Over the last 7 years, Sunrise Fly Shop has taken me and two sons from newbies to casting for bonefish in the Carribean Sea. Eric, Ryan and his entire staff are both excellent instructors and know the Bighole & Beaverhead like the back of their hand.
As I now fish over 30 days a year and have experienced numerous guides and outfitters in those outings, Sunrise Fly Shop is who I measure those shops & trips against. And throughout those trips, there is only one other shop (located in Washington state) which rises to the level of customer service and expertise that Sunrise provides.
If you want someone to introduce you to flyfishing...they are gentle and patient. If you want numbers...don't be surprised if you need to ice your arm after the trip. We have had days with 40+ in the net. If you want to hunt a 20"/4+ lb. brown trout, they know the secret spots and tactics to make that possible. We've had days where a fish under 20" was "meh." If you want someone to simply break down your faults and get you to be a better caster, they are great instructors adapting their coaching to your coachability. Their diverse staff and excellent skills will put you in the right boat, with the right guide on the right water to make your trip successful and memorable.
We've pulled out 25" brown troat from water that looks like a chocolate milkshake and is running at 6x the rivers normal speed. We have slain 20" trout on the Beaverhead in late October when the river is barely moving. We've had amazing days when you have to remove ice from the put in. While the summer days are always special on western rivers, don't discount the fun and success you can have on the shoulder seasons when guided by Sunrise Fly Shop.
It's called fishing, not catching, and on those slow days, the staff keeps a positive & hopeful attitude while aggressively trying tactics you didn't know existed to make your day on the water as fun, pleasant and successful as possible.
Sunrise is located on some of the most beautiful water in SW Montana and I'd put the Bighole, when guided by Sunrise, as the apex fishery for big browns.
If you haven't fished the Bighole, you owe it to yourself to visit! And Sunrise Fly Shop is the team to use to make that investment of time, travel & money produce the highest yield. read more