Minimizing the Guide Footprint

January 25, 2022

The fly fishing industry in Missoula felt the razor sharpness of a double edged sword in 2021. Our outfitting has never been so busy! That’s great for us. Our outfitting has never been so busy!

We’ve never seen the rivers absorb so much usage. From every aspect, including float fishing, wade fishing and recreational floats, we saw unprecedented river use in Missoula. Let’s not kid ourselves, these aren’t the busy Bighorn or Madison angling numbers. While this may not be considered busy compared to other states and fisheries, it’s what we call Montana busy, slower than most places but busy compared to what we’re accustomed to. Missoula has never really been on the map as a destination- we don’t know why and we don’t complain. Missoula’s experienced guides were concerned about the higher traffic and substandard etiquette shown by novice guides and new boat owners. While guides make up less than 15% of the boats on many local rivers at any given time, pressure is a big topic of conversation with many local guides and outfitters. How to minimize the guide footprint, maximize client experience and do right by the rivers that provide so much more than employment.

As a shop, led by owner and outfitter Taylor Scott, the Missoulian Angler has decided to respond to the new normal. Whether others decide to follow this lead is beyond our purview- we can only do what we feel is correct for the resource, and best for our clients while making sure the oldest fly shop in Missoula keeps its doors open.

The Missoulian Angler has been outfitting for 35 years. We know what makes an exceptional guide and superior experience on the water. We understand every guide has to start somewhere, and use new guides every year. With our background, we’ve built and continue building an amazing core of Missoula MVP’s- guides who know our local rivers like the back of their hands, are comfortable with experts as well as newbies and capable of creating the best river experience for every client.

With that core in mind, with the resource in mind, we have decided to limit our outfitting to 6 boats a day, with no more than 3 boats on any given stretch of Missoula’s rivers. Is this in granite? No. There are always exceptions to the rule. Families needing more than 6 boats, or a corporate client providing Missoula’s best guiding experience for their employees, will be taken care of as we always have. Accommodations will go both ways. If you need more than 3 boats on a single stretch of river, we might choose a section of river better suited to handling more boats, with the fishing being the secondary factor. Again, this only applies to more than 3 boat groups on a stretch.

The Missoulian Angler will absorb a financial hit for this stance. That’s a short-term ramification. We feel 6 boats a day provides a good enough income level, balanced by the cushion to the resource. In the long term, it’s the rivers that bring anglers to Missoula. As outfitters, if we don’t notice and respond to situations or pressure, the resource will deteriorate at more rapid rate. At heart, every angler is a conservationist. The exceptional local and national support for our local West Slope Chapter and MT Trout Unlimited, The Clark Fork Coalition and the Watershed Education Network here in Missoula is extremely impressive, while groups proliferate along the Blackfoot River, Rock Creek and the Bitterroot River as well. The basis of each of these groups is to PASS ON THE RIVER IN AS GOOD OR BETTER SHAPE THAN WE FOUND IT.

The lead photo is Taylor’s great grandfather Frank Scott, fishing the Blackfoot River. At the time this photo was taken, he’s already a second generation Missoulian who introduced his son and grandson who eventually passed along to Taylor the joys of fly fishing, who in turn plans to pass this joy to his two young children. While time changes a river’s characteristics, it shouldn’t change the angling. Yes, we know it does, but as Dylan Thomas wrote,

Do not go gentle into that good night

Rage, rage against the dying of the light

This is Taylor Scott’s way of raging against the dying of the light. Now a 5^th generation Missoulian angler, Taylor is saying we have the ability to change the trajectory for future generations to come. It has a cost, and the Missoulian Angler will pay that cost. We take this stand so others see conservation can be congruent with angling. It simply takes everyone taking a step back, reviewing their footprint, and modifying it to be just a little less. It’s how every journey starts, with someone making the first steps.

We’re not doing this to brag about our guides. We judge no one for the stance they take. This is the stance we’ve taken. We’re looking at this as a business, looking as local anglers, looking at the resource and making a decision based on our definition of a responsible business. We hope others see this and think it’s a good idea. It’s not necessary, but we sure hope it does. It’s our response to the summer of 2021. We pay attention to the resource, we pay attention to the clients, we pay attention to the situation. If the situation changes, we will as well. And when we make a change, we’ll let you know. What the change is, why we made the change and how it will affect our valued customers close and far from Missoula. Feel free to tell us what you think.

We could brag that capping our boats at 6 a day provides a superior experience for every Missoulian Angler client. Because it will. We could be passing judgement on other outfitters who don’t follow our view of how things should be. We’re not.

