Let’s set the scene: Saturday, July 5th. Four seasoned anglers — Tim Graham, Glenn Haake, Charlie Trankler, and yours truly, Jim Craig — saddled up and pointed west to the trout-rich rivers around Dillon, Montana. This wasn’t our first rodeo in Big Sky Country. We’ve been here before. We knew the PMD (Pale Morning Dun) hatches would be going off like fireworks, and we were ready. Add in two float trips with the legendary Joseph Lema of Frontier Anglers — the same guy who hosted us in Belize in both 2024 and 2025 — and we had the recipe for another classic.
Planes, Pickups & a Costco Run
The travel squad assembled like a fly-fishing Avengers reboot. Glenn and I flew in from St. Louis, Charlie jetted up from Austin, and Tim drove his truck 12 hours from his home in Windsor, Colorado. We all landed in Bozeman before lunch and promptly did what all great expeditions do first: eat. Then came the sacred ritual of the Costco stock-up, guided by Tim’s master-level grocery list. Tim had planned a great menu for meals each day and a nice selection of snacks. His shopping list ensured we did not forget anything.
Our basecamp for the week? A Twin Bridges VRBO affectionately called the Combat Cabin. It had everything a crew of hungry, gear-laden anglers could need: comfy beds, a serious kitchen, grill, big TV, and plenty of space to spread out after a day on the river.
For Our Meals
- Glenn was our awesome breakfast chef, which was usually bagels, scrambled eggs and bacon.
- We packed our own lunches and used Tim’s cooler to keep them and our drinks cool until lunch.
- We cooked most of our dinners in the cabin. Charlie often took the lead with Glenn as his sous chef, and Tim was always there to keep this crew on task. These guys could cook! The meals were delicious. Jim was pretty much the chief bottle washer, and when he was a little slow getting on task, Tim was there to get the job done.
Rods, Reels & River Tales
We fished three rivers over the course of our stay:
- Big Hole River (near Patterson Corner)
- Big Sheep Creek (near Deadwood Gulch campground)
- Upper Beaverhead River (from the dam to High Bridge — our sweet spot)
Sunday kicked things off with a warm-up wade on the Big Hole. Joseph, ever the generous guide, sent us fresh GPS pins for hot spots. The weather and scenery were beautiful. Between traditional nymphing and Euro nymphing, we hauled in some beauties (plus the occasional hard-pulling whitefish — Montana’s version of a bonefish, if you squint a bit).
Guided Greatness & Big Bends in the Rod
Monday and Thursday were our guided days. Charlie and Glenn fished with Joseph on Day 1. Tim and I were lucky enough to go with Shaun Jeszenka, the owner of Frontier Anglers. For the second trip, we swapped guides — Charlie and Glenn went with Dan (one of Joseph’s ace teammates), while Tim and I reunited with Joseph. All the guides were super knowledgeable, experienced, hardworking and best of all, fun to be with. Oh, and we caught some big fish too. See the accompanying pictures.
Wading, Wet Wading & Wily Trout
The rest of the week we fished on foot, exploring Big Sheep Creek and the Upper Beaverhead. With temps spiking into the 90s, wet wading wasn’t just practical — it was the way to go. And the fishing? Tiny PMD nymphs on drop-shot rigs were the ticket. We fished deep, got snagged less than you’d expect (thanks, gravel bottom), and landed some big boys — with many others bending hooks, breaking 4x tippet, or simply ghosting us after a few long and hard runs.
Most fish were in the 16–22″ range, with some stretching to 24”. They were big, powerful and often required the help of a buddy to net.
Small Creek, Big Surprises
One standout was Big Sheep Creek — a change of pace that delivered great dry-fly fun. Tim and I leapfrogged upstream, picking off browns and the occasional cutbow with casts under overhanging brush. A technical challenge, but man, when they rose to the dry…magic.
The Saga of Glenn: A Study in Resilience
Now, every trip needs a subplot — and this one starred Glenn.
Let’s recap his run of (mis)fortune:
- Early in the trip his zinger broke so he lost his nippers.
- He hooked and lost about 10 fish with Joseph, while Charlie had a field day.
- He lost his wallet in Big Sheep Creek — no ID, no way to fly home.
- He broke one rod (in two places) helping net Tim’s 22”+ brown. That fish got away.
- Then he broke another rod. How? Unknown. The mystery lives on.
And yet… Glenn never cracked. Not once. He was always smiling, eager to make another cast, and not afraid to laugh off his bad luck. What a great example he set for all of us. Maybe he knew something we didn’t. (Don’t stop reading until you get to the end of this report.)
Final Casts & Farewells
Charlie, Glenn, and I flew home July 12th. But Tim? He wasn’t done. He swung by the airport not to leave — but to pick up his son Logan for Round Two. They fished the same water and had maybe had even better success. Yes, we’re jealous. But we’ll forgive him… eventually.
The Finale
So, what of poor Glenn and his misfortunes? Well, there are always some things you just can’t fix, no matter what. But, Glenn must have had a little angel on his shoulder. His family had enough time to FedEx his passport to Frontier Anglers where he picked it up the day before we flew home. That allowed him to coast through airport security. What about his two broken rods? Well, when he contacted the manufacturers, Temple Fork Outfitters made him a really sweet deal to replace BOTH sections of his broken rod, and Reddington said if he would mail them his old (and now broken) Hydrogen rod, they would send him the newest version of that rod, the EDC. And his lost wallet….not so fast. Five days after getting home, he got a call from a young man who found his wallet. It is in the mail to Glenn as I write this trip report. Now how do you beat that?!?!
Moral of the Story?
Trout don’t care about your plans. Rods break. Wallets vanish. But if you’ve got good friends, great guides, a cold drink, and a fish on the line, you’re winning.
Great fishing + great guys + great guides + beautiful setting = A great time.
Montana, — we’ll be back.
