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Yellowstone Angler Fly Fishing Trips with Montana's Top Outfitters & Guides
Read more about the local's favorite time to fish in Montana
When to Come
| Booking a Guided trip | 2008
Rates The quickest and easiest way to book a trip is to simply give us a call! Doug McKnight is in charge of guide bookings and reservations, although any of us will be happy to assist you. 406-222-7130
Booking Your Guide TripYou can e-mail us, send us a fax, send us a letter by snail mail, or just pick up a phone and talk with one of our staff here in the shop. Give us an idea of the time period you are thinking about, the number of days you would like to fish, and the number of days you would like to utilize guides for float or wade trips. It is important to book as early as possible, especially if you would like to fish with your favorite Outfitters or guides, or need spring creek reservations which are very limited. We'll do our best to line you up with the Outfitter or guide you request but keep in mind that returning clients retain the option to rebook their favorite Outfitter or guide for the next year (for the same approximate dates). If clients do not exercise this option at the end of their trip or make other arrangements, we must book the Outfitters and guides on a first-come, first-served basis. Kevney handles most of our guide bookings, but you can talk to any member of the staff. Ask Our AdviceWe will be happy to work up an itinerary that is perfect for you, and make all the necessary reservations for you on private waters we fish including the spring creeks, Burns Lake, and other local private lakes. In addition, we'll book accommodations for you at any of our local motels, B & B's, resorts and guest ranches. We do all this as a service to our clients at no additional charge. (If you're hunting for ideas yourself, be sure to look at our Lodging and Dining pages.) Once we set up a tentative itinerary for your trip, we'll send this back to you by e-mail or letter. If this itinerary looks OK you are set, otherwise we'll try to make whatever revisions you request. 2008 Guided Fly Fishing Trip Rates*
*$50 extra gas charge for YNP, Missouri River, Buckingham Lake, Upper Madison, Bighorn, McCoy's, etc... *Rod Fees Additional on Some Waters (private lakes, Armstrong's, Nelson's, DePuy's, Milesnick's, McCoy's) *Half Days available except June - September 15th (Float - $350-1 or 2 people) (Wade - $325-1or 2 people)
Deposits, Payments and Refunds When you make the booking, an authorized Yellowstone Angler agent will ask for a deposit of $150 per guide / per day of fishing. You can pay this deposit with your Visa or MasterCard. Once we have made your arrangements we will charge the card to secure your booking. If you wish to pay the deposit with a check we must receive the check within two weeks from the day you make the booking. This option is only available for bookings at least eight weeks in advance. In the event that we have not heard from you, or received any deposit, we'll make one more effort to contact you. If we have not received a deposit within two weeks from the date the booking was made we will automatically cancel all of your reservations. However, we do ask that you contact us immediately if you intend to have your booking canceled. Once the deposit has been made we will send you a detailed itinerary that will serve as your confirmation letter. Additional deposits may be required for private waters, and these must be made by separate check. We'll detail this for you. The deposit policy that we have worked out for all our Outfitters and guides is as such: Deposits are fully refundable up to 30 days prior to your trip. Within 30 days of your trip, we will still refund in full if we can rebook the Outfitters or guides (or rebook the dates reserved on private waters) for the days you have canceled. If you cancel your reservation on private waters with less than 30 days notice you will be responsible for a 50% cancellation fee if the rods can't be rebooked. This is the only way we can protect the guides from losing a day of work when a client doesn't show up. Guide Fees include a nice streamside lunch and all beverages for the day. Guides go to great lengths to make your lunch a memorable part of the fishing day. On trips to waters more than fifty miles from our shop (streams inside Yellowstone National Park, the Upper Madison, etc.) an additional charge of $40 is added to the daily fee to help the guides defray additional gasoline expenses. This does not apply to most trips on the Missouri or Bighorn (when we may arrange for you to fish with local guides) or when clients provide their own transportation. Guide fees also include shuttle charges so that you can get on the river more quickly. Final Payments for your trip can be made at our shop. You can pay us at that time with cash, check or by using your VISA or MasterCard. We maintain a separate account for the Outfitters and guides, and these payments will be kept separate from your bill for flies , tackle and other equipment. Remember to bring some cash to tip your guides. Note: we are often asked how much anglers should tip their guides: $40 to $100 a day is what most of the guides average, so use those figures as guidelines.