We’re not doing this to brag about our guides. We’re not judging anyone for the stance they take. This is the stance we’ve taken.

Fly Fishing Hot Topics

Best Guides In The Business

July 11, 2020

Sure, we’re completely prejudiced- what did you expect! But we feel Missoula fly fishing guides are the best guides in Montana, and we can back that up. On June 30, every guide in town has a huge decision to make before they even start their day on the water. From the Missoulian Angler, they can head 80 miles west, east, south, northwest or southwest, choosing to fish on the Bitterroot River, Upper or Lower Clark Fork River, the Big Blackfoot River or Rock Creek. There are over 300 miles- yes, 300 miles!- of floatable river in about an hour’s drive from Missoula. That’s a lot of water to know and cover! Not trying to pick on our good friends on the Missouri, Bighorn and other tailwaters, but those rivers have limited areas to fish. Those guides know the fishable sections like they know their own face, but it’s not as much water to learn, not as many flies and not as many techniques to master.

Every river in Missoula has it’s own unique characteristics. When you’re floating on Rock Creek, you’re moving fast! Covering 20-25 river miles is not uncommon on that river in the last weeks of June. It’s narrow and popular, which means the guides need to be on the lookout for wading fishermen (of which there are many), sweepers, and all the other hazards that come with any river. Add tying on flies and providing drinks, and a guide has his hands full when floating Rock Creek.

The Bitterroot is almost the polar opposite of Rock Creek. Rock Creek flows along the base of a canyon for much of its length. It rarely changes its channels, so where you floated last year will be the way to go this year as well. Not so on the Bitterroot. Every June, Missoula fly fishing guides need to relearn the Bitterroot. Channels change, so you need to make the right choices when floating. That spot that was so good this spring? It’s gone. Post run-off, the best Missoula guides are scouting the Bitterroot, trying to locate where the fish have relocated to. Sure, the 10-14” fish are where they always are, but the big boys are a different story. They have to be relocated every year. Our guides definitely pool their resources on the Bitterroot, finding out what channels are open, and where it’s best to float. As the river drops into summertime, new challenges pop up- finding the channels with enough water to float, and finding the trout that have become skittish in the bright sun and warm temperatures. It’s what makes the Bitterroot such a challenging, demanding river. It’s a changing, and every year it takes a knowledgeable, skilled guide to find the fish and get them into the net.

The Blackfoot can be one of the trickiest rivers to row in the state. Those magnificent boulders and deep shelves that give this river character are also definite navigational challenges. Late June can be a very exacting time on the river, with the boulders, crags and sweepers getting up near the surface where they can some damage, but with so much push from the high water that a guide has to get his rowing line through some stretches perfectly, or you’re going to find yourself in a bit of mischief. And like the Bitterroot, as the Blackfoot drops, the guides again have to find the sun shy fish and navigate a river that may be 1/8 the size it was 5 weeks ago! It takes a guide with the skill of a white water rafter to navigate the Blackfoot, and Missoula can fill any two local taprooms (day off) with guides who can row like fury, fish with passion and instruct with grace and elegance.

When it comes to the Clark Fork, it’s a tale of two rivers. The Upper Clark Fork River is narrow, tricky to row and fish from a boat, and can be a bit stingy. But when it’s on, it’s fire, and no one is there. It can provide an amazing experience on a smaller river. As the Clark Fork transitions from a smaller river to the largest in the state, the water varies wildly, from huge logjams to the urban town float, where you can fish a great river and stop at 3-4 riverside bars in Missoula and enjoy a cold beverage or a hot lunch! Better know which town channel to take, or you’ll miss the take out by 4 miles! Once the Bitterroot enters, the Clark Fork gets big and slow. You can find some amazing technical dry fly fishing to the largest rising fish in Missoula. The nymphing can be spectacular, and streamers can move a Brownie fatter than an average trout is long on almost any cast!

Let’s toss this in. We’re a two hour run to the Missouri river or the upper Bighole river. Three to the Beaverhead river or the headwaters of the Missouri. Don’t think Missoula guides aren’t familiar with these waters as well.

It’s 7:30 am and Missoula’s best fly fishing guides are texting, talking and planning their day. What’s hot, what’s not. They’ll be meeting their guests, and having a conversation with them. What are they expecting fom their day? (Missoula’s Best Guides) Lots of fish, dries, scenery, technical? This all goes into the mix as the guides ponder their four distinct options, the four distinct personalities that make Missoula such an eclectic fly fishing destination.

