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Yellowstone Angler Fly Fishing Trips with Montana's Top Outfitters & Guides Let us take care of the details in hooking you up with one of the best guides and outfitters on the Yellowstone river. When to Come
| Booking a Guided trip | 2010
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 TripThe best way to book your trip is to call us at 406-222-7130 and we can discuss your trip in detail. Doug McKnight is in charge of bookings and the best person to talk to, but any of us here at the shop can help you set up your trip. You can also e-mail us at doug@yellowstoneangler.com You can also fax us at 406-222-9020, or send a letter by snail mail to Yellowstone Angler, P.O. Box 629, Livingston, Montana 59047. 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.
Ask Our AdviceWe will be happy to work up an itinerary that is perfect for you, and try to make all the necessary reservations for you on private waters we fish including the spring creeks, Burns Lake, and other local private lakes. During prime time, it helps if you can be a little flexible with your schedule. In addition, we can 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. Once we have your guided days set, we'll ask for a Visa or MasterCard and charge you a deposit of $150 per guided day. You can also send us a check or money order if you like. Then you can pay the balance here at the end of your trip with a credit card, check or cash- whatever you would prefer. 2010 Guided Fly Fishing Trip Rates*
*Includes extra gas charges for YNP, Missouri River, some lakes, 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. Once we have finalized your arrangements we will charge your credit card to secure your booking, or we'll tell you the amount of deposit needed and you can send us a check. The easiest way to secure your deposit is with your Visa or MasterCard, or if you prefer, you can send us a check or money order. 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 must cancel all of your reservations. However, we do ask that you contact us immediately if you need to either change your dates or 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 must cancel any reservations we have made for you on private waters with less than 30 days notice, you will be responsible for a 50% cancellation fee if those rods can't be rebooked by the landowners. This is the only way the landowners can protect themselves to some degree if the anglers do not show up. If you must cancel within one week of your trip, we will require full payment for the guide fees for those days you have booked and charge your credit card on file for the balance. We must do this to protect the guides and outfitters for lost days in the prime time of the season. We will then make every effort possible to re-book your guides for the days that were cancelled, and if we are able to re-book the guides for the days you had to cancel, which is often the case, we will refund 100% of your deposit or apply it to another upcoming trip, whichever you prefer.
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. 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: $50 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.This is in addition to your guide fee. Only a limited number of anglers are allowed to fish each day on each stream to maintain an uncrowded and quality experience. 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. We are one of the few fly shops that maintain a commercial use license inside Yellowstone National Park, which allows Outfitters and guides working with us to guide anglers on the superb rivers and streams within Yellowstone National Park like Slough Creek, Lamar River, Firehole River and Madison River in 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 Madison (both lower and upper), the lower Gallatin, the Missouri, and the Bighorn River. Once we have made your arrangements we will charge the card to secure your booking. . 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. We fish several private lakes in the Livingston area as well as others with an easy day's drive that 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 great private lakes we fish are near White Sulphur Springs, 75 miles to the North of Livinston. All these private lakes offer outstanding fishing and in many cases you will be the only anglers on the lake that day. This lake fishing is an exciting change of pace from the other streams and rivers we fish. Not only will you have an opportunity to catch a lot of fish but many clients are able to catch the largest trout of their lives! Daily rod fees vary from $60-$150 per person per day. If you are on your own, pontoon boat and float tubes are available at our shop at a nominal charge. More Info About Waters We Fish What to Bring
In order to keep our guide prices lower than many other shops, Flies 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. The best way to do this is to have 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 give you recommendatioins or 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 9 foot 5-6 weight rod for most fishing on the Yellowstone, a 3-4 weight rod for the spring creeks. 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, the best inflatable rafts are used that are equipped for anglers. Depending on the river, and the conditions, we'll often stop to wade fish the better riffles and runs. Relax while our guides prepare
a gourmet streamside lunch and enjoy the spectacular views of the Absaroka
mountains and Montana's Paradise Valley.
