Once the heat of summer arrives and mayfly hatches wind down, some anglers believe dry fly fishing opportunities largely disappear. While heavy hatches and water boiling with rising trout may indeed be a memory until next spring, opportunities to find fish feeding near the surface still abound. As temperatures rise, terrestrial activity increases, and it is well known that terrestrials—ants, beetles, crickets, inchworms, and more—offer excellent dry fly opportunities. But taking proper advantage of terrestrial season means covering all your bases, both above and below the water.

Earlier this spring, Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks (FWP) warned of a historic decline in brown trout populations in southern Montana. In some streams, brown trout populations have dropped to the lowest levels recorded in 50 years. As a result, FWP asked the public for input on proposed fishing restrictions designed to protect brown trout in some of Montana’s most heralded trout water, including the Big Hole, Ruby, Boulder, Beaverhead, Yellowstone, Madison, Shields, and Stillwater rivers. Citing scientific studies conducted both by FWP and the U.S.