That’s not all that goes into a float trip, not by a longshot. Gas, clean boat and rig, delicious lunch and a positive attitude are a given. The guides need to know the water they’re going to take you to. It doesn’t work to see the take out 2 hours after putting in, or still see the put in 9 hours into the day. Missoula guides can manage a day on the water to perfection, having you home for dinner or squeezing the most out of the day. They know every shuttle driver in 100 miles from the shop. They’re prepared to fish any river at any time. While all the rivers have much of the same hatches, each river has its favorite flies and best angling practices. The guides need to be tricked out with the best flies for wherever their fancy takes them.

The Missoulian Angler has the largest fly selection in town, and over the course of the year, we see just about every guide in Missoula. Matt Robb, Russell Parks, Damon Cox, Tony Reinhardt, Chase Harrison, Dustin Stenson, Joe Boone, Greg Inglis and Scott Stanko– we see them all. And it’s the same thing every day, where am I going to fish. Decades of experience walk through our shop daily, and we watch the wheels spinning. We hear the slyly crafted questions and the tell-tale hints that might lead to the mother-lode. Or it could be as simple as calling Tommy at Four Rivers Shuttle or Pat Bond and ask where they have the fewest boats! So many strategies employed to find our guests the best fly fishing in Montana.

But it all boils down to one thing. Once you’ve committed, once the best fishing guides in Missoula have decided on, that 6 mile float, 9 mile float or 13 mile float, you know there’s still 290 MILES of river you’re not fishing that day. Was it the best call? Was it an average call. Did you float lockjaw territory? When you’re as diverse as Missoula, when you can basically dial up about any type of fishing you’re looking for, from blanket hatches to technical Euronymphing, Missoula, Montana always has that mystery about it. You’ll know about how your day is going to go tomorrow morning, when todays fishing is grist for the mill! And once again, the choice is there. That’s the face every guide wears in the morning, what is he missing. But here’s a fact, and you can take it to the bank (Haha!), whatever water you’re fishing, Missoula’s guides will fish the ever-loving crap out of it.

Missoula’s best guides have a skill set that is rivalled by few. They can row. The best guides in Missoula row the trickiest and rockiest rivers in Montana on a daily basis, adjusting as the rivers change from day to day. Imagine the skill set needed to work in 4 separate buildings, separated into multiple offices, that can change on a daily basis. That’s a guide’s life in Missoula. It takes a while to get familiar with all the water around Missoula, knowing the best flies and techniques for each river. Luckily, the city and the rivers are a magnet, attracting and keeping guides for decades. When we say Missoula guides are amongst the best in the state, we can back that up with diversity, skills and preparation.

It’s a passion, but it’s a business as well. Missoula fly fishing guides approach each day as craftsmen, knowing each day will be different, and confident they will rise to the challenge. They have the option of fishing over 300 miles of river, know what’s fishing, finding out what their guests want, balance that against where the best fishing is, and make the call. With fly boxes stuffed to the gills (Haha) with the best flies for every river, they have a full tank of gas, and their sunglasses are on! These guides are ready for their clients, ready for the rivers, and ready to make your day the best fly fishing Missoula has to offer!

Missoula Fly Fishing Guide

Best Fly Fishing Guides In Missoula Montana

February 17, 2020

If you’ve gotten to this far in your research, you may have decided to come to Missoula for your fly fishing vacation. With that decision, your next question is where do I find the best fly fishing guides in Missoula Montana? That’s a seriously loaded question, and it may in fact be the wrong question. Here’s why.

The Missoulian Angler fly Shop been outfitting guided fly fishing trips in Missoula for over 30 years. Our shop staff has a combined 110 years of fly shop and industry experience. The owner and outfitter of The Missoulian Angler Fly Shop is a fifth generation Missoulian, with a family history of over 100 years fly fishing in the Missoula Valley. We have literally seen it all. Not only do we hand pick the very best fly fishing guides Missoula has to offer, but we also make it a point to handpick the right guide for our guests. It’s our goal to make you want to come back to Missoula year after year, and that starts with the best guide….. for you.

When you book with us, we ask you a series of questions, ranging from how much do you fish to dietary restrictions. These questions may not mean much to you, but they are critical to us. It allows us to match you with the best possible fly fishing guide for your needs. We have guides who’ve fished the Missoula rivers their entire life, and guided for 20+ years. We have guides who are just starting out in their careers. Believe us, it’s not always as simple as “I want the best fishing guide”.

