It is hard to believe that another year of traveling, adventure and fly fishing is almost over. My annual trip out west in June took me and my good friend Tracey to 6 rivers and almost 1600 miles all over the state of Montana. We started in Bozeman and drove to Twin Bridges. Our good friend and guide “Rooster” Leavens had us on to fish on the Beaver Head and Bighole Rivers. I even caught a 16 inch grayling on the Bighole. Give him a call and stay at the Stonefly Inn (1-888-316-0982).

On our way out of town we fished the Ruby River then we were off to fish the Madison River and to see our friends Sally and Deb. Check out the Camp Fire Lodge at Lake Hebgen. As we were wetting a line in the ol’ Maddy, a mating pair of bald eagles circled over head. Life is good!

No rest for the weary…we were then off to Wolf Creek to fish the Missouri River. Call Missouri River Trout Guides in Wolf Creek Montana for a guided trip.

Then we drove to Paradise Valley near Livingston to stay at Hubbard’s Yellowstone Lodge (call 406-848-7755 and ask for Nancy) to attend Jason Borger’s Casting Institute. If you would like to improve your casting and learn from a master, Jason’s your guy. (Remember a “River Runs through It”? That was Jason doing the “shadow casting,” not Brad Pitt. For more information on the Institute, contact Jason Borger at 608-438-4858 or www.flycastinginstitute.com.

We finished our journey with an evening of fishing the famed salmon fly hatch on the Yellowstone River. There  were thousands of them!

Of course I am only getting started. We took our family vacation in the Adirondacks again this year. We stayed in Willmington near the Ausable River. Check out the “Hungry Trout.” Call 518-946-2117 and ask for Nancy Murphy or Rachel Finn. They will take care of you.

Closer to home I spent time fishing Mossy Creek near Bridgewater, Virginia. Call Brian or Colby Trow at Mossy Creek Fly Fishing (540-434-2444) Another great river is the Gunpowder River in Maryland. Call Jason Du Pont at The Backwater Angler (410-329-6821).

So as we come to the end of another year I made one more trip out West to attend the IWFF (International Women Fly Fishers) Festival. We stayed at the Homestead Inn (1-800-327-7220) in Midway, Utah. We fished the Middle Provo River. For a great guide service, call the Four Seasons Fly Fishers at (1-800-498-5440.) The middle Provo is my new favorite River. Take a trip out there and you will know why!

So that is all I’ve got for now. Stay tuned for next year’s adventures. Check out the November/December issue of American Angler. Yours truly is featured in an article on Project Healing Waters. www.projecthealingwaters.org

Kiss more fish,

Kiki