The Season of Giving - 3% of all holiday sales support The Salmonfly Project.

This Year, Your Holiday Shopping Helps Save the Hatch.

The holidays are here, and at Big Sky Anglers we believe in gifts that matter: for the angler in your life, for you, and for the rivers we love. This season, 3% of all holiday sales between November 16 and December 31 will be donated to The Salmonfly Project.

Why We're Doing This

Few things define early summer in Big Sky Country like the salmonfly hatch. These giant stoneflies pull big trout to the surface and bring anglers to our rivers from around the world. But the bugs that make our fisheries special are in trouble. According to The Salmonfly Project, aquatic insects, including the giant salmonfly, are being threatened by pollution, dewatering, habitat loss, and warming water. Even where trout and other wildlife are still abundant, insect numbers and diversity are often declining. That means impaired watersheds and, eventually, poor fishing.

This one hits close to home. The Salmonfly Project is running a 50-year comparative study on the Madison River to see how its insect community has changed over the last half century, and it monitors insects on the Gallatin, Teton and Upper Snake rivers, among others. These are waters our guides and customers fish every season.

What is The Salmonfly Project?

The Salmonfly Project is a Missoula, Montana–based nonprofit whose mission is to conserve aquatic insects for future generations. It was co-founded by two University of Montana graduates: Jackson Birrell, PhD, who studied the causes of salmonfly declines across the Rockies, and James Frakes, MS, an aquatic ecologist and avid fly fisherman. Their work focuses on four areas:

• Research: measuring where and why insects have declined, including historical re-surveys on the Madison and Yellowstone rivers. Their research on salmonfly declines in Utah led the state to list salmonflies as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
• Monitoring: volunteer-assisted sampling of insects and habitat conditions on rivers across the western US, including the Big Hole, Bitterroot, Gallatin, Teton and Upper Snake.
• Education: teaching anglers entomology and how to better "match the hatch," making us better fly fishers and better river stewards.
• Conservation: working with resource managers to improve how insect communities are managed and restored.

How It Works With Your Holiday Shopping

• Between November 16 and December 31, every holiday purchase you make with us qualifies.
• We'll track total holiday sales and donate 3% from that period directly to The Salmonfly Project.
• It's a win-win: you gear up for the 2027 season, your gift list gets checked off, and the hatch we all live for gets some much-needed support.

Want to Do Even More?

Anglers are some of the best eyes on the water. The Salmonfly Project asks anglers to share what they've seen by taking their Angler Survey, uploading insect photos to iNaturalist, or volunteering with a summer monitoring program. You can learn more or donate directly at salmonflyproject.org.

Shop the 2026 Holiday Gift Guide

We've pulled together our top picks for every kind of angler, from stocking stuffers under $25 and cozy winter layers to BSA logo gear and show-stopping big gifts. Pick up gifts that mean something, and help us give back to the bugs and rivers that give us so much.

Shop the 2026 Holiday Gift Guide →

Order by December 15 for Christmas delivery, or stop by the shop at 39 Madison Ave.