Guided Trip FAQs

With an elevation just over 3,000 feet, Missoula boasts the longest dry fly season on free stone streams in all of Montana. Our hatches start around the middle of March and run straight through the middle of October. In light of our diverse and prolific waters, we feel confident we can find somewhere to fish any time during that period. If you have specific angling requests (only casting dry flies to rising fish, pitching streamers for the rivers’ biggest fish, or drifting dries the size of small birds, etc.) call us and we’ll help you decide which time of year suits your desires.

Okay, okay, no one can fish 24/7. Fortunately, the Missoula area’s accommodation options are as varied as our rivers and able to match any level of sophistication or budget. BRO negotiates great rates at local hotels, can direct you to area rental cabins, and conducts trips out of the area’s finest bed and breakfasts and lodges.  Many of the area hotels also offer an airport shuttle as well which could eliminate the need for a rental car.  Our guides will meet you at any Missoula area hotel each morning and drop you there after if you decide to forego the rental car.

Missoula is pretty easy to fly into and the airport has been recently remodeled. Depending on which of our major airlines you choose — Frontier, Alleigant, Delta, United or Alaska — you’ll fly through Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Denver or Seattle to get here. The number of flights varies by season, but there are usually multiple options on each airline.  Frontier even offers a non-stop flight from Denver to Missoula during the summer months.  Click Missoula International Airportfor more information.

It has come to our attention that, on occasion, some people do things other than fish. Missoula is a good place for such people. The second largest city in Montana, Missoula is home to The University of Montana. Our town’s wealth of cultural, dining and shopping opportunities will surprise you. There’s also much to do at the edges of town. Missoula is a gateway to an endless number of hiking and biking trails with several designated Wilderness areas and National Forests nearby. Like viewing wildlife? Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge is a birder’s paradise, and you’ll find that the National Bison Range more than lives up to its name. For a full picture of what Western Montana offers, visit the Glacier Country web site.”

No matter when you visit or who you fish with, communicating with your guide is key to getting the experience you want. This discussion starts when you book your trip and it continues on the river. If you’re a beginner, say so. If you only want to fish dries, speak up. If you have plans for an early dinner, prefer solitude, would rather catch one big fish than lots of little ones … TELL your guide. You get my point. The best way to avoid disappointment on any trip is to set expectations up front. Our guides will do their best to exceed them.

Our typical full day begins with meeting clients around 8:30 a.m. and returning to Missoula around 5:30-7:00 p.m. Half-day anglers expect to be on the water for four to five hours. BRO guides will fish as long as you want, but come gratuity time please remember the guide’s extra work following an extraordinarily full day.

Western Montana is laced with literally hundreds of miles of rivers, creeks and lakes (400 river miles within an hour’s drive of Missoula). And our guides know them well. Generally, we take you where the fishing has been hottest. But if you have a special request – like fishing big streamers to big fish or sight fishing lakes for cruising rainbows – let us know. We’ll pick the right piece of water for the fishing you want.

Quality gear is a big part of a good fishing experience. If your gear is a little out of date or you just haven’t gotten around to buying some, don’t worry. Blackfoot River Outfitters provides everything needed for a quality day of guided fly fishing.  Your guide will have rods, reels, flies, a great riverside lunch and beverages.  The only thing you need to bring with you is a Montana fishing license.

There are four main species of trout in Western Montana — rainbow, brown, cutthroat and bull trout. Each has its particular allure. Rainbows are strong, acrobatic fish. Cutthroats take dry flies readily and are among the Rockies’ most beautiful species. Browns grow large and fight hard. And bull trout are big, predatory and undeniably magnificent. Depending on the water you fish, there is the potential to catch all four species, plus whitefish, cutthroat/rainbow crosses and even a brook trout or two. No matter what we catch, we release it. Our guides are experienced at handling trout and ensuring that we stress fish as little as possible. Because no matter how good a fish looks in your hands, it looks even better swimming.

Click Montana fishing license and you’ll be all set.  You can still print out your Montana fishing license, but as of 2019 you can just have a copy of it on your phone!  Just make a screen shot of it or save the email you receive from FWP – no need to print anymore!

A 50% deposit is required to secure a reservation within 7 days of booking.  The balance is due 30 days prior to the start of the trip. Deposits are fully refundable (less a $100 processing fee) if the cancelation is received prior to 90 days of the arrival date. Cancelations within 90-30 days of arrival, the deposit is non-refundable. Cancelations made within 30 days of arrival receive no refunds.  Requests to move a scheduled trip date are the same as canceling and re-booking.  Out of necessity to secure guides, permits and lodging well in advance, we make no exceptions to our cancelation policy.  Montana weather is often variable, trips are not canceled due to adverse weather conditions.  We strongly recommend you to purchase trip insurance.  We partner with Global Rescue to offer this.  Global Rescue’s Signature Travel and Signature Plus (Cancel for any Reason) Insurance allows you insure all of your expenses and covers all activities.  While a Signature Travel Insurance policy can be purchased at any time, purchasing a policy within 20 days of making your initial trips deposit gives you the widest range of policy options specifically to cancel for any reason.  Purchase a policy hereCancelations received 90 days prior to original trip date can have payments credited to any future trip within one year of the original trip date. This trip must be conducted within one year of original scheduled trip.We do not cancel a guided fishing trip due to weather.  We fish rain or shine!Cancelations on our end would be due to unsafe conditions.  In this unlikely situation, we offer a full refund.