Yellowstone River
Beginning it’s journey in Yellowstone National Park, the Yellowstone River is the longest undammed river in the United States. This wild freestone river offers well over 100 miles of fishable trout water. It is home to native cutthroats, brown and rainbow trout, cutbows and the mountain whitefish. The Yellowstone is one of the most scenic rivers in the state and has abundant hatches throughout the spring, summer and fall. This combined with the chance at a wild trophy trout make the Yellowstone river a favorite among anglers and our guides. We consider the Yellowstone our home river and would love to show you all it has to offer.
Missouri River
The Mo is one of the best tailwater fisheries in the world. Consistent flows and a rich food supply make this river the perfect habitat for the large browns and rainbows that call it home. Thick hatches start early in the spring and continue throughout the summer months, offering some great technical dry fly fishing to big rising fish. When the fish aren’t sipping flies off the top, the Missouri offers some amazing nymph fishing. During the fall months we love throwing streamers in the Missouri River.
Many of the Southwest Montana guides call the Missouri River home while the freestone rivers are in runoff, and for good reason. May and June are great months to fish the Mo with one of our fly fishing guides. The fish are hungry after a long winter and the fishing is usually outstanding! This is some of our favorite fishing of the year. When we are not guiding, you will often find us doing some of our own head hunting on this river. The Missouri should be on every anglers hit list. After one trip most anglers are drawn back time and time again for all the opportunities it has to offer.
Madison River
The Madison River is a classic Southwest Montana freestone river. Hard fighting brown and rainbow trout, abundant hatches, and beautiful scenery have made it one of the top choices for anglers visiting Montana. The Madison is a very diverse fishery that offers angling opportunities year round. The upper Madison is one of our top choices for anglers looking to do a summer guided float trip. Runoff usually dirties the river for a short time in early to mid-June. When runoff is over, it’s game time! The summer season kicks off with the fabled salmon fly hatch, followed by an abundance of caddis and mayflies through July. August and September offer terrestrial fishing and the chance at some big fish on streamers and nymphs. In October the summer crowds are gone and big browns begin to get more aggressive as the weather changes. The lower Madison is a short drive from Bozeman and often has clear water when all the other rivers in Southwest Montana are dirty. It is also a good choice during the winter months. A slower moving stretch of river, the lower is a good choice for beginners. It holds an abundance of small to medium size fish and at certain times some big browns.
Bighorn River
The Bighorn river is a famous tailwater just a few hours down the road from us here in Bozeman. Although the crowds may be a little heavier at times than some other fisheries, its for a good reason. The Bighorn boasts about 7000 fish per mile!! The ‘Horn’ is one of the first rivers we fish each year due to its fairly consistent temperatures and flows. This means no ice or mud. Midges kick off the season and both nymphing and dry fly fishing is spectacular. Around May the Blue Wing Olives make their first appearance and offer great dry fly fishing all day long. The remainder of the year consists of many other hatches including caddis, terrestrials, and tricos. The average fish on the Bighorn ranges from around 15 inches to 20 plus. Being a tailwater , the Bighorn is usually protected from some of mother natures abilites to screw up water conditions. One of the many reasons it is one of our favorites.
Yellowstone National Park
YNP offers great fishing from July through October. During the summer months you’ll find hungry cutthroats taking full advantage of a short growing season. These fish eagerly attack large dry flies. Many of the rivers are easily accessible along roadways, or you can hike off the beaten path to some of our favorite backcountry spots. On many trips anglers see wildlife including bison, elk, antelope, and occasionally a moose, bear or wolf. In the fall large browns and rainbows begin to migrate out of Hebgen Lake into the Madison river. During this time of the year anglers have a very good chance of catching trophy trout with a majestic setting in the park. October is prime time to get in on the action so be prepared for any kind of weather because it will be worth it. Fishing Yellowstone National Park in October is an exceptional experience that we look forward to every year.
Paradise Valley Spring Creeks
The Paradise Valley spring creeks offer excellent technical fishing in a beautiful setting. The “pay to play” creeks can have great fishing anytime of the year. Armstong’s, Depuy’s, and Nelson’s Spring Creeks originate on private ranches and eventually flow into the Yellowstone River. Flows are consistent year round and water temps are always ideal habitat for trout. Excellent hatches begin early in the spring and continue into the fall. You can almost always find fish working the surface, catching them can be a challenge but it is rewarding dry fly fishing. We really enjoy fishing the spring creeks in May and early June when the big rivers are in runoff. The summer crowds haven’t arrived yet and you can often have the whole property to yourself. Rod fees range from $40-$120/day depending on the season.
Lakes
Southwest Montana does not only have worldclass streams, creeks, and rivers, also included are numerous lakes both public and private. Lakes serve as a great alternative during runoff, after large storms which can briefly muddy the rivers, or simply a new experience for anglers. We book on several private (rod fees necessary) lakes in the area which offer the angler something out of the norm. Very large brown, rainbow, brook, and occasional grayling lurk in these waters and are frequently caught on dry flies. Generally starting in spring, after ice out, the trout become eager to stretch out and feed aggressively. The hatches begin with large chronomids in the spring, followed by blue wing olives, then callibaetis, tricos, terrestrials, caddis, among other varities of mayflies. These hatches can occur from early april into late October. Something we offer is lake fishing from a poling skiff!!! For the experienced angler looking to really stretch their flyline, and test their skills, this is a must do. If you like bonefishing this is right up your alley.
Raft Trips
Brian, Dave and many of the other professional guides working with them utilize rafts in addition to drift boats. Rafts allow anglers to explore smaller waters and whitewater sections of the bigger rivers. Often times these areas receive less fishing pressure resulting in fish eager to eat the fly! Rivers we fish from the raft include the Boulder, Stillwater, and parts of the Yellowstone. These are very scenic rivers and offer a great addition to the many other blue ribbon trout rivers in the area. It also gives us more flexibility when some area rivers are muddy.
Guided Fly Fishing on Southwest Montana’s Rivers and Other Waters
Brian and Dave are experienced fly fishing guides on many waters in Montana including the Madison, Missouri, Yellowstone and Bighorn Rivers. We expertly navigate these waters in drift boats. We also offer guided fly fishing on rafts in order to bring our clients to smaller waters, or whitewater sections of the bigger rivers. Rivers we fish from raft include the Boulder, Stillwater, and parts of the Yellowstone.
If you’re looking for guided fly fishing on a lake, we offer trips to several private lakes in southwest Montana. Please inquire with any questions.
