Montana Fly Shops, Guides Struggle with River Closures

Montana relies heavily on the media to push fly fishers its way during the summer months, but this year the news is not the friend of fly shops and outfitters, some of whom are complaining that the state is going overboard with closures. “Fly-fishing businesses are largely reliant on tourists who come from all over the world to fish Montana’s legendary trout streams in the summer, and as Kris Kumlien, manager of Bozeman’s Montana Troutfitters explains, misperceptions about the situation are only making things worse.” David Nolt in New West magazine. (Thanks to reader Grant Carter for this link.)
Reality is that even this summer there is enough good, cold water in Montana to hold ten times the anglers that good PR could send its way. Start with spring creeks, then hike up to mountain streams and high lakes that aren’t noticeably affected by the warm temperatures. And do what we do, which is go fishing when the naysayers are huddled in their hotel rooms.