Montana Has #1 and #2 Best US College Towns for Fly Fishing

I've heard that choosing the right college can be a tough decision. There are so many things to consider, like:

Academics
Athletics
Cost/availability of housing
Culture
Did I get a scholarship?
In-state vs. out-of-state
How's the party scene?
Location
Can I ever pay off my astronomical student loans?

The list goes on and on. For some students, a big question might be, "what college town offers the best fly fishing opportunities?" No? It wasn't one of your criteria? No worries. The folks at Flylords ranked the top university towns in the US that offer the best fly fishing.

It's no surprise that Montana takes the top two spots.

MSU took the top spot, with UM coming in a close 2nd.

Their ranking methodology isn't clear, but Flylords says the home of the Bobcats is the best college town for fly fishing. They wrote,

Enroll at MSU to fish the Gallatin, Beaverhead, Henry’s Fork, Jefferson, Yellowstone, Big Hole, and countless other beloved rivers and creeks. With world renowned water a stone’s throw from campus, and Bozeman’s intoxicating fly fishing culture, Montana State University’s number one power ranking is surely well deserved.

They didn't mention the fact that Simms, one of the premier fly fishing gear manufacturers, is headquartered in the Gallatin Valley.

Get our free mobile app

Collegiate Images/Getty Images

Griz fans think that Missoula should have taken the #1 spot.

Cat and Griz fans have been arguing about who's best since at least 1897 and supporters of both colleges will go to the grave defending their alma mater. Regarding Missoula's fly fishing scene, Flylords called it "the people's choice", adding,

Missoula plays host to waters teeming with native bull and westslope cutthroat trout eager to crush bushy dries and meaty streamers. Plus, UM students have the climate advantage – fishing starts to heat up a lot quicker on this side of the state thanks to the Bitterroot Valley’s more temperate climate compared to that of Bozeman’s.

Reading the Tweet, many pro-Missoula commenters raised valid points about the fish-ability of Rock Creek and the most fish per mile on the Bitterroot. School favoritism aside, surely we can all agree Montana has awesome fishing.

LOOK: Here are the best lake towns to live in

Many of the included towns jump out at the casual observer as popular summer-rental spots--the Ozarks' Branson, Missouri, or Arizona's Lake Havasu--it might surprise you to dive deeper into some quality-of-life offerings beyond the beach and vacation homes. You'll likely pick up some knowledge from a wide range of Americana: one of the last remaining 1950s-style drive-ins in the Midwest; a Florida town that started as a Civil War veteran retirement area; an island boasting some of the country's top public schools and wealth-earners right in the middle of a lake between Seattle and Bellevue; and even a California town containing much more than Johnny Cash's prison blues.