PLAN YOUR MONTANA FLY FISHING TRIP

In your search to plan your next Montana fly fishing vacation it’s important to identify a qualified, reliable and safe fishing outfitter to enjoy your time on the water. Not to mention, feeling comfortable spending your hard earned dollar with this outfitter. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself and your outfitter. Our answers are listed below.

We are a fully licensed and insured Montana fishing outfitter #10184

We are professionals and this is our business. We are a fully licensed and insured Montana fishing outfitter #10184. We operate under several state and federal permits including Madison River Special Recreation Permit #2 and the Yellowstone National Park Commercial Use Authorization #CUA14-222. On a less legal note we don’t pound nails in the off season, have a trust fund, or employ part time guides. We work all year either fishing, booking trips, and keeping our guests informed about the upcoming season.

We’ve spent over 2 decades picking out a great guide staff

Obviously, there are a lot of other qualified outfitters and guides in the area. However, we feel we’ve put together a team that focuses on being; fun, approachable, instructive, professional, informative, and are exceptional fly fishing guides.

Variety of fishing opportunities right out our back door

There are few places in the world that offer such a wide variety of fishing opportunities right out our back door. Where else can you; fish 350+ miles of high quality trout water (Yellowstone River), world famous spring creeks (Armstrong & DePuy), raft fast flowing freestone rivers (Boulder & Stillwater), or look for gulpers on a trophy trout lake?

Contact us anytime

Contact us for more information about one of the many great fly fishing opportunities in Montana. We’d be happy to customize a trip for your needs.

You can find the best fly fishing in Montana from March through October. Obviously, we are a northern rocky mountain state, so weather can influence the fishing early and late season. However, those early and late seasons often provide great fishing with few other anglers around. We suggest you contact us so we can provide you with the most up to date information, then we’ll give you a recommendation based on our conversation and 25 years of expertise.

See our When is the Best Time to fish Montana page for detailed descriptions of seasons and times that suit your fishing preferences.

At Montana Fly Fishing Guides, LLC we pride ourselves on being a full service Montana fly fishing outfitter. Our goal is to develop long lasting relationships with anglers, helping them to not only enjoy the sport of fly fishing, but to progress in their individual skills. Many of our anglers return annually, but newer anglers often have plenty of questions. We are happy to answer questions directly through phone or email, but feel free to browse our most common questions and answers.

Planning and Logistics:

When is the Best Time to Fish in Montana?

The peak season is summer from June through early September for most of our rivers. However, there are exceptions.

Early Season – late March through mid June offer some great fishing opportunities with fewer anglers especially on the Missouri River.

Late Season – mid September through October also offer great fishing opportunities with fewer anglers.

For a more specific details please visit our When is the Best Time to fish Montana page for detailed descriptions of seasons and times that suit your fishing preferences.

When Should I Book my Trip, How Far in Advance?

We recommend at least 3 months or more in advance, especially in the peak season of June through September. A lot of our anglers book 6 months to a year in advance just to make sure all their other travel logistics like lodging and air travel coincide.

Last minute trips are sometimes possible, so make sure to contact us directly for availability.

For more specific times of year please view our When is the Best Time to Fish Montana page where we have detailed descriptions and recommendations by Time of Year and Fishing Preferences.

What’s the Best Airport to Fly Into?

As we guide a huge area of Montana that depends on where you’re planning on fishing. Those traveling to the Livingston or Yellowstone Park area should fly into Bozeman / Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) located about 40 minutes West of Livingston. If you’re fishing on the Missouri River there are several options. Missouri River anglers can fly through Bozeman and rent a vehicle for the scenic 2 hour drive. The other options are to fly into either Helena (HLN) or Great Falls (GTF) and drive the remaining 45 minutes to their lodging on the Missouri River.

Where Should I Stay or Get Lodging?

We operate in a large area of Montana from Livingston to Bozeman to Helena (Craig) all the way into Yellowstone National Park. Depending on the time of year or specific river you’re fishing we have recommendations for each location. Please contact us before you book your guided trip and we’ll be happy to send those recommendations to you in advance.

