Bruce Richards

Advisor

 

With Scientific Anglers since 1976, Bruce worked a variety of jobs from shipping to plant manager. Before retiring in 2009, his main responsibilities included product development and process improvement.
Bruce is an experienced world angler, having fly fished extensively in both fresh and salt water. His travels have taken him to Europe, Scandinavia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South and Central America, the Bahamas, and most American states.
Bruce has taught fly fishing and fly casting for over 40 years and helped develop and run the IFFF Casting Instructor Certification Program. He is considered by many to be one of the top fly casters and instructors in the world. He is also the author of “Modern Fly Lines” and was Fly Rod & Reel magazine’s 2006 Angler of the Year.
Bruce now resides in Ennis, Montana where he enjoys teaching fly casting, hunting and fishing as much as possible.
  1. Home water? Madison
  2. What 2-3 lines do you use the most and why? Amplitude MPX – for midsummer wind, salmonflies, hoppers, etc. Amplitude Trout – for early and late season small fly fishing, Sonar Sink 30 Clear – for streamers in the mostly shallow waters of the Madison
  3. What was the watershed moment when you knew you wanted to make your living fishing?  I had no choice, little did I know I was groomed for it from a very early age, lucky me!
  4. If you could spend one day on the water with anyone, who would it be? It would have to be two people, my first fishing mentors, my father and his best friend Rod Towsley who was Scientific Anglers sales manager when I was a kid.
  5. On the rocks or straight? 
 One rock
  6. If you could give one piece of angling advice to a younger version of yourself, what would it be? 
 Hmmm, explore more. Drive by your favorite spots to find new places that might just be even better.
  7. What’s in the cooler? 
 Bells Two Hearted Ale!
  8. What are you doing when you’re not fishing. 
 Whatever I want, I’m retired!  But mostly hunting, hiking, teaching casting, cooking if the weathers really rotten.
  9. Where would you most like to fish? 
The waters of the Madison Valley, where I live!
  10. Stealth or bright lines? 
 Stealth for fishing (although I don’t think it matters), bright for teaching.
  11. Two Truths and a Lie. 
 Borrowed waders always leak, no matter what they say. Catching a good fish on the first cast is not a good thing! Nearly any fishing story told after a few beers!
  12. Craziest experience on the water? 
Wow, where to start..  Taking a newbie friend fishing on the Madison. He was fighting a 15” trout when a MUCH larger trout attacked and ate his fish. He didn’t know what happened