montana YELLOWSTONE VALLEY LODGE [Paradise Valley, Montana] Located in beautiful Paradise Valley on the banks on the world-famous Yellowstone River – a fishery known for its prolific hatches and excellent cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout fishing – Yellowstone Valley Lodge offers the finest location and best overall amenities of any operation in the area. The lodge is committed to offering excellent Montana fishing experiences on all different sections of the Yellowstone, as well as the Madison, the Boulder River, and several area spring creeks including Armstrong’s, DePuy’s and Nelson’s. From any of the lodge’s 16 private riverside cabins, you look directly over the Yellowstone River and the lodge’s “home riffle,” a piece of productive water that allows you to fish on your own or late into the evening after a full day of guided fishing. The lodge features new and upgraded furnishings in all cabins, access to non-angling activities such as hiking, rafting, and horseback riding, and coordinated transportation services to and from the airport in Bozeman as well as Yellowstone National Park. 6 night / 5 fishing day packages (double occupancy) start at $2,755.00 per person. Seven Things I’ve Learned Fishing Photography Tips by Bryan Gregson Aside from his role as Yellow Dog’s blog-master and social media guru, Bryan is also one of the most accomplished independent photographers in fly fishing today. Currently based in Bozeman, Bryan spends a large part of his year traveling the globe for Yellow Dog and working on various articles, photo assignments and projects. Bryan has been the humble recipient of numerous awards and his work has been published on dozens of national magazine covers. His images have also featured in ad campaigns for companies that include Volvo, Scott, Hatch, and Trout Unlimited, and in just about every fishing magazine published in the last ten years. Having pretty much checked the box of “been there, done that” when it comes to fishing photography, we asked Bryan to share with us some of the key lessons that he’s learned over his years of traveling and shooting. Pre-Trip Preparation Is Everything No matter how expensive your gear is or how cool the new technologies are, practicing and mastering the basic fundamentals is still the key to stunning imagery. Challenges pop up on almost every shoot, and the only way to quickly and efficiently solve the problem is to know your gear inside and out and know the limits of what gear can do. When Less Is More MADISON VALLEY RANCH [Ennis, Montana] Built on the banks of the Madison River three miles from the small trout town of Ennis, Madison Valley Ranch is a beautiful, high-end lodge operation that offers guided fishing on the Madison, Beaverhead, Ruby, Big Hole, Gallatin, and Yellowstone Rivers. For guests that want the very best of everything, this is the perfect Montana operation to focus on. Catering to both the seasoned veteran as well as the first time fly fisher, the guides of M.V.R. tailor each trip to match your fishing skill level and your expectations. The Ranch has beautiful rooms, great amenities, and a kitchen staff that takes pride in serving excellent gourmet meals. For a western family vacation, M.V.R. offers non-angling activities that include horseback riding, touring Yellowstone National Park, hunting, hiking and sightseeing. 6 night / 5 fishing day packages (double occupancy) $3,800.00 per person. “As a traveling photographer my life is carried in my pack. The world is my studio, nature is my subject, adventure and exploration are my motivation. To me, life is about experiencing those moments first-hand.” — Bryan Gregson In a world of high-speed accessories, gadgets and doodads, it’s hard not to get caught up in the “latest and greatest” technological innovations. That said, I’ve found that the more gear I bring, the less I actually end up shooting and the less solid imagery I actually produce. Most of the time, less gear and a more basic “kit” forces my creative side and allows me to concentrate on capturing strong images. Have the MacGyver Mentality Tape it, glue it, fix it … whatever it takes. Gear breaks and equipment fails, and it usually happens at the worst possible time. A few simple things that are ALWAYS in my bag include Gaffers tape, a Leatherman multi-purpose tool, a shower cap for rain, extra batteries, a flashlight, a couple of small clamps, extra screws (for plates and tripod), wire, zip-ties and zip-lock bags. Write It All Down Researching a destination and location prior to arrival helps me to arrive ready. This also helps to refine a shot list. There is a lot going on once you arrive in the field, and its easy to forget the 100 different shots that I want or need to capture. Having a checklist and updating it throughout the trip means that I arrive home with the shots that I need. Buy The Very Best Lens Cloths You Can SUNRISE PACK STATION [Yellowstone National Park] One of the few horsepack outfitters licensed to operate in Yellowstone National Park, Sunrise Pack Station offers an amazing backcountry experience, excellent stock and equipment, knowledgeable guides and wranglers, and access to some of the most spectacular scenery and fishing found anywhere in the Western United States. Through Sunrise, there are a number of different angling options in the Park, from single day fishing trips to multi-day and overnight packages into backcountry areas that include Slough Creek, Pebble Creek, the Lamar River, the Bechler River, Cache Creek, and the Thorofare Region of Yellowstone. The fishing usually takes place on small backcountry creeks and streams, and most of the fish you will catch in the backcountry of Yellowstone are native cutthroat trout – wild, colorful, feisty, and almost always willing to take a dry fly. Camps are accessed via horseback, usually with the support of several mules in a mule train. A great trip for families and children, and the ideal way to experience the “real” Yellowstone far away from the crowds. Packages range from $1,300.00 to $2,190.00 per person depending on the length of trip. Use a cheap lens-cloth and a single water drop smears into an ocean all over your lens. The more you wipe the more it smears, and when you finally get things under control, you notice tiny pieces of lint everywhere. Using a cheap lens-cloth is like draining a swimming pool with toilet paper. Helping Hand You can’t do it alone. I always make a point of having a detailed conversation about what I need an what my expectations are at the start of every day. I talk with my guide, my anglers, and anyone else that I’m working with. I explain what I want to capture, the methods I’m going to use, and what I expect of everyone else. It’s a lot easier to manage the day’s expectations and shot list before a big fish is hooked and things get crazy. Finally, you will always get out of photography exactly what you put into it. To capture dynamic stunning quality imagery you simply can’t be lazy. Static shots are boring. I don’t like shooting them, I don’t like looking at them, and they don’t motivate me in any way. The same can be said for light. Bad light will never create a great photo. Wake up early and shoot late, and always be ready when the opportunity presents itself. email: info@yellowdogflyfishing.com • website: www.yellowdogflyfishing.com • 79 You Gotta Pay To Play 78 • phone: 406-585-8667 • toll free: 888-777-5060