As an example, we have many guests just starting their fly-fishing journey, and while they want to catch fish, they also want what we refer to as FlyFishing 101. These guests may not be the best match for that intense guide who is consistently catching the biggest and most trout in Missoula, but has been there and done that with beginners. It takes a lot of patience and teaching ability to put a beginner on trout. The Missoulian Angler has many guides who love teaching beginners, love seeing the look on their face as they catch their first Montana trout.

That intense guide, however, may be just perfect for the seasoned fly fisher. Experienced anglers know what they’re doing. They know how to fish, and how they want to fish, be it streamers, nymphs or dries. They’ve gotten a guide to put them on the best fish at the opportune moment. The fishing experience they’re looking for is completely different from the novice angler, so their guide is chosen completely differently.

We excel at booking multi-boat trips for people with widely divergent skill levels and interest. When a family makes a booking, we know there’s usually one or two serious fishermen and then those who will fish but aren’t going to put 8 hours in, which are usually the kids. We put the less intense fishers with our most fun, most talkative guides! We have guides who school teach in the winter, then guide in the summer. They know kids. They bring squirt guns, extra cookies and all kinds of things that will be of interest to those who might be floating, but not fishing full time. Want to jump off the raft into deep water? Go for it! At the end of the day, the less interested fisherman has had an amazing experience. They want to go “fishing” again.

At this point, we hope you’ve realized asking for the best fly fishing guides in Missoula Montana may not be the best question. Instead, what fly fishing guide will fit your specific needs, and make the most of your Montana fly fishing trip. Many of the shop’s staff have guided the Missoula area for years, so we know what goes into making your float or wade fishing trip memorable. That’s what we love to do, and we take tremendous pride in doing it. Our goal is to give you the experience of a lifetime fishing our beloved Missoula Rivers like the Bitterroot River, Blackfoot River, Clark Fork River, Rock Creek and Missouri River.

When you call to book your guided fly fishing trip, let us know exactly what you want out of your day on the river, and give us as many details as possible. The more you chat, the more we understand what you’re looking for. While you chat, we’re taking notes! After all, the day is yours and we’re here to help you, and your guide, get the most out of your day on the water. If you want to maximize your fish count, you need to tell us. If you want to learn new techniques like streamer fishing or nymphing then we’ll match you with the appropriate teaching guide. If you want one big fish, again we need to know. And if you just want to go float some of Montana’s best rivers and enjoy the scenery with a little bit of fishing in the mix then we will make that happen for you.

Missoula Montana is blessed with some amazing fishing guides. We hire from a pool of over 50 Missoula guides, so there is a match for everyone, whether you’re wading or floating. We’re here to make sure the guide you get is the best guide in Missoula……. for you.

Montana Fly Fishing Guide Chase Harrison

Missoula Fly Fishing Guide

Maximize Your Missoula Montana Guided Fly Fishing Trip

January 16, 2020

You want to get the most out of your fly fishing trip to Missoula, MT. We definitely want you to get the most out of your trip!!! And that boils down to one simple word- communication. For those who have booked with Missoulian Angler Fly Shop, you know we have a series of questions we ask at booking. This helps us ascertain what your needs are on the river. During this process, we’re also trying to figure out what you want from your day. But as the customer, you should never be bashful about saying what your expectations are for your fly fishing trip. If you say you want to catch a 24 inch trout, we’re not giving any guarantees, but we’re going to do everything we can to make it happen. The same goes for dry flies, or nymphing, or whether you want beautiful Montana scenery. We’re here to maximize your day.

Missoula is blessed with over 350 miles of fishable waters, including the Blackfoot river, upper and lower Clark Fork river and Bitterroot river, all within about a 75 minute drive. And the guides are on the river every day- their ears are to the ground, they know where the fishing will be good. But most Missoula fly fishing guides haven’t chosen where they’re going to fish before they meet with you. It’s a game time decision. Which means guides want your input, and they can then make the best decision. But if they receive no input when first meeting, they’re going to make a shuttle call and head off to the river. They’ve made their choice, and it’s the best choice they feel they can make. But it doesn’t help your to find out you want to fish nothing but dries when they’ve already chosen a prime nymphing float. So when you meet your fishing guide, let them know what you’re thinking, let them know what you want from YOUR day.

