Who We Are

Our namesake, like our products, has more to it than meets the eye. In mountainous regions like southwest Montana where Dirty Water was born, snow accumulating during the winter months is what sustains life downriver for the rest of the season. As spring warms and the snow melts filling creeks and rivers, it's the stained water holding the nutrients that the entire chain of life has survived on thus far. What may have recently been frozen, is now a show of life. The famous hatches of the west begin, and all fish in the river start feeding with abandon regardless of the shape of the river for this period. As the water recedes, broad shouldered trout attract anglers from around the globe. Being on the river to see it rise and fall is a special experience, and one that we are fortunate to have fished ourselves. The Dirty Water season sees some of the finest fishing of the year in a short period time. These rivers are at their healthiest and cleanest form when they show the colors of the land they drain.

Dirty Water Fly Co was founded in 2012 in Bozeman, Montana by Danny Soltau. These patterns and designs date back long before that, pointing to one of the main principles that we stand for. Testing. They have been fished all over world for all kinds of swimming critters. Refined, rebuilt, and dialed to be the best they can be. We use the finest materials on the planet. Our search for the best components available eventually led us to importing our own custom line of brass fly tying components due to lack of availability of eyes and cones that were up to the standard of our choice hooks and soft materials. These flies are tied tougher, built better, and have been critiqued by some of the most discerning, demanding, experienced, and inexperienced anglers today.

Notable characteristics within all our patterns would be but not limited too;

  • Castable
  • Durable
  • Suggestively Anatomic
  • Maximum hook gap purchase
  • Premium hooks ONLY
  • Tied in the USA

Photo credit - James Anderson

Dan has been in the fly fishing industry since 2004, spending a total of 12 seasons at fly shops and outfitters in Montana and Washington. You will find no one who cares more about fly shops and their well being. Without the shops, what is known as fly fishing and tying today simply would not be. With a Dirty Water fly tied on, you are fishing a world class fly. Each component likely traveled thousands of miles to end up on our tying bench and into your fly.
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