Greg Thomas

Heading into the 2026 Smith River float, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Having floated this iconic Montana river twice before, once in the 1990s and again in 2013, I knew the experience would be different this time around. With new regulations in place and the river more popular than ever, it seemed inevitable that we'd encounter more anglers, busier camps, and fish that had seen their fair share of flies. Still, the allure of the Smith remained as strong as ever, and the anticipation of another journey through its legendary canyon was impossible to resist.

Eric Hurst is part of House of Fly's small batch tyer program. Two of his flies, the Thrasher and Agent Scully, are giving up big rewards wherever they are thrown. They work East, West, and all places between. In this article Hurst describes each pattern and tells why they take fish.

Greg Thomas visits Black Bear Lodge on the upper Columbia River in northeastern Washington state and smacks down on a solid Mother's Day caddis hatch and the rivers acrobatic rainbow trout.

Montana's Rocky Mountain Front offers fertile prairie lakes where the trout grow big and the wind blows hard. Although drought has severely diminished trout populations in these reservoirs, there are still some big rainbows to be had. Fred Telleen, who works for The Trout Shop and House of Fly, put the hurt on a half-dozen of those brutes just yesterday.

Spring's Glory Hatch is the Skwala Stonefly, but the March Brown Drake could be your big winner. Greg Thomas shares the secrets to timing the spring hatch, what to throw, and how to be successful during pre-run off in the northern Rockies.

In his words: Phil Rowley's must-have Spring stillwater fly patterns. To avoid the skunk, Phil doesn't leave the house without these bugs. 

Kelly Galloup's Sex Dungeon streamer is one of the most effective flies on Western rivers. The Mini and Micro Dungeon versions are especially effective on native cutthroat waters, but they'll take big fish just about anywhere. Just ask Galloup.

If you want to fill your fly boxes with traditional No-Hackles, you may be in for a surprise—those flies require patience to master, and even the typically mild-spoken east Idaho legend Mike Lawson calls them, “a real bitch” to learn to tie.

All flies have a story to tell and this particular fly, the Airhead, partially tells the story of Gary LaFontaine and his battles with the terminal illness ALS. In addition, this story tells how some flies can bring people together, even fathers and daughters who have dealt with the ups and downs of parenthood and the teenage years.

Author Greg Thomas visits Montana's Bighorn River and finds a wad of brown and rainbow trout on a three-day streamer eat. He also finds a bunch of dead waterfowl, spurring thoughts of covid and avian flu.

Author Greg Thomas joins steelhead guru Jeff Hickman on the Oregon Coast where they fish through a deluge and end up beacing three wild steelhead and debate the merits of hatchery versus native fish.

Whether searching for a gift, or just adding to your angling library Hogan’s A Passion For Steelhead is sort of a must-have, especially if you live and fish in the Pacific Northwest. Hogan lived the life, fished the rivers, caught the fish, and has a unique ability to teach, whether you’re standing next to him in the water, or simply taking an afternoon or evening to read his words. No matter how experienced you are with steelhead, this book will enhance your skills and give you an opportunity to keep dreaming.