What’s Included in your fly fishing trips?

Our Montana fly fishing trips include professional fly fishing instruction, rods & reels (if needed), all flies, riverside box lunch (full days not half days), nonalcoholic beverages and free transportation to and from your place of lodging or pre-arranged meeting location.

What’s NOT Included in the fly fishing trips?

Our fly fishing trips do not include personal fishing gear (waders, wading boots/shoes), private water rod fees, Montana State fishing license, Yellowstone National Park fishing licenses and guide gratuity are not included. If you need fishing gear please let us know and we’ll be happy to help you make the appropriate accommodations.

How Much Should I Tip my Guide?

Guide gratuities are standard practice, however we leave it solely to the discretion of our anglers. Our Montana fly fishing guides routinely average $150/day per guide on a full day trips and  $125 for half day trips. Gratuities are a valuable part of a guide’s annual income and remember that when fishing is tough your guide probably worked harder than when fishing is easy. Cash is king if at all possible, but many guides will accept venmo or we can add a tip on to your credit card if you prefer.

Montana Fishing Licenses

Get a Montana Fishing License online prior to fishing (Montana OLS Fishing License System). It must include:

• • A Base Fishing License (number of day fishing) options are 1 day (or multiple one days combined), a five day or a season.
  • You must also purchase a Conservation and AISPP Pass (aquatic species prevention).
  • A Montana fishing license is not valid in Yellowstone National Park. If you specifically requested to fish in YNP you will need a YNP fishing permit.

Yellowstone National Park Fishing Licenses
Yellowstone National Park fishing licenses are now available to purchase online.

Are your guided fishing rates per person?

No. Our guide rates are based per guide, where each guide can take up to 2 anglers at a time. So if you have 1 person for a full day it’s 1 guide at the daily rate. It’s no additional charge to add a 2nd person to that same trip. However, if you have 3 anglers that would require two guides. We recommend, when possible to have even numbers of anglers, but we happily take single anglers.

Where do I Meet my Guide?

We are a full service Montana fly fishing outfitter and focus on guiding, not gear. So we don’t have a fly shop. However, we usually meet anglers at their local lodging or a local fly shop. These details are pre-arranged and will be in your confirmation receipt upon booking.

How Long are your Fishing Trips?

Full day trips are generally about 8 hours (8am to 4pm).
Half day trips are generally about 4.5 hours.
Weather, fishing conditions and other factors can slightly lengthen or shorten the day by a little. However, please communicate with your outfitter or guide on your expectations for the day in advance.

Fishing Specific Questions:

Do You Take Beginner Anglers?

Yes, absolutely! We love introducing new anglers to fly fishing. Our guide team are excellent instructors and will be happy to teach your the basics of casting, line control, different fishing techniques and lots more during your trip. Even novice, intermediate and advanced anglers can learn from our guides that have spent years on our local waters.

Do You Offer Beginner or Instructional Trips?

Yes we do! Our On Water Instruction Trip is a great option for beginners and intermediate anglers looking to improve their skills. Our guides will teach you about the equipment, casting, line control and various fishing techniques during your trip. All fly rods, reels and flies are provided.

Is a Guided Fly Fishing Trip Suitable for Kids?

Yes, but this is very age and maturity level dependent. We typically recommend children over 12 with an adult supervisor. However, we’ve had 8 year olds that do better than teenagers. Remember, when we go out for a full or half day trip it’s hard to just get off the water quickly if needed or the attention span is waning. All children 12 and under are required by Montana law to wear a life jacket, which we can provide.

Do You Guarantee I’ll Catch Fish?

No, but that’s pretty unlikely. Most anglers catch fish on even the toughest days. We can’t guarantee you’ll catch fish due to weather, water conditions and many other variables. However, most of our anglers catch fish on their guided trips. On really tough days your guide might focus on more instructional aspects of fly fishing so at least you’ll walk away a better angler than you came.

What about Bad Weather or Tough Fishing?

