Episode 164 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – February 12, 2026
Today our destination is the Big Hole River in southwest Montana — a place trout anglers have revered for generations and home to the last native Arctic grayling in the Lower 48. But is this storied fishery at a crossroads? Trout numbers are lower than they've been in decades, even as anglers still find good fish. So what's really happening out there — and what will it take to turn things around?
Jim Olsen, Fisheries Biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, gives us the facts.
With host Steve Haigh.
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Contact Jim Olsen: JimOlsen@mt.gov | 406-533-8451
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Recorded Dec 11, 2025
