Montana Fishing Books

Anyone who plans to visit Montana for their first time on a fly fishing trip, should consider doing two simple things to dramatically improve the odds of a successful fishing trip.

First, get a good guidebook about fishing in the state. These books, while sometimes a bit outdated, are all good at "pointing anglers in the right direction." Moreover, a good guidebook is something that can help any angler discover new waters they have never considered fishing before.

Second, once the angler has decided on a river to fish, it's generally sound advice to stop at a local fly shop to see what areas are hot - and which areas are not. The local fly shop can also point you to the best performing flies for the day and the week.

Books about Montana Fishing

Click any of the links or images for more information about each guidebook. All books available through Amazon.

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Fly Fishing Montana Fly Fishing Montana - An excellent and up to date book covering all major Montana fly-fishing waters.
FlyFishers Guide to Montana FlyFishers Guide to Montana - This book provides information about fly fishing the primary and some secondary rivers in Montana. Updated in 2018.
Fishing the Beartooths, 2nd Fishing the Beartooths, 2nd - This is a "must have" book for anyone who will be fishing in the Beartooth Mountains. It's also the only book available.
Fly Fishing the Bighorn River: Hatches, Fly Patterns, Access, and Guides Fly Fishing the Bighorn River: Hatches, Fly Patterns, Access, and Guides - The Bighorn River in southern Montana is the world's best tailwater, with more trout in it (measured in fish per mile) than any other river in the United States. This is the first comprehensive guide to the river.
Fly-fishing the Montana Spring Creeks...The Rainbows of Paradise Fly-fishing the Montana Spring Creeks...The Rainbows of Paradise - The most detailed guide to fishing the spring creek in Montana available.
25 Best Off-The-Beaten-Path Montana Fly Fishing Streams 25 Best Off-The-Beaten-Path Montana Fly Fishing Streams - In 25 Best Off-the-Beaten-Path Fly-Fishing Streams of Montana, the autorho explores the best of Montana's lesser-known fisheries, beginning first with what fly anglers can uniquely expect from Montana, before moving to each individual destination.
Unforgettable Days: Montana Trout Fishing Unforgettable Days: Montana Trout Fishing - If you have ever spent a day on a river, you should have this book. It is a reminder of the amazing places that are in Montana. Superb photographs.
Fishing Montana Fishing Montana - Book provides fishing information for 16 Montana rivers and 100 lakes.
Flyfisher's Guide to Southwest Montana's Mountain Lakes Flyfisher's Guide to Southwest Montana's Mountain Lakes - From fish and bugs present, to water conditions, hiking difficulty and the flies that work, this guide provides all the necessary information. A broad selection of drive-to lakes, short hikes and several-mile treks with overnights are laid out with GPS coordinates for the trailheads and destinations.
The Yellowstone River and Its Angling The Yellowstone River and Its Angling - The author takes you on a journey to one of the world's finest fly fishing rivers, from high in Yellowstone Park downstream two hundred miles to the Bighorn.
Montana's Last Best River Montana's Last Best River - A fine and fascinating tribute to one of the great fishing streams of America.
Fly Fishing Montana's Missouri River Fly Fishing Montana's Missouri River - Trapper Badovinac, a professional guide who has worked on this stretch of the Missouri River for seven years, shares techniques, humor, his laid-back philosophy of angling, color photographs, dry fly patterns, and advice on clothing and gear.
Fly Fishing the Madison Fly Fishing the Madison - Essential reading for all fly fishers going to the Madison.
Montana's Best Fishing Waters: 170 Detailed Maps of 34 of the Best Rivers, Streams, and Lakes Montana's Best Fishing Waters: 170 Detailed Maps of 34 of the Best Rivers, Streams, and Lakes - Highly recommended! A map book that has 170 detailed maps of 34 of Montana s best waters, along with GPS coordinates. Each water has an overview map that shows the entire water and very detailed maps of each section of the water.
Fly Fishing Montana : A No Nonsense Guide to Top Waters Fly Fishing Montana : A No Nonsense Guide to Top Waters - From the Yellowstoneto the Boulder River, you'll get essential information you need to fly fish Montana's outstanding waters.
Montana On The Fly : An Angler's Guide Montana On The Fly : An Angler's Guide - A detailed guide to fishing Montana's 14 most renowned rivers and their tributaries, including Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.
Montana's Best Fly Fishing: Flies, Access and Guide's Advice for the State's Premier Rivers Montana's Best Fly Fishing: Flies, Access and Guide's Advice for the State's Premier Rivers - With stunning photos, detailed maps and hatch charts for each river, book is an great reference for the best fishing in Montana.
Montana (Flyfishing Adventures) Montana (Flyfishing Adventures) - Flyfishing Adventures Montana is not just another how-to book featuring the Madison, Yellowstone, and other big league rivers, and what flies to use certain times of the year.
Inventing Montana: Dispatches from the Madison Valley Inventing Montana: Dispatches from the Madison Valley - Every summer for two decades, Ted Leeson and a maverick group of close companions have returned to an old ranch house on the benchland overlooking the Madison River. Trout and fly fishing may be at the heart of their ritual return, but their experience goes far beyond the fishing.

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