Born and raised in a small farm town in northeast Montana, guide Jeremy Gilbertson of Big Sky Fly Fishers is a soft-spoken individual who has guided on the Bighorn River in south-central Montana for over seven years.  His energy is readily apparent when you start talking about anything related to fly fishing.  Spending a few days on the water with him would no doubt improve your fishing skills.  I still recall how Jeremy kept after me for using my Colorado taut-line “high-stick” nymph technique. “Drag, drag, drag," he said. I became much more proficient at mending my line that day.

As Jeremy prepares for the upcoming guide season, he graciously sat down with me and spent a few minutes discussing his experiences and answering some questions related to guiding and fly fishing for the readers of Rocky Mountain Fly .

Tell me a little about your fishing background.  Did you start out as a bait and lure guy?

I suppose that every kid fishes with the whole family a few times in their childhood.    Also, I used to throw the Zebco in the pickup when I was fixing fence by the Poplar River.  I'd even catch the occasional pike, but it really never excited me.  I was passionate about hunting, and traditional fishing didn't hold the same allure.

So how did a farm kid from NE Montana become a fishing guide?

Well, I loved that farm.  I loved working outdoors, and being in the midst of wildlife on a constant basis.  I had no clue that my almost limitless access to hunting would ever change.  When I got to college, I got to experience what it's like to be a stranger in a city, with no hunting privileges on private land.  Therefore, hunting became extremely frustrating.  I started fly fishing instead, and fell in love.  It was like being a kid again, with easy access to good fishing, and the excitement that was involved in targeting one fish, stalking, and sometimes catching the trophy grabbed me. I'd always keep my big fish, then.

What is your funniest guide story?

Probably the funniest thing that ever happened was when I took out a father and daughter.  Dad didn't believe me when I said that he'd hooked a fish, and announced "It's a rock!" as he ripped his line out of the water, breaking off the fish and losing both lead fly and dropper.  Fortunately, his daughter caught the same fish on the next cast, and got his flies back for him.  It was the biggest fish of the day, of course.

It's well known that Vice President Cheney floats the Bighorn fairly often.  What's it like on the river when he's fishing?

You do notice when the helicopters patrol the river and white Suburbans seem to be the only vehicles allowed on the highway. It's like, hmmm, the Vice President must be fishing today.  You don't actually see him on the river, as his oarsmen make a concerted effort not to put in at the normal accesses at the normal times.  If you do see him, you'll know it by the high number of large men standing around him.

Is it true that women make better clients?  If so, why?

Women hear exactly what you say.  That doesn't sound tricky, but it is for most men, myself included.  Men hear what you are saying, and apply it to what they're doing, but are only willing to admit that maybe one small element of their casting or whatever needs a little tweaking.  Women usually lack bad habits and don't have preconceived notions that the guide might not know what he's talking about.  They hear everything you say, than do it.  This can be frustrating for husbands.

What should a client do to prepare for a guided float trip? 

Casting practice is the number one thing, as far as I'm concerned.  It's the one thing you can practice without being on the river. 

Getting the best presentations once your fly is actually on the water is the skill your guide can really help you improve during a trip.  Not having to work on casting as much allows much more time for this, and for fishing.

What technique do you find yourself having to spend the most time teaching a client?

Mending is the biggest trick.  It's one of those skills that can't be practiced on dry land or in a pond, and it's the skill most clients practice least when fishing other rivers, especially on foot.

Share a short tip or trick that might be useful to our readers.

The tip that I give people that gets the best response --and seems to be the most useful-- is about spotting fish.  I have to assume that people have a high quality pair of polarized glasses, and then I tell them to watch every fish as they release it as carefully as they can.  You can learn a lot from watching a tired fish act like a fish that doesn't feel spooked.  Many times people identify the colors and shapes on a trout's back so well, they begin to see other fish almost seem to appear around the fish they've been watching.  They have no idea that they were there all along.

What advice would you give to an angler planning on fishing the Bighorn this summer?

I think the fish numbers are going to be as high as they've been in several years.  You don't have to race for the one or two really popular holes you know about in order to find a good number of fish or big fish.  Read the water, and be patient.  You will be rewarded.

If you were to hire a guide for the day, who would it be and why?

I'm really into improving my casting.  I spend a tremendous amount of time learning my rivers, and finding the fish in them, but I'd love to spend a day with Lefty Kreh, and let him focus on my casting.

What has been the most difficult hatch for you to match?

On most rivers, I tend to match general size and general color, and really focus on presentation.  This is what my experience has taught me can be successful most anywhere.  I've been surprised on the Henry's Fork by how exact color seemed to take priority over size or presentation.  We've all worked a fish for an hour, switching flies, but I'm more likely to switch to a cripple or a midge before I switch to the same bug in a slightly different color.  I made a lot of casts in vain on the Henry's Fork before figuring this out.

What river or rivers do you enjoy fishing on your off time? 

When I take a fishing holiday, I like to chase big fish.  I generally float some river like the lower Yellowstone or Missouri looking for a huge freak of nature, except when I take my 6 yr. old daughter.  Then it's bluegill all the way.

If you weren't guiding, what would you like to do?

Honestly, I'd probably be ranching.  I miss the cows.

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If you would like to fly fish the Bighorn or lower Yellowstone, Jeremy can be contacted through the Big Sky Fly Fishers website or 1-406-690-4752.