Join The New Fly Fisher host Mark Melnyk for four days on the water with Simms—fishing the Madison, Missouri and Gallatin rivers, plus a spring creek.
In this full-length episode, Mark heads to Bozeman for a week of fishing, a closer look at Simms, and time on the water with the guides, product developers, and community ambassadors who help shape the brand.
Some trips are about a single fish. This one was about variety: four days, three rivers, a spring creek, and a different guide each day.
Fishing around Bozeman with the people at Simms was one of the best angling trips of my summer. We came to see how the new G3 Pro Waders are made and get a look at what happens behind the scenes at Simms. We also came to fish—and the rivers around Bozeman gave us plenty to talk about.
Day One: Brown and Rainbow Trout on the Madison River
Dave Mellon and I started on the Madison River with Simms Pro, Joe Dilschneider, of Madison River Fishing Company & Trout Stalkers in Ennis, Montana. It was a good day to be on the water, with light overcast skies and very little wind.
The Madison has a reputation for good reason. We caught a mix of brown and rainbow trout, and Joe’s knowledge of the river set the tone for the day. At the boat ramp, he laid out how he thought things would unfold—and called it almost exactly. We started with dry flies and terrestrials, then switched to streamers and nymphs in the afternoon.
Dave and I fished well together and were rewarded for our efforts with quality fish on the different presentations Joe suggested. We also had some great conversations on the boat about where Simms has been and where it’s headed. At the end of the day, we returned to Trout Stalkers and went our separate ways—for now.
Day Two: Carp on the Missouri River
Day two was the wild card. We headed to the Missouri River with Bob Downs, a senior product developer at Simms. The weather was hot, and the fishing was, too.
With the heat, we decided to give the trout a break and focus on carp. Spooky and powerful, carp are a lot of fun to catch on a fly. We started with a bang when a respectable fish sipped something in the foam of a back eddy. A Royal Wulff did the trick. After a long cast and a short fight, we released the fish back into the river.
We landed three carp over the course of the day after switching to streamers, but had shots at dozens more. Carp will test an angler’s accuracy, timing, retrieve, and ability to handle a strong fish. Watching one rise to a dry fly is something I love, and carp fishing is something more fly anglers should try.
Day Three: Back to the Madison—and a Grasshopper Finish
On day three, we returned to the Madison with Simms Pro, Mike Pogoda, of Rising Trout Fly Fishing Outfitters. We fished a different stretch, but something felt off from the beginning. The weather was similar to our first day, but the river had bumped up overnight and wasn’t fishing the same way.
We struggled through the morning. Once the clouds moved in and the wind eased, we started to put the pieces together. We caught some very nice fish, then decided to swing for the fences with two or three miles left before the takeout.
It was hopper time.
Hopper season wasn’t officially underway, but after the wind we’d had that morning, we thought one might be the ticket. It was a good call. In that short stretch, we moved more fish than we had all day. The day ended with a great brown trout taking a hopper downstream.
It was a good reminder that you don’t always have to fish what the season or conditions seem to call for. Sometimes it pays to fish the way you want to fish.
Day Four: The Gallatin River and a Spring Creek
On our last day, we fished the Gallatin River near Yellowstone National Park with Simms community ambassadors Avery Pagano and Ian Nye. After a tour of the Simms Working Wader Van—which travels from fly shop to fly shop repairing anglers’ waders for free—we headed out to fish on foot.
Taking turns on the river and fishing one at a time made for a fun day. There were congratulations, suggestions, heckling, and high fives, but there was also a chance to see how other anglers approached the same water. It’s a great way to learn from one another.
We fished well that day, including a chance to sight-fish for spooky brown and rainbow trout in a spring creek tributary of the Gallatin.
Four Days on the Water, and Plenty Left to Explore
Four days, four guides, and a lot of fish. We caught brown trout, rainbow trout, and carp on the Madison, Missouri, and Gallatin rivers, along with a spring creek.
It’s always good to get a look behind the scenes at a company like Simms—to meet the people, understand how things work, and see the passion they bring to improving our time on the water.
We’ll be back to Bozeman. There’s still so much water left to explore, and four days barely scratched the surface of what’s possible there.
Mark Melnyk
The New Fly Fisher
