Eddie Olwell
I usually chuckle when someone tells me they have a secret fishing spot.
How many times have you had a friend say, “now don’t tell anyone about this place?” Thanks to the increasing popularity of fly fishing, social media and the movie “A River Runs Through It,” trout fishing in Montana is on the radar.
This phenomenon tends to be a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, rivers are more crowded then in the past, but many of these same rivers are cleaner with more wild and native trout.
Fly fishing brings millions of dollars into our local economies and someone like me can make a living in the industry.
A friend recently emailed an article in the New York Times that described growth in fly fishing on the Madison River as “Rivergeddon.” The article highlights an increase in already high angler use as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Locals are spending more time on the water while urbanites across the country are seeking refuge in rural America.
I started fishing the Madison as a kid in the ’70s. I remember thinking that the only people who fly fished were old men. At the time if you saw a car or two at a pullout you’d move to another spot.
Today it’s common to see 25-30 cars parked at the $3 bridge. Conversations about Montana fly fishing not only include hatches and tactics, but also conflict between float and wader fishermen and the need for more commercial regulation.
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