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The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

Montana trout suffer mysterious disease, with Wade Fellin

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

James Hathaway

Bass, Fishing, Bonefish, Wilderness, Flyfishing, Trout, How To, Steelhead, Bluegill, Fly, Orvis, Sports, Salmon, Panfish, Education, Rosenbauer

4.81.9K Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 2023

⏱️ 89 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week my guest is guide and lodge owner Wade Fellin [45:48] of Big Hole River Lodge. Wade is on the vanguard of trout health in Montana, particularly in the Big Hole Valley, and they have been seeing trout die at the time of year when water temperatures and flows are optimum, which is concerning. Wade shares with us how they are obtaining samples of trout to send to a lab, and some possible reasons for this problem, and what might be done to address the issue. He also makes it clear that trout fishing in Montana is still awesome and that people should not cancel a trip or not plan a trip. Fishing is still great but we need to perhaps take even more care in releasing fish—and in deciding how many fish to catch in any given day.

In the Fly Box this week, there are some great questions, tips, and comments from listeners, including:

A listener shares with us how he analyzed a problem with his casting and solved the problem.

Are we over-using UV cure resins in our fly tying?

I can't afford new waders and have leaks in my old ones. Should I try to buy a pair of used waders?

When fishing dry flies in lakes, should I twitch the fly or just let it sit?

When aren't all nymph patterns tied on jig hooks?

Why am I missing so many small trout in a local stream?

With the severe flooding in Vermont, how will that affect my fishing when the water drops?

A listener wants to give a shout-out to two generous anglers who gifted him and his wife with a box of flies while they were on their honeymoon on the Henry's Fork.

Good tips on the benefits of a long-handled net

Why am I missing hook sets on my fiberglass rod?

How can I involve my family more in my fly fishing?

Do you have any tips for coiling line so that it does not tangle when I shoot line?

I am moving from DC to Dallas and I know there is no trout fishing around. Are there any fly-fishing opportunities near Dallas?

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hi and welcome to the Orvis Fly Fishing Podcast, this is your host Tom Rosenbauer.

0:16.6

And my guest this week is my friend Guide and Lodge owner Wade Fallon on the big hole

0:24.0

river in Montana.

0:26.5

And Wade is quite concerned as are a number of people in Montana about a mysterious

0:32.8

disease that appears to be killing trout and it's not water temperature related.

0:41.2

It's kind of the head scratching part of it.

0:45.0

It's happening in June and in October when water temperatures should be good but the

0:51.9

trout are occasional trout are dying.

0:56.5

And Wade's concerned about it as he should be, Wade's been a guardian of rivers in his

1:06.3

area for many years and he pays attention to these things.

1:10.4

And as Wade points out in the podcast, it's not a reason not to go to Montana.

1:17.8

It's a reason to maybe take a little more care when you're releasing fish but the fishing

1:22.4

is still good.

1:23.8

There's plenty of fish around southwest Montana is still one of the best places in the

1:28.6

world to go trout fishing this time of year.

1:32.5

But it's something that we should all be aware of and hopefully they will find out what

1:38.1

is what's killing the trout and if there is a way to mitigate it.

1:42.6

And another point that Wade makes is that trout populations can bounce back very quickly

1:48.7

if the water temperatures are good and the flows are good and the habitat is good.

1:54.0

Trout populations can bounce back.

1:56.6

So there are probably more bigger fish around and maybe fewer fish but it's still, I would

2:03.9

not cancel your trip to Montana and I wouldn't hesitate about taking a trip to Montana.

...

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