This bears remembering. The choices you make may affect the quantity of fish you catch. If you want to throw streamers all day, or float the dry, your fish count may be lesser than if you ran a nymph or hopper/dropper. So if catching a lot of trout is your goal, be guided by your Missoula fishing guides! It’s what they do for a living, put people on fish. Your fish count will go up dramatically if you do as the guide recommends. But that’s not in stone. It’s YOUR day. Fish any way you want. The guide is there to make your day the best it can be, no matter what’s going on. But none of this happens without communication. Make your day, make the guides day, and let them know what you’re thinking. It’s a win/win situation.

Want to fish with one of our guides? Click learn more below for info.

Fly Fishing Hot Topics

The Best Spring Fly Fishing In Montana

January 13, 2020

Missoula Montana spring fly fishing is like few others in the west. Some of the best fishing of the year starts in March, and it starts on the surface! That’s correct, we have stellar dry fly fishing in March and April. Whether you’re a fan of throwing a big dry fly like a Skwala stonefly, searching with a Nemoura or take pride in hatch matching with a Western March Brown or Blue Winged Olive, Missoula’s spring dry fly fishing will make you smile. The Bitterroot River and its epic Skwala hatch is famous in Montana, and for good reason. What’s less known is Rock Creek and the Clark Fork River also have strong Skwala populations, along with excellent WMB and BWO hatches. While most anglers are focused on the Bitterroot River, the adventurous angler will find spring dry fly fishing throughout the Missoula area.

You can expect surface action from late morning through the afternoon. Missoula’s fly fishing in March and April is temperature dependent, meaning the warmer it gets, the sooner the dry fly fishing starts. If the day stays on the cold and wet side, that activates the BWO’s to epic hatches! Montana’s spring dry fly fishing is focused on Missoula, due to our warmer early season weather. It’s tough to find better spring dry fly fishing in Montana. It’s a lot of fun to be able to start the season on the surface!

Coming off the cold winter, the big dogs are coming out of hibernation, and they’re looking to feed. Every angler knows big flies take big fish, so if you’re looking to see Brother TwoFoot, you may want to turn that dry into a streamer! Many who take advantage of spring fly fishing in Missoula will start their day with the big rod and the big flies, working the edges and holes to sting those big, hungry trout. When the dry flies truly establish later in the day, some anglers will put the big flies away, but don’t kid yourself. The longer you fish the streamer, the longer the Big Dog barks! We love to take those early spring streamer junkies to the Blackfoot River, letting those steep ledges and deep holes divulge their early season secrets.

Which brings us to old reliable. Why does the nymph get such a poor rap, when it’s hands down the most effective way of putting trout in your net. Spring fly fishing in Missoula offers multiple nymphing opportunities, including shallow water sight nymphing with a Skwala or Nemoura nymph, or working a little deeper with your Pheasant Tails and Hare’s Ears. For the first time since late fall, there are lots of nymphs on the move, and early season trout will key on this new and abundant food source. You can get way serious and run a double nymph rig, or you can combine the great spring dry fly fishing with your subsurface hunting and rig up a dry/dropper. However you plan to approach it, the nymph is always the workhorse, the producer, for any angler.

When you start the season early, the weather can be as exciting as the fishing, so be prepared for a Montana Spring fly fishing! But no matter what the weather is above the surface, the trout are eating, and eating hard.

The Missoulian Angler Fly Shop is offering three great deals for experiencing the best spring fly fishing in Montana. Click the button below to see more details.

Spring Special Guided Fly Fishing In Montana – Discounted Rates

Take advantage of our Spring Special Guided Fly Fishing discounted rates. March and April is some of the best dry fly fishing of the year. Our guides love this time of year because of the big fish eating dry flies. Come enjoy a day on the river with Missoula’s best fly fishing guides.

Learn More

Missoula Fly Fishing Guide Chase Harrison

Fly Fishing Hot Topics

So Buster Wants To Be A Missoula Fly Fishing Guide

January 9, 2020

Many fly fishermen get to a point in their life where they kick around the possibility of becoming a fly fishing guide in Missoula. They love to fish; they love the outdoors and what can be better than being paid to enjoy both?

While many ponder the idea of becoming a fly fishing guide, few do it. There are many hurdles to jump just to get a chance to spend your days on the river fishing, and getting paid to do so. Contrary to popular belief, being a fly fishing guide in Missoula is not easy work. It’s physically and mentally exhausting at times and always keep you on your toes.

Too start, it’s rare for fly fishing guides to be a wade only around Missoula, which means you need a boat. Not only do you need a boat, but it has to be a boat the hiring outfitter is confident the boat is safe and comfortable for their guests. Spending $500 on a raft from the 80’s that has weathered in the sun for 30 years is not going to impress any outfitter or client. At this point you have spent at least $2500 or more on a boat. Then you need a vehicle that is just as presentable and able to tow your raft. It goes without saying you need a working trailer to tow your raft which can cost upwards of $1500.

