If you are like me, you probably spend a lot of time browsing the virtual fly fishing world when life prevents you from actually being on the water. As a guide, this happens less often to me than most, but I still make time to regularly visit several fly fishing websites to see what’s going on. Here in the Rocky Mountains we are lucky enough to have some of the best fly shops in the country, and many of them have top-notch websites. Here are five of my favorite fly shop websites that you should bookmark and visit often.

Royal Gorge Anglers, Canyon City, CO

www.royalgorgeanglers.com



If you live in Colorado or fish the Arkansas River this site should be at the very top of your “Favorites” folder. Even if you don’t fish the Arkansas River there are great reasons to check out this site, and if you read the reports often enough you’ll probably end up making the trip! The first great feature of the RGA site is its fly list that includes color photos of some of the best Arkansas River flies and notes about how to tie them. There are some great patterns on the list and most of them will work in streams all over the West, so if you are looking to add some new fly patterns to your box go here….. http://www.royalgorgeanglers.com/fly_pattern_recipes.php

The fishing reports are updated several times a week, if not daily. The info is always current and correct, not a month old like some fly shops. And the guys doing the report are some of the most knowledgeable Arkansas River fishermen, giving an accurate, detailed angling report.



The highlight, however, is the interactive map of the Arkansas River found here…..
http://www.royalgorgeanglers.com/interactive_arkansas_river_map.php  

This feature allows a visitor to get an up-to-date report of particular sections of river while viewing a detailed map. If you plan on fishing the Arkansas River this year, make sure you put this incredible feature to use.

Silver Creek Outfitters, Ketchum, ID

www.silver-creek.com



The site is just fun to look at and browse through even if you don’t actually read anything on it! The layout, visual effects, and design of the Silver Creek Outfitters website are about the best there are. However, if you are looking for info about the world famous waters around Ketchum, this is the site for you. The fishing reports are always up-to-date and accurate, even if that means being honest about low water, warm temperatures or below average fishing. The photo galleries that accompany each report are some of the best on the ‘net. Beware: if you read a report that talks about the hot fishing on the streams and then look at the pictures you may find yourself harboring an irresistible desire to ditch work and head to Ketchum. One section of the website called “The Den” is full of useful information, from local weather reports to a fantastic hatch chart. Also in The Den is a unique glossary of fly fishing terms that is worth taking a look at. You can get to The Den here…..  http://www.silver-creek.com/den/waters/silvercreek.html

Charlie’s Fly Box, Arvada, CO

www.charliesflyboxinc.com

If for some reason you have been living in a cave for the last year and a half and have not seen this site, you should drop whatever you have planned for the next hour (or the rest of the day) and go there right now. Charlie Craven is one of the top fly tiers in the country, and here he has created one of the best fly-tying sites. The site has step by step tutorials for well over one hundred flies, with detailed instructions and high-resolution photographs for each step. If you are having a problem tying a specific fly or with mastering a particular technique you will be able to find the answer to your questions on this site. For a true demonstration of Charlie’s tying and photography skills, check out his tutorial on bass poppers here….
http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/detail.cfm



Charlie also happens to know just about everything about different fly fishing products and has fished all over the Rocky Mountains, so if you want some sage advice on just about anything fly fishing related, you can contact him through the site.

Yellowstone Angler, Livingston, MT

www.yellowstoneangler.com


One of the most respected fly shops in the country, Yellowstone Angler also has one of the best websites around. There is more information on this site than you could read in a day, yet it’s well organized and very easy to navigate. The fishing reports are always up-to-date and accurate and there is some great fish porn from both North and South America for you to ogle for a couple hours.

If you are a first time traveler to the Livingston-Bozeman-Paradise Valley area, you definitely need to check out the site’s local eating and sleeping guide, with excellent recommendations on places to eat and stay while fishing the famed area waters.

Another highlight of the site is the detailed descriptions of the region’s waters, broken down by waterway and by different sections of each waterway. So you can get an overview of the Yellowstone River as a whole or you can go get info on a particular stretch if you’re interested. You can see Yellowstone Angler’s river information page here……. (http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/waters.asp)

Trout Creek Flies, Dutch John, UT

www.fishgreenriver.com

Trout Creek Flies has created the most in-depth fishing site I am aware of focused on a single piece of water. Everything you need to know about fishing and boating the Green River can be found here. First, in an unbelievable commitment to educating fishermen and to boater safety, the website has detailed information about each rapid and every potentially hazardous piece of water on the Green’s three most popular floats. Distances from the put-in and suggested lines through the hazards are covered. As if that weren’t enough, there are pictures of each rapid so you can get some idea of what to expect before you are in the midst of it. The weekly fishing report is easily the most detailed I have seen. Not only does it cover the basics like suggested flies but also adds river temperature information, scheduled flow releases from the dam, and a crowd report. The hatch chart and detailed write-up on fishing rigs round out this terrific site.