The Salmonfly Project

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The Salmonfly Project

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The Salmonfly Project, Nonprofit Organization, Missoula, MT.

Our mission is to conserve salmonflies and other aquatic insects for future generations through research, monitoring, education, and sound restoration practices.

06/28/2026

Without Patagonia, The Salmonfly Project might not exist. At the very least, we’d be a lot colder and wetter.

Patagonia’s commitment to conservation isn’t marketing—it’s who they are. For decades, they’ve invested in protecting the rivers, landscapes, and wild places that make fly fishing possible. Their support of Bug Fest is another example of giving back to the fly-fishing community by helping anglers better understand the aquatic insects that keep our trout streams healthy and productive.

At the heart of Patagonia’s conservation efforts is our good friend Craig Mathews. Most anglers know Craig as an innovative fly designer and founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, but he’s also one of the West’s most influential river conservation advocates. Craig has spent a lifetime fighting for the Madison River, its aquatic insects, and the fisheries they support. In fact, the reason we’re holding Bug Fest at the legendary $3 Bridge is due in large part to Craig’s decades of work protecting and improving this iconic public access site.

On July 25, 2026, you’ll have the opportunity to learn directly from Craig as he ties his own hatch-specific patterns inspired by the insects found throughout the Rocky Mountains. Whether you’re interested in fly tying, entomology, conservation, or simply becoming a better angler, Craig is a wealth of knowledge and someone you won’t want to miss.

📍 $3 Bridge, Madison River
📅 July 25, 2026
🎟️ Free and open to the public

Come learn about bugs, flies, fishing, and the people working to protect the rivers we love.

06/21/2026

Have you ever watched a trout rise, noticed clouds of flies in the air, and wondered, “What exactly are they eating?”

Rick Wollum has spent a lifetime asking that question.

Most anglers know Rick as the manager of Angler's West Fly Fishing Outfitters in Emigrant, Montana. But among serious fly tiers and hatch junkies, he’s known for something else: an obsessive dedication to understanding aquatic insects and creating flies that imitate them with remarkable precision.

For decades, Rick’s patterns were something of a local secret—flies developed through countless hours of observation, experimentation, and time on the water. Only recently has he agreed to share many of these designs with a broader audience through a partnership with our friends at Fulling Mill.

We’re incredibly grateful to Fulling Mill for helping sponsor Bug Fest and supporting angler education. This July, attendees will get a firsthand look at some of Rick’s proven patterns, some of which he’s working with Fulling Mill to produce next year.
Bug Fest is all about helping anglers understand the insects that drive our fisheries. Join us on the banks of the Madison River at the legendary $3 Bridge to learn how to identify nymphs, emergers, and adults, understand what trout are feeding on, and improve your ability to match the hatch.

📍$3 Bridge, Madison River

📅 July 25, 2026

🎟️ Free and open to the public

06/03/2026

The Henry’s Fork River is widely considered a mecca for dry fly anglers. Its unmatched insect diversity and complex hatches offer endless challenges and lessons. This year, we launched a new pilot study in collaboration with to address reports from anglers regarding a dramatic decline in the Pale Morning Dun (PMD) hatch, particularly on the Harriman Ranch stretch.

This study aims to develop new methods for monitoring PMD hatch strength throughout the season. We are currently utilizing three different methods to capture emerging adult insects, while HFF develops an eDNA test to further quantify the hatch.

This project is in its early stages, and we look forward to analyzing the results and refining these methods alongside HFF in the near future.

Thank you to for collaborating with and funding this project!

06/01/2026

Anglers ask us all the time: what actually determines when insects hatch? It’s a great question—especially in warm years like this one, when many hatches seem to be showing up early.

Even though hatch timing does shift, most aquatic insects emerge during fairly predictable windows each year. That’s the basis for the hatch charts we all rely on. For most species, the emergence clock starts when eggs are laid—usually right after the hatch – with total development time for nymphs and larvae usually taking anywhere from a few months to four years. That alone sets the seasonal window, but that window can shift earlier or later each year.

The single most important factor controlling hatch timing is temperature—but not just the temperature on a given day. What really matters is the accumulation of temperature over time.

Aquatic insects are ectotherms (cold-blooded), meaning their body temperature—and therefore their metabolism—is controlled by the temperature of their environment. When water is cold, everything slows down: movement, feeding, growth, and development. When water warms, biological processes speed up. Indeed, temperature acts like the throttle on an insect’s life – cold water idles the engine; warm water presses the gas.

