It is difficult to imagine a more splendid introduction to flyfishing in Big Sky country than this thick (472 pp.) 2005 publication in the Flyfisher’s Guide To … series. Like all writing in the flyfishing subculture, a fair amount of knowledge on the part of the reader is assumed, though Robbins is less guilty of talking over the heads of apprentices like this reviewer than most writers on his beloved avocation.
‘Beloved’ is a word carefully chosen, for Robbins’ enthusiasm for the sport and for practicing it in his gorgeous state, comes through loud and clear. This is especially so when he can do so far from drift boat congestion and stomping waders, as a pair of comments and a section on flyfishing etiquette make clear.
After some perfunctory preliminaries, the book reaches its stride with a nice introduction to ‘Angling Tactics’, a particularly helpful word to semi-beginners like this reviewer who were trained on the relatively fast waters of the Big Horn River and then found himself making a solo adaptation of those skills to the still-ish blue of the unspeakably gorgeous Wade Lake. A couple of maps familiarizes the reader with the regions of the state that Montanans take for granted and will assume you know, then launches into a region-by-region survey of the trout waters in each.
You’ll find here almost all the facts about a body of water that are stable enough to be written down. Then, for the things that change with the climate, the seasons, the hatches, and the Great Unknowns of flyfishing for trout, Robbins steers you to the fly shops that can give you the up-to-date skivvy on what’s hatching, what’s biting, who’s bragging, and who’s staying mum.
Two appendices are particularly helpful, one on the basic flies you’ll need in order to fish Montana and another on the species that you might just find in your net.
This is a high-value, well-presented reference on fly fishing the Big Sky State. You may not find a better one.
Canter Bridge 
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