The second hurdle is getting to know your raft and mastering the art of rowing. It takes a lot of practice to consistently put anglers on fish, at the correct angle, and correct speed, positioned to allow anglers front and back to fish at the same time. Safety is a big concern too and you need to be able to navigate the river without any incidents.

Many guides grew up rafting and fishing around Missoula, providing a huge advantage over many people trying to start guiding in Missoula. More than once a fledgling fly fishing guide in Missoula comes to the Missoulian Angler saying, “Hey I just got a boat and I want to start guiding professionally.” We typically ask a series of questions. Starting with how many days have you rowed, how long have you been in Montana, what rivers and sections of rivers have you fished, and that’s just a start. We are trying to get a feel for how serious about fishing and rowing you are. If you tell us that you have rowed the Blackfoot River and the Bitterroot river about 20 times each, we will politely tell them to come back in a few years, after floating many stretches around Missoula as you can. While you may be the best fisherman in your group of friends and have taught many of them how to fly fish, the average fly fishing guide in Missoula is on a whole other level. There are a lot of great fly fishing guides around Missoula that consistently spend 150+ days on the rivers a year for many years. You might not be on this level right out of the gate, but if you plan to consistently put fish in the boat and keep your guests safe, that’s going to become the norm.

The third step is licensing, which can take a bit of time. The Board of Outfitters in Montana requires guides to have an Independent Contractor License, state issued guide license, Basic First Aid training and insurance. We’re not going in depth on this, just know there is plenty of paperwork in the initial process and there continues to be paperwork throughout your guiding career in Montana.

The fourth step is obtaining work from a local Missoula outfitter. The regulations for fly fishing guides in Montana does not allow you to go out and guide on your own. Every guide must operate under a licensed Montana fly fishing outfitter. Once we’ve had some conversation, checked raft, rig, trailer and paperwork, the next step a check float. The check float, for lack of a better term, is your interview. This is your chance to show us what you got! You will take us floating with your equipment, so you can show us presentable gear and knowledge of use in a safe and effective manner. We like to see how you rig your rods, how you position the boat, how sociable you are, how you drive, how you back up your trailer, among many other things.

Once you’ve done a test float and been found to be employable as a guide, the outfitter will endorse you by signing your license. Having one endorsing outfitter as a novice guide, you need to get 10 more. The chances of being hired by one outfitter fulltime during your first year is slim to none, and Slim to none. Outfitters have a long list of the best fly fishing guides in Missoula. If you spread out your work between multiple outfitters, then you might fill your schedule for this season and maybe find a full-time home for the next season with an fly fishing outfitter in Missoula. Once you find some outfitters confident in you, you can start narrowing down the fly-fishing outfitters in Missoula that you work for.

If you’ve gotten this far, now comes the hard work. There’s no question fishing guides have a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of work. As a fly fishing guide in Missoula, you often wake up at 5:00 AM to prepare lunches, grab drinks, stop at the shop for flies, clean your cooler, wash your truck and boat, and then pick up your clients. Most often, you’ve never met your clients, nor do you know if they have ever held a fly rod. Once you get a feel for your clients, you must decide out of the 300 miles of fishable river in the Missoula area, where you will go to give these guests the best possible fly fishing experience in Montana. This decision is based on other guide reports, weather, water flow, hatches, guest skill level, your confidence level and many other variables that rivers in Missoula will throw your way. After a full working day on the river you arrive home at 8:00 PM to rinse and repeat for your next day on the water.

After 100+ days of this, with 20+ days straight at a time, you get very worn down. It takes a special person to be a fly fishing guide, and it it’s not for everyone. We guide a lot and we absolutely love it. Spending every day on the rivers in Missoula and teaching a brand new angler to fly fish, and be successful fly fishing, are just a few reasons why we love what we do. Most of us can’t imagine having a 9-5 office job. Not to mention we have the winters off to hunt, ski, snowboard, ice fish and enjoy so much more that Montana has to offer.

Missoula fly fishing guides Matt Robb and Dustin Stetson scouting a stretch of the Bitterroot River during February in preparation for the upcoming guide season.

If you think you have what it takes or need a push in the right direction to become a Missoula fly fishing guide, then stop by and we can help you.

Category: Missoula Fly Fishing Guide

Spring Special Guided Fly Fishing In Montana – Discounted Rates