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We got a few photos sent to us from Montana with some great fish and big smiles from Cleve.  A hawg brown, good bow, and some fish slime and squeals from his daughters, who apparently love fishing.

Not many people can say the've caught a Fl Keys grand slam, but long time customer, avid angler, and permit junkie Bill H have done it repeatedly.  Some say it's his super-knowledgeable guide, some say it's a magic fly, while other even say it's his fish charm.  But we let Bill tell us what it was about:

Fished Fri-Sat-Sun out of Marathon.  This was a "Goldilocks" trip:  too calm, hot, and bright on day one; too windy and stormy on day two, and just right on day 3.  Fishing was surprisingly decent on day two but we saved the best for the last day scoring another Slam with a 30 lb tarpon, 20 lb perm, and 5 lb bone (to complete the Slam at 10:15 AM). 

Sunday we quickly found a nice group of tarpon but they're being finicky.  Fortunately, a good one eats the shrimp fly and stays hooked -- shock. Albert lips the nice 30 lber for me insists on a picture.

We make a good run farther into the backcountry to set up on the flats for permit. It doesn't take too long and a fine perm is coming in from 2 o'clock -- high in the water and pushing a bow wave like an attack sub. Put the crab fly on his nose and the permit grabs it instantly, turns, and when it feels the hook scorches off to the north. It takes us on a merry tour and keeping it away from some lobster pots and feeling the leader rub the edge of the channel when the fish dives deep are the two most nervous moments.  Then its boatside and Albert has it by the tail. A great fish of at least 20 lbs with lots of bright yellow on the belly.  
 
We now have a mission -- find the bone. Stow the permit rod, run a bit to a nice light colored flat, and take the bow with the 8 weight ready and a fresh Gotcha in hand.  It doesn't take more than 5-10 minutes when a trio of bones shows at 11 and one is all over the fly when I show it to him.  Fortunately this one stays buttoned and before too long we're releasing Mr. Bone -- after a photo.  Another few bones show up so we have to catch another.   Overall, I've made exactly 3 casts to catch the perm and the pair of bones.
 
By afternoon, I'm on the pole trying to put Albert on a perm. On the 4th flat, we're moseying along when a pod of bonefish appear 100 feet away at 1-2. Give the boat a couple of pushes and swing the stern to give Albert the cast. As he puts line in the air, a big perm materializes at 10 about 60 feet. It has its face in the grass blowing mud -- a very happy fish. I'm now hollering "Permit, 10 o'clock -- 60 feet.   50 feet -- he's mudding -- 40 feet.!!!!"  But Albert is locked in one the bones, the fly falls and he's immediately hooked up. But sees the big perm flush from the boat.  He lands the bone but laments the blown shot at the perm.  I told him,"that's what happens when you don't listen to your guide."

Bill continues to harrass everything that swims.  We look forward to his regular updates.

"Go west young man!"  That's what Alex told us he was doing... and after his journey he wrote in with some photos.  Here's his report:

"Hope you're doing well. I just got back from my trip to Montana where I fished the Madison for three days, and it was unbelievable. I landed three of the biggest trout of my life. I attached some pictures so you can take a look.
 
I floated from Lyon to McAtee Bridge for the first two days and floated a higher stretch on the last day to get the boat more in the canyon to combat 25-35mph winds.  
 
I used my Sage VT2 9' 5 wt. and primarily fished hoppers all three days. I threw a spruce moth pattern to rising fish for a little on the third day, but otherwise fished double hoppers or a hopper with an ant dropper most of the time. I went out with guides Patrick and Scott from Blue Ribbon Flies and they were terrific. Great people with tremendous fishing knowledge who know the river extremely well. I would highly recommend them, as well as any guides from Blue Ribbon, to anyone who plans on fishing around West Yellowstone.
 
I was on the water by 10am all three days, and on the first day the morning was a little slow. I landed a couple small fish, but on the whole didn't get too many rises. The guide said that mornings had been slow recently, and that when the sun really came out around 12:30-1pm, the hopper fishing would really pick up. He was right. Right as we were getting ready to pull over for lunch, I placed a cast right along an undercut bank, and I had a big strike. When it jumped I could tell it was a big brown. I fought it for a couple mimnutes, and when we landed it I measured it at 19"! I was so pumped! On that note we sat down for lunch, and after eating the fishing was still hot. I landed another 19" brown soon after lunch, and I couldn't believe how well the day was going. A couple hours later, I saw a big brown rising to my fly, and waited for it to sip my hopper before setting the hook. Just by its flash I could tell this one was even bigger than the previous two. I landed it, and we measured it at 21"! I caught several more fish as the day progressed, but those three made it the best day of fishing I could remember. It just happened that this day was my 20th birthday. Not a bad birthday present!
 
The other two days were great too. Plenty of 14-16" rainbows and browns on hoppers. The trip on the whole was just awesome and I can't wait to go back to the Madison again at some point.
 
Thanks so much for helping me prepare in the shop last week!"

Urban Angler Alex S.... educating solid trout one fish at a time...

Lane T reports back from Utah with a quiver of photos from what looks like a fantastic trip.  Whether they had company or were fishing by themselves, they caught a load of fish, shared many laughs, and enjoyed the the scenery, as seen below.

Great trip Lane, with fantastic photos.