A Day of Montana Fishing

In Good Hands: A Guide’s Day Fishing the Bighorn River

For fishing guide John Sindland, making the move to Montana in 1990 to pursue his love of fishing was pretty much inevitable.

“At that point in my life, all rivers led to Montana,” says John.

A Connecticut native, John grew up fishing the creeks and rivers of New England. He served in the Navy during his early adulthood, and in his three-month leaves from nuclear submarine duty, he spent his days casting flies in waist-deep water. Once his four years in the service were up, he knew he was hooked and wanted to experience casting on some of the best rivers in the world, which is how he ended up in Fort Smith, Montana.

“I was just fascinated with dry fly fishing,” he says.

Thirty years later, John is serving as head guide for Bighorn Angler, a fly shop and fishing lodge in Fort Smith. He navigates the Bighorn River to help anglers of all skill levels reel in their dream catches on this trout-filled waterway.

John’s passion for fishing and two decades of experience guiding on the Bighorn have helped him to become a seasoned veteran of the river. He’s learned its intricacies, and — while factoring in the unpredictability of Mother Nature — he’s able to set up his guests for the most fruitful trip possible. There’s a process to preparing for a trip, and it’s so much more than packing the rods and putting in at the access.

Before each guiding excursion, he carefully selects his flies based on a variety of factors, with the most important being fish activity, hatches, water temperature and air pressure. Word of mouth from other guides and the hatching season schedule help him make the final call on flies that will perform the best on that particular day.

These flies that are as small as, well, a fly, are crucial in landing the trout that anglers from all over the world make the journey to catch. Anglers spend the months that are too cold for the river meticulously tying their flies for the season. It’s an art unto itself, with each fly — colorful and intricate — crafted for a specific purpose in terms of snagging the perfect catch.

“How do you catch such a big fish with such a little tiny fly? It’s unbelievable,” John says.

After deciding on the flies for the day — choosing from hundreds of different styles, sizes, weights and materials — John checks water conditions and assesses which river access to launch the boat from.

A favorite access point is the Yellowtail Afterbay, a reservoir formed by a dam a couple miles below the larger Yellowtail Dam. According to John, this section of the river acts as a shock absorber for the big dam, so when the dam does major releases, the water doesn’t fluctuate too much. This makes for consistent conditions in terms of temperature and water levels, which are always important in the pursuit of fish. However, even after years of attuning himself to the Bighorn’s temperament, John can never be totally certain of how a day on the water is going to go.

“We’ll take what the river gives, and we’ll make adjustments accordingly,” he says.

Once the gear is packed, and the day’s river access has been selected, John sets out with his clients to make the trek to the water. The small talk in the car on the way sometimes has everything to do with fish, but oftentimes drifts to things like baseball or what families are up to. Some of his clients have come back to fish with him for the better part of the two decades he’s been guiding, so there’s always some catching up to do before it’s time to get down to business.

When he arrives at the access, he’ll unpack his gear — including the treasured box of flies that hangs around his neck at all times on a fishing day.

“It’s great to have everything that you need on your chest,” says John.

Regardless of the weather, rain or shine, snow or sun, John is getting his clients out on the river. There are times of year where the conditions are better, and some when the conditions are less than favorable, but he’ll move mountains to ensure that no matter what, his guests get to have a good day out on the river.

From spotting places in the river where the fish are gathering to assisting in his guest’s casts and technique, John is dialed in. The Bighorn is a river where he’s able to hone his own skills in terms of fishing technique, which makes it a great river to teach on for anglers of all skill levels.

“The guiding is my teaching,” he says.

Whether he’s assisting clients or offering advice to the younger guides, he takes pride in getting to help folks learn how to improve their fishing abilities. No matter how many rivers you’ve traveled down or fish you’ve caught, he’s there to help you be a better angler, and cheer you on when you reel in your catch of the day.

“What makes the Bighorn so great is that it’s really a river for anyone, for all skill levels. You can be a beginner and come out and catch fish, and the most expert angler can be challenged. Great wading, great boat fishing, it has it all,” he says.

For John, every day that he gets to wake up and fish the waters he holds so dear is the best day ever. He feels lucky to enjoy the life he lives out here in Montana. It doesn’t matter if he catches the trout of a lifetime or he spends a rainy day on the water when the fish aren’t biting — he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I always say ‘It’s been a billionaire’s life.’ I wouldn’t trade my life,” says John. “Ironically, I’m a Yankee and a huge baseball fan, and Derek Jeter always said, ‘I have the best and greatest job in the world: I play shortstop for the New York Yankees,’ and I’m like, ‘Not so fast, Derek! I have the greatest job in the world.”

To book a guided excursion on the Bighorn, check out bighornangler.com. Ready to plan your Montana fishing adventure? Find trip planning guides and statewide fishing information here.