The end of 2022 didn’t turn our well for my favorite NFL football team but it’s looking up for our Montana rivers.  We’ve had a winter similar to the ones when I was a kid.   Who remembers when we had to walk 12 miles to school uphill both ways in snowdrifts and -20 degrees?  We only had a potato to keep our hands warm and that was also our lunch, blah blah blah blah blah blah.  This winter has been a long one though.  It got cold in late October and continued without reprieve through mid January.

Our snowpack looks good currently.  The winter recreationists/ skiers, snowmobilers, dog mushers, etc have had a great year looks like.  Fortunately we’ve experienced warming temps the last few days.  I observed a few boats floating the Bitterroot on Saturday, a friend of mine, Jim had a good day and nymphed up some good looking rainbows on winter nymph patterns.

Our plans for 2023 look solid from an outfitting standpoint.  Our Spring fishing bookings are filling in.  We start guiding here coming up quickly in March.  I’m cutting back my rowing days due to some prior injury/arthritis stuff after shoveling water now for 23 years as a licensed guide/outfitter.  I’ll row here and there but in September I might head to the hills and hunt elk for a month!  We have some vet guides who have done a spectacular job for us and we’re planning on giving those guys more days.

Once again thank you everyone who has spent time with us over the last two decades, we have been blessed to be in your company.  We hope to here from you in the near future and see some beautiful browns and bows bending your fly rods as they slide into willing nets!

Sincerely from all of us at

Troutzoola Montana Fly Fishing!

Brooks Jessen and family.