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How Well Does AI Know Fly Fishing?

The new trend of AI needs no introduction, and it was just a matter of time before someone tested its knowledge on fly fishing. The folks over at Fly Fisherman Magazine put ChatGPT to the test by asking it a wide range of fly fishing questions. Its answers were - well, I'll let you be the judge. But it did come up with a brand-new strain of cutthroat...

"3 Keys to Catching Bass on Topwater Bugs"

Phil Monahan offers up three keys to catching largemouth bass on surface flies, noting "it's not as easy as you might think. Bass aren’t like northern pike, almost always willing to chase down a big meal. In fact, bass can be quite picky and will often ignore big, noisy topwater flies. Here are a few steps you can take to improve your odds." Read his tips...

Report: High-End Montana Development Fouling Iconic Fly Fishing River

Chris D’Angelo reports in the Huff Post this week that the Yellowstone Club, whose members include Bill Gates, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, is "fueling a crisis" in the nearly Gallatin River, due to algae blooms likely caused by nutrient pollution. "Since summer 2005, neon green algae — a telltale sign of an...

"Finding Contact: Nine Essential Skills for Tight Line and Euro Nymphing"

TroutBitten's Domenick Swentosky offers up another tip in his series on more effective tight line fly fishing, this one focused on finding contact. "Contact nymphing is just as much about being out of touch as being in. But the margins of slack here are inches and not feet," writes Swentosky. "And, in truth, before we can slip out of touch, we need to first...

Montana Imposes New Restrictions as Western Drought Intensifies

As reported in The New York Times this week, Montana has announced significant new restrictions on a number of rivers including the Missouri, while Yellowstone National Park has announced limits on fishing that prohibit fishing from 2PM until sunrise ("hoot owl" restrictions). Notes reporter Jim Robbins: "The term 'hoot owl restrictions' stems from the...

Montana Guide Confronting Fox New Host Makes National News

If you've been paying attention to national media in the past few days, no doubt you've seen mention of a Montana fishing guide confronting Fox News host Tucker Carlson in the iconic Dan Bailey's fly shop in downtown Livingston, Montana.  NBC News reported that a video "from a Montana fly fishing shop shows a man berating Fox News host Tucker Carlson...

Montana Reports Brown Trout Decline Across Southwest Rivers

Biologists and state wildlife officials are reporting an unusual drop in the numbers of brown trout in many of the state's most popular waters, according to an article in yesterday's Billings Gazette. "Southwest Montana has a brown trout problem. The species is dropping in numbers across a wide range of the region’s rivers, biologists are stumped as to...

"Outdoor Life" Lists Top Fly Rod Picks

"Even choosing the best fly fishing rod and fly fishing gear is tough, because new fly rods are coming out all the time. What is the best fly rod length? What is the best all-around fly rod weight? How much should I spend on a fly rod?" Outdoor Life offers a list of their favorite fly rods for everything from saltwater to spey.

Trout Deformities

This is an interesting read from Louis Cahill over at Gink & Gasoline. In it, he goes through trout deformities and what causes them. Give it a read here.

Stream Etiquette

Stream etiquette is a topic anglers love to discuss, but fewer of us actually love to practice as we should. This recent piece by Louis Cahill in Gink & Gasoline is a great refresher on what stream etiquette looks like, and why we need more of it these days. Read the piece in full here.