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.