Biologists often describe this using “degree days”—a running total of heat accumulated over time. Once an insect has experienced enough cumulative warmth to complete development, it’s ready to emerge. That’s why in warmer years, when streams accumulate heat more quickly, hatches tend to arrive earlier. In colder years, they lag behind.

Even when insects are fully developed, however, they don’t always emerge immediately. Many species wait for specific environmental cues that signal good conditions for survival as adults. These cues vary by species, but commonly include light conditions, water temperature and flow conditions.

Understanding hatch timing isn’t just about memorizing a calendar—it’s about recognizing that the system is dynamic. The more you pay attention to temperature trends—not just the weather that day, but the weeks leading up to it—the better you’ll be at anticipating what’s about to happen on the water.

05/23/2026

Felt lucky to be back on the Deschutes River when the big bugs were hatching. Tons of goldens (shown here) and salmonflies. We came out to share preliminary data on insect trends on the Deschutes River at the annual Deschutes River Club meeting. It was great to hear from so many organizations and agencies on the status of this amazing watershed.

We are thrilled to be collaborating with along with growing involvement from many other groups. We will be sharing results from this project later this year!

05/19/2026

Field season on the Provo River continues! This exciting project requires us to sample the entirety of the river every other month for two years in order to determine its current status and compare how the river has potentially changed from 80 years ago. We’re sampling everything from insect species diversity and biomass to water temperature and nutrient levels. We spent the week training and working with a great team of field techs, students from , and we couldn’t ask for a better group to help collect the data. Stay tuned for future volunteer opportunities on this river - we’ll be back in July!

Thanks to our great team of collaborators from , , and .

04/05/2026

Our second year of sampling began on Rock Creek in collaboration with the . Rock Creek is especially dear to us because they are the home waters of The Salmonfly Project. Co-founders Jackson Birrell and James Frakes both did some of their graduate work here, so we’re glad to be back! Rock Creek is famous for being a relatively pristine watershed in Western Montana, with abundant fish and strong hatches. This project is focused on establishing baseline aquatic insect data - an important objective for ensuring abundant food sources for its resident cutthroat, bull, rainbow, and brown trout.

Our fieldwork was cut short by an early runoff, but we are lucky to have a team of well-trained volunteers who will finish our sampling without SFP staff once the water goes down. Thank you to Chris Evavold, who is our local volunteer leader. We literally couldn’t do it without you all!

03/25/2026

Ever wanted to become better at matching the hatch? This is your chance!

We’ve teamed up with to take our angler education to the next level. Learn from entomologist and incredibly talented SFP board member, , in her FishCamp Masterclass on entomology and matching the hatch.

This 18-part video course covers the essentials - from basic insect identification to a deep dive into the life histories and behaviors of specific hatches - to improve your angling and deepen your understanding of the trout streams we all love. Whether you’re a beginner just starting out or an expert fly fisher looking to take it to the next level, this course has something for you.

👉 Get access to the Masterclass today by becoming a member of The Salmonfly Project.

📬 Already a member? Check your inbox for access details.

Huge thanks to Maggie and the FishCamp team for making this possible! We’re thrilled to be able to provide such amazing educational content to our members. 🙌

Interested in improving other aspects of your angling? Visit FishCamp.life to see their great suite of courses on all aspects of our sport - freshwater and salt.

03/23/2026

Our first Membership Webinar of 2026 will be March 25th, 2026. These webinars are a great opportunity to learn about the status and results of our projects and participate in Q&A sessions with co-founders, Jackson Birrell and James Frakes. If you missed out on our angler entomology courses then this is a good opportunity to learn how to match the hatch!

There will also be a Giveaway of a Downriver Rolltop Fishing Backpack (MSRP: $150). All you have to do is attend (via Zoom), and members will be entered to win a prize. We are so excited to see everyone there! This event is open to anyone who would like to attend, but the giveaways are for our members.

If you do not have an active membership and would like to participate, it isn’t too late! Join at salmonflyproject.org/donate.

Salmonfly Project Webinar -
March 25th 2026
6:30 PM MST
RSVP at salmonflyproject.org/events and you will be sent a Zoom link to attend.

Thanks to for providing our giveaway!

03/17/2026

Thank you to all of the participants who came and learned about bugs on the Teton and Snake Rivers. The weather was frigid, but anglers are tough. These events wouldn’t have been possible without the help of , and . We can’t wait to do more of these events when we’re back in the fall.

We also loved seeing many of you at the in both Driggs and Jackson. All of the films were incredible and have us excited for days out on the water fishing hatches.

Address

Missoula, MT

Website

http://salmonflyproject.org/

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