

🌙 Spinner
After mating, spinners return to the water in low light. A quiet evening spinner fall can turn into steady, technical surface feeding fast.

Best windows to watch:
• Late spring into early summer
• Dawn, dusk, and cloudy afternoons
• Cool, wet, low-light conditions

When Green Drakes pop, don’t overthink it. Watch the water, read the rise forms, and match the stage.

Big bugs. Big meals. Big mistakes if you ignore the hatch.