Choosing a guide or outfitter for your fly fishing trip in Montana can be daunting to say the least. After all, there are literally thousands of professional fly fishing guides in the state each claiming to offer something different. So how best to choose the right guide for you? Below you’ll find a few helpful hints on the subject.
When choosing a fly fishing guide for your trip the first order of business you might want to consider is location. Where exactly do you want to fish in the state? Kootenai River in the northwest corner? Missoula area? Perhaps the Yellowstone country would suit your needs. By starting with a general location, you can narrow down your choices considerably since each location will have professional guides that specialize in their home area.
Keep in mind Montana is a big state and offers some of the greatest fly fishing opportunities on the planet. Don’t try to bite off more than you can choose. Each year I get a call from an enthusiastic angler hoping to fish every river in Montana in two weeks. Indeed that would be fun. But unfortunately you’ll spend most of your time driving and not on the water. And you’re likely to go home from your “vacation” completely exhausted and not refreshed and relaxed which is the preferred end result for the trip in the first place.
Websites now provide all the necessary tools you need to find the right guide for you. But I’d suggest you always call and have a conversation or two with whomever you might be considering hiring. It’s important to get a sense of who someone is by hearing their voice instead of just knowing how well they type e-mail. By having a conversation you can more effeciently decide what guide is best for you.
It’s also a good idea to be very straightforward about what you hope to accomplish from your guided day of fly fishing. If you’re after lots of instruction, make sure you mention that. Be honest about your abilities up front. If you you’re looking for native trout, mention your desire for that particular goal. Each guide will offer something different and may or may not have what you’re looking for.
By doing choosing your location ahead of time and by having a few conversations about what you hope to accomplish for the day, you’ll have an easier time picking the right guide for you.