We have built our reputation on years of developing repeat clientele. We want to see our guests for years to come. Having said that fishing is fishing – we don’t sell catching. We sell a great experience on the water, developing fishing skills, increasing our anglers knowledge and working hard for you on the water. If the weather or waters are un-fishable then we look for alternatives on a case by case basis. There are rarely days that we cannot find suitable fishing options so there are rarely a need for refunds. However, we are happy to do so if conditions require it.

Can I Keep the Fish I Catch?

No. We are strictly a catch and release fishing operation and do not allow fish to be kept on the guided trips. In fact you’ll have a hard time finding any Montana fly fishing guide that keeps trout. It is legal to keep trout in Montana on many rivers if you fish on your own, but make sure to check all the Montana Fish Wildlife an Parks regulations for where you plan to fish.

What To Bring:

What do I Need To Bring?

• A valid Montana or Yellowstone Park fishing license – depending on where you are scheduled to fish.
• Polarized sunglasses – they don’t need to be the highest priced ones, but must be worn while fishing for eye protection and to see your flies better.
• Appropriate clothing – see below…
• Rain gear every day regardless of the forecast
• A great attitude!

What Clothes and Shoes Should I Bring – What Should I Wear?

We recommend comfortable clothes with layers an always bring rain coats and jackets. We are in the Northern Rocky Mountains and the weather can change quickly – even in the summer. So ignore the weather forecast and bring more than you think you need. For shoes we recommend something you wouldn’t mind getting wet if stepping in or out of the boat. If we plan to wade during the day we recommend renting waders and wading boots from a local fly shop or bringing your own pair.

Do You Provide all the Fishing Gear?

We provide fly rods, reels, and all the flies for your trip. If the trip or weather requires waders and boots we work with several local fly shops and recommend renting those directly. Your guide for the day(s) will make sure to have all the fishing gear required or help rent gear if needed.

Can I Bring My Own Fishing Gear?

Yes, absolutely! Most of the fly fishing in Montana can be done with a 9 foot fly rod and a matched 5 or 6 weight fly line. If you can only bring one rod we’d probably recommend the 6wt due to the possibility of wind or throwing bigger flies.

You can also bring waders and boots if needed. Montana does allow felt bottomed soles. If you are fishing from a drift boat please do not bring (or remove) studded boots. Also, if you plan to fish in Yellowstone Park you cannot have felt soles, they must be rubber/vibram soles.

What Flies Should I Bring?

You don’t have to bring, tie or buy anything unless you want to. If you do want to bring some flies please contact us for the best options which will depend on the time of year and river location you are fishing.

Payments, Deposits Rates and Cancellations:

Rates

See our Trips & Rates page for more details.

Each guide can accommodate 1 or 2 anglers price is not per person. We DO NOT OFFER 3rd angler trips without an additional guide.

Deposit

Prior to 30 days: a 25% deposit is required to secure a reservation.
Within 30 days: a 100% deposit is required to secure a reservation.
Balance is due within 30 days of the trip and will automatically be collected by our reservation system on the same card you used for your deposit, unless otherwise discussed at the time of booking.

Cancellation Policy

All convenience fees are non-refundable.

Prior to 30 days of arrival: the deposit is refundable less a $50 processing fee when accompanied by written cancellation.

Within 30 days of arrival: The entirety of your balance will be retained by Montana Fly Fishing Guides, LLC. as a cancellation fee. This fee goes to cover the costs of our guides, as we are unlikely to rebook the trip on such short notice. If we are able to rebook your specific guide for your specific cancelled dates we will refund your money less a $50 processing fee. Because of our reliance on advanced bookings and operation in good faith, we make no exceptions to our cancellation policy.

If you are at all concerned with a cancellation possibility,
we encourage you to purchase trip insurance.

Trip Insurance

We recommend that you purchase trip insurance. Unexpected events do arise and travel insurance is very reasonable. Insurance on a $1,000 will cost between $30 -$45 depending on age. When purchasing we recommend covering your entire trip – this will cover airline fees, lodging fees and guide fees. Please contact us for assistance if needed.

Download Pre Trip Information

• General Fly Fishing Pre Trip
• Missouri River Ranch Pre Trip
• Yellowstone Valley Lodge Pre Trip