Montana Fly Fishing Trip

If you want to fish for trout on uncrowded waters and in the middle of beautiful scenery, this is a trip you should consider. Mark has taken folks out to Montana for many years and he can tell you...it is fun!

We will be staying at a ranch up in a mountain range that has a trout stream flowing just outside our lodging. We will have the opportunity to fish a variety of water and chase many species of trout.

If you are an experienced angler you will enjoy the knowledge of the guides. If you are new to the sport, talk to Mark about getting you ready in Cincinnati for the trip to Montana.

 

ITINERARY
Arrive Montana: travel to Montana; drive to Upper Canyon Outfitters; get settled in, discuss conditions and what type of fishing you would like to do the next day; refreshments and dinner; get a good night sleep
Fishing Days: breakfast, 5 days of guided fly fishing, lunch on the stream; dinner
Leave Montana: breakfast; travel home relaxed and reenergized

 

FISHING
Browns slamming olive Zuddlers. Trout hitting dries and terrestrials. Working the seams with Bead Head Copper Johns. Beautiful scenery everywhere you look…I mean everywhere. Montana trout fishing is awesome and needs to be experienced.
As guest of the ranch, we have the exclusive use of over two miles of the Ruby River and a private spring fed pond on the ranch. The Ruby River is known for its jumping brown trout. For some reason, the Ruby’s browns tend to act more like rainbows when hooked. The thing that makes fishing on the private stretch of the Ruby so good is the lack of fishing pressure. The fishing on the Ruby is all walk/wade and the wading is very easy due to the gravel bottom and rather low gradient. If you want to hit some big water, you will have the opportunity to float the famous Madison River. If you enjoy technical small streams, there are plenty of opportunities on the Ruby’s headwaters and other small streams in the National Forest. We determine where to fish day to day by where the fish are hitting and by what type of fishing you would like to do.
You can expect to catch primarily brown trout on the lower stretches of the water. At the ranch itself, we see a mixture of browns and rainbows. Above the ranch, we catch mostly rainbows and grayling with the occasional brook trout. As we move up the smaller tributaries, you will find the native cutthroats where Meriwether Lewis first described those 200 years ago. You may also fish some higher elevation alpine lakes from a float tube. The larger rivers that we float on provide us with the chance to fish for both browns and rainbows.

Catch and Release: D&H strongly encourages catch and release of all trout.
Note To Novices: We are happy to accommodate the beginner fly angler. The guides are extremely patient and willing to share their knowledge. It is best, however, to arrive with a bit of knowledge about the sport. We recommend that you enroll in one of D&H’s Fly Fishing Schools or at the very least take a private casting lesson. Practice casting in your yard or at a local park. The shop has some very good books for the beginner.

 

LODGING
Upper Canyon Outfitters is nestled between three major Rocky Mountain Ranges, the Snowcrest Range on the south, the Greenhorns on the north and the Gravellys just to the east. The three mountain ranges come together to form a canyon right at the ranch and that is how the ranch became known as the Upper Canyon Ranch. The Ruby River flows between the mountains through the property for over two miles. Upper Canyon Outfitters is a family operated ranch and is dedicated to providing a first-class, successful trip for each of their guests. The family has been exploring the beautiful and wildlife-rich mountains since their grandfather homesteaded the site in 1910. The trip is based on double-occupancy accommodations; if you would like a quote for single occupancy, please ask Mark.

 

DINING
Good food to set you up for a big day in the outdoors. Lots of homemade bread, deserts, steak, potatoes…you get the picture. You won’t go to bed hungry. Please let us know of any diet restrictions, etc., so that we will be prepared to accommodate them.

 

WEATHER
The average temperature for the time we will be in Montana has been 80 degrees for the high and the low has been 49 degrees.

 

GEAR LIST
Please see the Gear List for our specific recommendations to make sure you are prepared for your adventure in Big Sky Country.