The Outfitters and Guides we utilize are the Best in the Business!Most fishermen take a guided fishing trip to have the very best opportunity to catch some nice fish, get easier access to a particular stream or river while floating, but also to sharpen up their fly fishing skills. We feel that the Yellowstone Angler's Outfitters and Guides are the cream of the crop and some of the most experienced you'll find in the West! These fellows know the waters we fish intimately, and they are masters at reading the water. They work hard at putting you into the best water for the kind of fishing you prefer. They will show you the right flies to use, help you rig your tackle, and teach you the exact techniques needed to help you catch the largest fish. More importantly, they are people with whom you'll enjoy spending a day on the water. Flexible Hours All of the Outfitters and Guides working with us try hard to accommodate your fishing desires. We let you call the shots. You can make arrangements to fish just as long as you like during the day. If you have to get off the water by 4 pm to make a dinner engagement, let your guide know so that he can plan the day accordingly. If you want to fish a long day, that's fine, too, but make sure your guide knows at the start of the day so he can pick the right stretch of water and pace the day. (Just don't forget to tip accordingly if your guide puts in an extra long day.) Be sure to check out profiles and photos of the Yellowstone Angler's Outfitters and Guides. Destinations for Guided TripsTo give you a better feel for these streams, rivers and lakes, check out the Waters We Fish section of the site. Here you will find photos as well as a complete description of the best fishing locations in the Livingston area. Below is a brief overview of these destinations. Waters We Fish include the famous Livingston spring creeks like Armstrong's, DePuy's, and Nelson's, as well as Benhart and Thompson spring creeks on the MZ Ranch near Belgrade and McCoy's Spring Creek near Dillon. We feel that we can teach anglers more about technique on wade trips to these streams than anywhere else. The spring creeks are on private ranches and the owners charge rod fees between $75-100 during the prime season. Only a limited number of anglers are allowed to fish each day. Other good streams we wade fish include the Main Boulder and West Boulder rivers; the Gallatin River; tributaries to the Yellowstone like Mill Creek, Big Creek, and the Shields River; rivers and streams within Yellowstone National Park like Slough Creek, Lamar River, Firehole River, and various other streams within the Park. (Trips to waters on Gallatin National Forest lands are conducted by Outfitters who hold special use permits from the US Forest Service.) Of the rivers we float, the Yellowstone is our home river, running right through Livingston. Some of the very best water on the river are the stretches close to town. We float many different portions of the Yellowstone, from the water above Yankee Jim Canyon, all the way downstream to below Big Timber - 100 miles of river! Guided trips are normally set to float about 8-15 miles in one day. We let the guides pick the stretch they think will fish the best, depending on conditions. You can talk with your guide the morning of the float and discuss where you would like to fish. The most scenic part of the river is through Paradise Valley, but the fishing can often be better downstream from town, especially during hopper season. Other rivers we float include the lower and upper Madison, the lower Gallatin, and the Missouri. Some of these rivers are longer distances from Livingston and it's usually advantageous to plan for a couple of days of fishing and spend one night or more on the road. Several private lakes in the Livingston area offer outstanding stillwater fishing for rainbows, browns and cutthroat trout. One of the best is Burns Lake, 40 miles east of us in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains. Burns is a perfect lake to float tube or fish with a pontoon boat. The guides can also take you there and utilize their drift boats for some very comfortable and exciting fishing. Hatches of damselflies and Callibaetis mayflies (as well as hoppers later in the summer) provide some fun fishing. Other good private lakes we fish include Buckingham Lake, Story Lake and Slip-n-Slide lake. These lakes offer some outstanding fishing and a nice change of pace from the other streams and rivers we fish. Daily rod fees vary from $55-$90 per person per day. Rental float tubes are available at our shop. More Info About Waters We Fish What to BringFlies are not included in the price of the guide trip. Most people purchase the flies they need from the shop the morning of the trip. Your guide will take a look at your flies and make recommendations accordingly. If you have no flies you should expect to purchase about $20-$50 worth of flies for each angler/day. Of course, this depends on season, where you will fish and experience level. If you would like to tie some flies to bring we will be happy to send you some samples of the best patterns. Just keep in mind that sometimes conditions change and the guides each have their own favorites that they may recommend. Required *Hat (preferably with a brim, baseball cap works great) *Glasses (preferably polarized sunglasses) *Fishing License (you can get this online at: https://app.discoveringmontana.com/elicensesales/ or our Livingston store) Recommended *Bring a cool, long sleeve shirt. *Bring a warm jacket or rain jacket if possible. *Bring long pants. *Shorts and a t-shirt are great for nice weather but beware of the sun. *Sunblock and/or lip balm *Bring sandals or shoes that you can get wet if needed. *Camera (waterproof bag or case if possible) **Waders and boots can keep you more comfortable if you will be in the water much. **Rod and Reel (preferably a 8-9 foot 4-6 weight rod) Medications (ie, bee sting kits, inhalers, etc.) * -- These items are available for purchase from our store in Livingston. ** -- These items are available for rent. Please tell us ahead of time if you need a rental. If you have any questions, contact the Yellowstone Angler at 406-222-7130.
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Whether
floating the Yellowstone or wade fishing one of the spring creeks, you'll
enjoy spending a day on the water with one of Montana's very best fly
fishing guides. Here at the Yellowstone angler we act as booking
agents for the finest Outfitters and guides in Southern Montana. Most of the time the guides
utilize McKenzie style drift boats, the finest craft for float fishing
the Yellowstone and other large rivers in Montana. On some rocky
streams that are more difficult to navigate, rafts are used. We
often stop to wade fish the better riffles. Relax while our guides prepare
a gourmet streamside lunch and enjoy the spectacular views of the Absaroka
mountains and Montana's Paradise Valley.
