On the Fly Magazine: The Greater Yellowstone Fishing Resource

Latest Issue

Fall 2007

There’s a notion out there among fly anglers that there are two types of us: those who fish and those who live to fish. I find myself permanently stuck in the second category.

Fly fishing encompasses everyday life, awake and asleep. Daydreams of weekend excursions and exotic species and places are the norm. Most mornings, I wake up with partial memories from the night’s dreams that typically include some aspect of the angling life.

Happy hour conversations at the local watering hole revolve around stages of aquatic insect life, feeding lanes, future trips, and the big one who broke off. The idea of stalking, possibly catching, and releasing a fish on a fly rod is constantly running through the minds of those who live a fly angling lifestyle.

There doesn’t seem to be a break on blustery winter days or during the dog days of the summer heat when the windows are short. Casting a fly line is always on my mind.

Sure, I dream of Canadian trips with my Dad, fishing for trophy Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. Tales and dreams of slinging the line for huge Rooster fish in Mexico, stalking Bone fish, hearing the scream of my reel when a Tarpon has found it’s mouth attached to my fly all are a part of my day. Rainbow trout fishing in Alaska, Steelheading in British Columbia, Tiger fish, Peacock Bass, and the King of warm freshwater species, the ever-elusive Musky all usually pop into my mind before I see the bottom of my coffee mug.

The strange thing is, even with all my thoughts of traveling to far away places to cast a fly rod, I still would rather fish the rivers and streams of the Northern Rockies and more specifically, the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem. We have incredible resources available to us that is unmatched anywhere else I’ve ever been, or even heard of for that matter. The fisheries of the northern Rockies hold a place in my heart and that of many others – people who live a fishing lifestyle and people who take part in the sport occasionally, alike.

On the Fly is an extension of this lifestyle and most importantly, a tour of the regional waters and the conservation issues surrounding them. If you’re someone who lives to fish, perhaps this magazine will offer confidence as to why you choose this lifestyle. For the aspiring or even occasional angler, we hope to offer you a glimpse into the fantastic world of fly fishing in the Greater Yellowstone region.

Enjoy On the Fly.