-
MONTANA FLY FISHING FAQ
-
RIVER LODGING
-
GUIDED RATES
-
JOE'S GUARANTEE
Look in our guide boats. You won't see strike indicators and double beaded nymph rigs rigged up in the rod holsters ready to be handed off to our guests. You WILL see many concoctions of different dry fly patterns that fool trout, such as: parachutes of all shades, CDC on scud hooks, spinners, snowshoe emergers, Wulffs, Trudes, Big Foamies, Little Foamies, Feth Hoppers, Half Down Stoneflies, Low Pro Stones, and some secret guide flies that just seem to make them eat it. So if you want to SEE trout come to your fly, then Missoula Montana Fly Fishing is definitely for YOU.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fly Fishing in Missoula with Classic Journey Outfitters
Q. When is the best time to come to Montana ?
March 15 through October 15 is traditionally labeled our Montana Fly fishing season. The edges of the season are cooler weather and June through early September is generally shorts and wet wading. Missoula has the longest dry fly season in the world in an area that encompasses over 350 miles of floatable water. It kicks off with the Skwala Stonefly hatch in March and fishes great right through exceptional Blue Wing Olives deep into October. Fly fishing In Montana is whenever you can make it out here, as there is always a hatch or water program to be excited about.
Q. Can you explain your "float trip" more?
Generally there are two anglers per each guide. One client sits in the back of the boat and fishes, while the other is in the front. The guide sits in the middle of the 16 ft drift boat and rows. Flies, rental fishing gear, shuttles, and a grilled shore side lunch are all part of the package. All you really need is clothes to stay dry and warm, a Montana Fishing License, and a smile.
Q. How many other anglers will I see each float day?
Believe it or not, on most days you won't see another boat. The upper Missouri River is the exception, but even there in the lower river where we mainly guide we see only moderate use in peak season. There are sections of our rivers in Missoula that are just today just getting shuttle service and a guide program developed. We have private put-ins and take-outs to avoid traffic on the busier sections. The solitude that is intrinsic to a quality experience is one of our main goals.
Q. Where can I stay and where do I fly into?
Missoula (Airport Code MSO) is a major airport that is served by United, Delta, and Northwest. Depending on what level of lodging you are looking for we can arrange anything from fisherman's hotel rooms to world class lodge stays. Just let us know!
Q. What else is there to do in Missoula ?
We are 2 ½ hours from Glacier Park. The National Bison Range is ½ hour away. The headquarters of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its great museum are right in town. For whitewater enthusiasts the Alberton Gorge provides great rafting and kayaking. If it's an outdoor pursuit (horse back rides, wing shooting, hiking, skiing, golf) then Missoula has some of the best.
Q. Where can I get a Montana fishing License?
You can get a Montana Fishing License online by clicking here. Or when you get into town we can grab one before we hit the water.
Q. Is this the home of "A River Runs Through It"?
Yes, all the places you read about in Norman Maclean's book are what you are fishing and walking through on a trip to Missoula . The "Big Blackfoot" is the same Blackfoot river that piles into the Upper Clark Fork just 6 miles from Missoula. There are classic and legendary places to wet a line here.
CLASSIC JOURNEY OUTFITTERS NEWSLETTER
Sign up to receive our Montana Fly Fishing Newsletter. Joe plans on putting out information on guiding trips, special offers, and new must-see photographs of some guided trips throughout the year. Keeping up with Missoula Fly Fishing and Joe and his crew has never been easier. Please note: As a courtesy to you, your name & e-mail will only be used by us, and not given out.
First of all, we love our job. We love the outdoors, and we love sharing Montana and it's timeless rivers to others. If you've never come to the Big Sky Country, you're missing something. Classic Journey Outfitters takes your Montana fly fishing vacation time very seriously and our number one goal is a satisfied Montana Fly Fishing Smile at the end of the day. It can come from a single trout up on rhythm on the Bitterroot River that you and your fly fishing guide quietly stalk. It has also appeared on faces from a quick shot with a bright orange size four stimulator into a churning back eddy on the Blackfoot River and watch as a native cutthroat trout comes from six feet down to inhale the fly, or massive pods of trout up on piles of tricos that fell in the late morning on the Missouri River. Montana Fly Fishing Smiles can come from the late fall colors of the Clark Fork River and Mahoganies and Blue Wing Olives filling the riffles and back eddies. But most likely your Montana smile will be rooted in the quiet time spent on our waters and amidst our mountains with your angling companions. Long after you've made a Montana Fly Fishing Trip with Joe Cummings and the guides of Classic Journey Outfitters, that Montana Smile will appear, as you think back warmly to that special day on the river in Montana. Once you get it, it never leaves. Our lead guide Brooks Jessen is living proof of that!