Trout Spey Days 2023 - Event Recap

Our heads are spinning and the stoke is still super high following an amazing week of Trout Spey events here in West Yellowstone!   

Things started off with our annual West Yellowstone Trout Spey Days Event on September 10^th and 11^th.  If you were able to join us this year, thank you very much for coming.  We hope you got as much joy and knowledge out of attending the event as we do putting it on each year. Big thanks as well to all of the awesome vendors and reps that came out and showed off all of their awesome gear.  We could never do this without you all. 

By all accounts, the Sunday evening Spey Days social at the new Bob Jacklin Casting Pond was a big hit compared to past years where we have packed into the basement a the flyshop.   It was kind of a trial run for the pond, but by the end of the evening it was pretty clear that the venue will be the site of many more fun gatherings in the future. 

The following day found us out on the Madison River enjoying all things Spey as well as some glorious sunshine and the beautiful surroundings of Custer Gallatin National Forest.  The presenters this year really outdid themselves, sharing both casting and fishing knowledge.  Big thanks again to Simon Gawesworth from Farbank, Jake Zirkle from Loomis, Steven Bird from The Soft Hackle Journal and Swing the Fly Magazine, Nick English from Grundens, and Matt Klara from Big Sky Anglers.  If you weren’t able to attend, we did video all of the talks again this year, and plan to edit and upload them to our Youtube channel as soon as possible. 

Each year we are so grateful for and impressed by the fly fishing and Trout Spey community that gathers at the event.  Everyone comes so motivated to learn and share knowledge and information, that it makes our jobs easy.  We are thank for to each and every one of you for sharing your time with us and spreading the love for Spey casting and fishing.  

We have every intent of hosting another Trout Spey Days event in September 2024, so please stay tuned to our email newsletters and social media posts as that is where we will be announcing the dates. 

The students arrived for this year’s Intro to Trout Spey School with Simon Gawesworth on Wednesday the 13th.  Hosted at the Golden Stone Inn and featuring top level instruction, guided fishing, and meals, this year’s class may have been the best one yet.   At the end of a great four days of learning/teaching and fishing, Simon, Justin, and Matt presented diplomas to our entire group of students, who learned about and demonstrated their understanding of nine key Trout Spey disciplines: Spey casting, essential knots, reading the water, fishing skills, fly fishing etiquette, species identification, safe fish handling, gear knowledge, and river craft.  We’ve already hatched plans to host this school again sometime in early October 2024, so if this sounds like your type of school, please get in touch.   

The swing fishing around West Yellowstone is already happening, with both resident and migratory trout becoming more aggressive each and every day.  With some really scuzzy weather in the forecast, now is the time to be sure your gear is dialed in and ready to hit the water.  If you find yourself in need of any Spey or single handed fishing gear or information on swinging streamers and soft hackles, don’t hesitate to stop in the shop or check out our Trout Spey Collection online.  As always, the freshest fishing reports can be found at 39 Madison Avenue.  It’s always good to see the Autumn regulars back in town and on the water!