Spey nerds, two-hand aficionados, and wannabees UNITE! 

When: Saturday, September 7 from 3pm - 6pm

Where: Madison River / Highway 191 Bridge Day Use Area (map below)

Since 2017 we have hosted a gathering of spey-minded anglers every fall in West Yellowstone called The West Yellowstone Trout Spey Days. For 2024 we are thrilled to announce that Spey Days will be incorporated into the Wretched Mess Art and Fly Fishing Festival. All of the same great aspects of Spey Days will be present at the Wretched Mess Fest including your favorite gear manufacturers and spey specific presentations, but you will also be able to experience all of the exciting elements of the full festival like fabulous artists, fly tying, a casting competition, the fly fishing film tour, live music, food trucks, and a beer garden. 

The Wretched Mess Fest will be FREE to attend, and take place at the the historic Union Pacific Dining Hall and Bob Jacklin Casting Pond in West Yellowstone. For some extra immersion in trout spey, please join us for a SPEY HANG event at the Madison River (former site of Spey Days) on Saturday, Spetember 7 from 3pm-6pm. 

Whether you are already a devoted disciple of the two-handed rod or have just recently become Spey-curious, you are invited to join this formally informal gathering of Spey nerds on the Madison River for a few enjoyable hours of learning, teaching, and camaraderie. Following Spey casting related talks at the Bob Jacklin Casting Pond, Matt Klara and Chris Daniel from Big Sky Anglers, Brian Chou from CF Burkheimer, and others will channel their inner steelhead and migrate to the river for the Spey Hang. There, you may decide to take in an informal presentation on Spey casting/fishing, solicit some 1-on-1 instruction from one of the pros, talk rod and line pairings for your favorite kits, or simply enjoy the day and catch up with old and new friends. We will have some awesome trout Spey gear on hand for folks to try out, and we always encourage you to bring your own setup as well.

We recommend that attendees bring a folding camp chair, water, snacks, waders or hip boots, and layers along with a positive attitude and your favorite Spey rod. After the Spey Hang, be sure to head back into West Yellowstone with us for some live music, beer, and tacos to complete the Wretched Mess experience!