Our story
A family, a lodge and a river.
Dan and Nancy Delekta, their family and their extended fishing family have welcomed anglers to the banks of the Upper Madison since 1990.
- Est. 1982
- Lodge & shop on the Madison since 1990
- Outfitter License #680
- Cameron, Montana
Since 1975
Over four decades on the Madison
- 1975The first Beartooth rodsDan begins building fly rods.
- 1982Beartooth LeadersDan starts selling his own hand-tied leaders, with the names Beartooth Fly Rods, Beartooth Leaders and Beartooth Flyfishing.
- 1984Land on the MadisonDan buys a stretch of land on the Upper Madison that called to him.
- 1989Building the lodgeWith friends and family, Dan designs and builds the lodge and fly shop.
- 1990Doors openThe Upper Madison location opens. Grandpa John Delekta retires the same year and starts spending every summer at the lodge.
- 2003Delektable FliesThe Delektable collection begins; it has grown to more than 1,000 patterns.
- 2026Still doing the right thingDan, Nancy and the crew run the shop, lodge and guide service, now with flies included on every guided trip.
“Beartooth Flyfishing has always been about doing the right thing.”
Dan and Nancy
Dan Delekta
Outfitter, fly designer, rod builder
Dan started fishing at 2, tied his first flies at 10 and grew up fishing the Adirondacks before moving to West Yellowstone at 22. He has guided Montana’s trophy rivers for over 40 years and built the lodge with friends in 1989. His love of the mountains and the peace of the Madison Valley is exceeded only by his love for the people he’s embraced as friends and extended family.
Nancy Alston Delekta
Owner, retail and the business
Nancy grew up fishing the Brandywine in Pennsylvania and fell for fly fishing in New England in the late ’70s. She was CFO of a Bozeman shoe company, president of the local Trout Unlimited chapter and treasurer of the Whirling Disease Foundation. She and Dan were married on the banks of the Beartooth property at what is now called Wedding Rock.
Giving back
The Montana Hope Project
Every summer we host a fundraiser for the Montana Hope Project in memory of John “Grandpa” Delekta, to make a wish come true for terminally ill, disease-stricken and special needs children in Montana and their families. There’s Marty’s famous Louisiana gumbo, Dan and Nancy’s elk chili, fly tying demonstrations and casting clinics. 2026 was the 13th annual event.
To donate, call (406) 682-7525 or email info@beartoothflyfishing.com.
Come fish the Madison with us.
Book a full day on the Upper Madison or one of Montana’s other trophy rivers. Stop in at the shop on Highway 287 any time; the coffee is on us.