Sept, 2014: Following our meetings and fishing on the Missouri, we headed to my cabin for a couple of days on the Big Hole. I invited fellow TRCP Board Member and good friend, Paul Vahldiek. Paul owns two lodges, Deep Water Cay in the Bahamas and High Lonesome Ranch in Colorado. The weather was calling for gorgeous Indian Summer conditions!

The Big Hole is my favorite river in the state. It is an absolutely gorgeous freestone stream with healthy populations of quality browns and rainbows. We floated from Divide to Melrose through the Maiden Rock Canyon. Slow stripping streamers worked great through the chilly morning. In the afternoon, we picked up a number of fish on dries, including hoppers.

For our clients wanting to fish this area, Craig Fellin’s Big Hole Lodge is the place to stay. We stopped by for dinner – enjoying Lynette’s fine cooking and to say hello to Craig and Wade Fellin, and several guests staying at the lodge.

It was also fun to spend time on the water with Diane Bristol from Simms and Dan Vermillion, from Sweetwater. Dan and his brothers run a number of lodges we work with internationally. Ironically, our guides both days work during the winter at Martin Pescador Lodge (MPL) in Chile, another operation our clients love in South America. I fished with Garrett Blackburn at MPL two seasons ago. It was great to spend a day on the water with him again!

Spending time with business associates, friends and clients in “big sky country” was thoroughly enjoyable. Contact Frontiers for your western fly fishing trip!

By: Mike Fitzgerald, President