This is a list of recommended gear for fly fishing in Montana. The most commonly used fly rod / line combinations for fly fishing in Montana are a 9′ to 9’6″ foot 4,5,6 or 7 weight rod with a fast to medium fast action, loaded with a weight forward floating line. High winds are standard here so faster action rods are able to drive your cast through the wind with less effort.. A shorter 8′ 6” to 9′ 4 weight rod is also nice for fishing dries on our smaller streams. We find a floating line to be adequate for most fishing situations; however, an intermediate sink or type 3/4 sink tip is a good addition for the streamer junkies out there looking for that trophy!

Machined aluminum light weight large arbor reels with ultra smooth drags are no question helpful when landing larger trout but we don’t think spending a bunch of money on a machined reel is ultimately necessary. Reel features don’t matter as much as the quality of the rod because they primarily just hold the fly line. Most of today’s reels will have some sort of drag to help you apply pressure on the fish and to not have the spool overrun. If your reel doesn’t have a drag your guide can teach you how to “palm” the spool to apply pressure on the fish or just use the guide’s gear!