Bozeman Fly Fishing Guide Tim Peterson

Tim grew up in Virginia on the East Coast, he started out with a fly rod chasing largemouth and striped bass. He found his way out west for school at the University of Colorado in Boulder where he caught the trout bug. After school, Tim dedicated much of his time to exploring rivers across the Rocky Mountain West, Canada, and Alaska.

His laid-back approach works well with both novice and experienced anglers. He is a master at teaching and coaching anglers to success during challenging, technical dry fly sessions.

Tim enjoys sharing his passion for the outdoors with clients and has guided anglers in Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska and Montana. He brings a great attitude to the river each day and has become an essential member of our core staff of Bozeman fly fishing guides.

FAQs of our Bozeman Fly Fishing Guides

What’s your favorite summertime hatch to fish on the rivers around Bozeman?

I am a huge fan of rock hopping up in the Gallatin Canyon when the Green Drakes and Salmonflies are out in late June and early July. Otherwise hoppers on the Yellowstone River is hard to beat!

What’s one tip that you find yourself offering guests to help improve their casting during the day?

Timing is way more important than power. All you need is to start your cast strong and wait until that line loads up the rod before you come back forward to finish your cast. No need to try and throw that rod around with a bunch of speed, if you can get your rhythm and timing down it really does not require a ton of power. I think the most common thing I am constantly trying to get people to correct is not going too far back with the rod on their back cast, stopping earlier rather than later is the key to a nice and neat cast.

If you could only fish with one fly rod on the rivers around Bozeman, which length and line weight would you pick?

It would have to be a 9 foot 6 weight rod that has a medium fast to fast action. I can nymph with a bunch of weight in the spring and fall, cast streamers no problem, and throw those big terrestrial dry dropper rigs no problem. It may be overkill for fighting most fish, but there is always that chance for a two footer in when fly fishing in Montana near Bozeman, and it sure is nice to have that bigger rod when trying to get one of those giants in the net.

What’s your favorite fly fishing method to employ during guide trips? Nymphing, streamer fishing, dries, dry/dropper?

I am a big fan of a Dry/Dropper rig. A large foam dry fly eat is hard to beat and is typically on the menu all summer long. Fishing a dry/dropper with a nymph like a perdigon still gets that fly down quick, but also lets you fish those shallow riffles and get tight to the banks with a bit more ease.

What are your 3 favorite Bozeman fly fishing river sections to guide?

Anything below Livingston on the Yellowstone River, but my favorite is Otter Creek to Pelican. The Big Hole is hard to beat, Notch Bottom to Pennington is my standout. For a dry fly experience, the Upper Yellowstone from McConnel to Joe Brown is a blast all day during the late summer.

Bozeman Fly Fishing Guide Trip Resources

From the Montana Fly Fishing Blog