The best share similar traits
By Patrick Straub for Explore Big Sky
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ew, if any, places on earth harbor miles of trout streams as densely as this small radius that we call home. Many people moved here for that reason, and for others like myself who grew up here, the area’s trout water has kept us here. And what has kept me here, able to carve out a pretty special lifestyle as a guide, has been sharing our waters and their trout with others.
Photo: J. Dapra
Whether you loathe it, love it, or could go either way, living alongside fly-fishing guides is a part of reality in southwest Montana. There is a false perception shared by many people when they see three people in a boat on a Montana river: They must be on a guided trip. On most rivers, guided fishing accounts for less than 30 percent of angling use. On the Missouri River, one of the state’s busiest, the 30 percent mark is eclipsed only slightly during peak season.
Despite the low percentage of overall use, it seems like fishing guides are everywhere. The stats prove they are not. But after twenty years in the biz, I keep seeing the same ones over and over again. Here’s what makes them great.
