Bozeman, Montana Fly Fishing Rod Recommendations

...This list isn’t intended to be definitive by any means, it is simply a point of reference based on my experience over the years. I rarely come across a fly rod that I don’t like – these are some of my favorites to recommend as they are easy to cast and versatile for anglers of varied skill levels in a wide range of situations. Always show up with fly rods that you are comfortable with and enjoy fishing!” – Toby Swank

Fly fishing in the Bozeman area offers a wide variety of opportunities on waters of all sizes, using just about any fly-fishing technique imaginable. Our guided trips focus on drift-boat fly-fishing as this allows us to get away from popular access points while also covering a wide range of water throughout the day. The variety of water types covered each day call for a multi-purpose fly rod that can handle a strike indicator nymph rig while also accurately delivering a small dry fly at 25 feet, or even handle a streamer when called upon. Modern fly rods are designed to be “purpose-built”, which means that there are some that do everything alright while there are others that are exceptional for specialty uses.

When suggesting fly rods for our clients to bring on their Bozeman fly-fishing trips, we suggest focusing on a well-rounded rod choice for novices and beginners such as a 9 foot 5-weight for everyday use. Specialty fly rods designed for dry fly fishing, strike-indicator rigs, or streamers are highly recommended for experienced angler that would like to improve their skills or experience a wider range of fly-fishing opportunities on their guided trip. There are dozens of great choices in all these categories – bring whatever you feel comfortable with or enjoy fishing – here are a few of our suggestion based on our preferences and the typical demands of fly-fishing the waters around Bozeman

A lot of the fly-fishing on the waters around Bozeman is done using nymph and streamer rigs throughout the year, rather than day after day of dry fly fishing. A versatile fly rod will take care of the angler in most situations on the waters around Bozeman but having a slightly heavier and stiffer fly rod on hand is highly recommended. We commonly switch back and forth between dry fly or dry/dropper rigs throughout the day, so having a second rod pre-rigged with these heavier setups can save a ton of time! We prefer a “stout” 6-weight, rather than a 7 as the 6 is still practical to use as a heavy dry fly rod on windy days and is better for use with the light tippets we typically use on nymph rigs.

Recommended Streamer/Nymph Fly Rods

Premium Streamer/Nymph Fly Rod Category

The Orvis Helios 3D in the 906 configuration is a rod that works exceptionally well for both streamers and indicator-nymph rigs. This easy casting series of fast-action fly rods feature proprietary graphite and resin technology that translate to a powerful and lightweight feel. These rods can handle a wide range of sinking lines for streamer fishing, yet quickly load with a floating line as well. The 906 has a “mini” fighting butt which gives the angler some extra leverage which will be quickly appreciated while landing larger fish, close to the boat. The Helios 3 family of fly rods from Orvis have proven themselves in the field over the last several years as highly functional and durable fly-fishing rods, equally at home on the water of Montana or the flats of the Seychelles.

Not all 6 weights are designed to handle heavy streamers and nymph rigs as a “go-to” method! The recommendations here are based on the premise that we are recommending fly rods specifically for nymph and streamer fly fishing on our Bozeman fly-fishing trips. Some additional rod models that we highly recommend in the premium category include the Sage Igniter 691, Scott Centric 906, and Hardy Ultralite X 906.

The benefits of a “high-end” fly rod include versatile actions, lightweight, and advanced graphite/resin technology. They are generally easy to cast and handle a wide range of techniques much better than fly rods built on older graphite technology. No, you don’t have to buy a premium fly rod – but a premium fly rod generally enables an angler to focus more on the fishing and less on the casting mechanics, especially in demanding conditions.

Mid-Range Streamer/Nymph Fly Rods

The Sage Foundation 690 is a very nice, mid-range choice for everyday, heavy sue with streamer and nymph setups. These USA made fly rods are noticeably “stiff” in hand and they make easy work of casting in the wind or throwing sinking lines with heavy streamers. Built on Graphite IIIe technology, these blanks are lightweight, durable and powerful.

Additional, mid-price fly rods for streamer and nymph fishing that we recommend include the Waterworks-Lamson Velocity 906 and Orvis Recon 906.