Dad and I are wanting to do a fly fishing trip this summer. Just wanted some general recommendations on outfitters/guide services that y’all have experience with. Interested in a couple of day trips, a one to three night trip, float trips and/or going DIY for a couple of days as well. We are not experienced fishermen so we want to balance not wasting our/the guides time by spending the whole time learning but also getting out on our own. Obviously we want to catch fish but the experience is more what we care about. I’d appreciate any insight y’all can give on locations, trip planning, outfitters, etc.

Same here. Let me know where yall are thinking. I can strongly recommend guides for here in Texas close by, but also for New Mexico and Montana. If you're up for flying into Helena, Montana, IMO, it's the prettiest place on Earth and a really nice get away during the heat of the Summer. I am also about to go on a trip to the White River in Mountain Home, Arkansas here in the next month. If that interests you, I'd be happy to share my review of that trip and the guide. Anyhow, feel free to reply here or PM me anytime. Good luck.

RT

On my niece’s husband’s recommendation, I booked a trip with Cut Throat Anglers in Silverthorne Colorado. He lives in Colorado, north of Denver. They do float and wading trips.

Look up Corky Corcorran in Durango.

There's a club on the White River that I'm thinking about trying. It's called White River Trout Club and it's operated by the guys at Tailwaters in Dallas. Everything was just completely refurbished and it looks incredible. Take a look at their Instagram page- they've been hooking some big trout on their float trips. And they do wade trips, too.

If you're looking at something in the Rockies, take a look at Gunnison River Guides or High Mountain Drifters in Gunnison. In addition to the Gold Medal Water of the Gunnison, there are so many other great spots to fish. And your base can be Gunnison, where there's plenty of lodging, restaurants, shops, etc.

I have hunted with Wes Silcox who also does fly trips. I would recommend him without hesitation for any level fisherman.
https://www.facebook.com/wesleysilcoxoutfitters

I appreciate the feed back. I’ll be sure to check out the suggestions. Keep them coming please!

if you are interested in the madison river in Montana outside of Ennis, please pm me, happy to discuss. i can give you some info. Been fly Fishing there for just about 19 yrs and have a place there.

River Ridge Inn on the North Fork of the Whit River. Good fishing, not too far to drive, instructors/guides and not a real expensive trip.

What kind of fly-fishing are you after? If you're gunning for twenty inch trophy fish on highly technical waters a guide may be in order. If you're looking for volumes of fish in a gorgeous setting I think a diy trip is highly doable. Plenty of eager to eat cutthroat, bookies, browns and rainbows inhabit lots of public ground in Colorado and what many have not mentioned the Smoky Mountains back east. Most of these fish will not pass upbig fluffy dry flies floated by them. If an float trip is definitely in order the suggestions for guide smoker out west on rivers like the White, Frying Pan, Nort Platte, or Arkansas are great suggestions. Ark Anglers in Canon city Colorado are pretty decent folks for that sort of thing. In the east the smokies offer a few floats on some the larger tail waters and the fish can be huge. The smaller streams there offer plenty of diy fishing and there tons to choose from. Youll also never see a greener place outside of some sort of rain forest.

Don't over think fly-fishing or trout. Fly fishing is probably the oldest form of fishing and trout aren't any more picky than a stock tank largemouth in my opinion. Where they are picky is on some the overpressured gold medal waters that see more flies with hooks in em than actual bugs. Fish in those areas, at least in Colorado were/are often stocked fish. Whirling disease wiped out most of the rainbows out there a few years back and rainbows together with a smattering of snake river cutthroat are stocked on top of stream born brown trout. The truly wild fish are up in the little blue lines in higher elevation areas. And those fish are the prettiest you're likely to see. Cutthroat are natives and brooktrout out west are introduced. In the east bookies are native outside of the tail waters but there are plenty of wild rainbows in lower elevation streams with a lower population of browns.
I could go on for a long while. Fly-fishing was and is my thing. Feel free to dm me if you have any questions. I can also set you up with some basic flies if you would like them.

This is where we are staying in just a few weeks. Looking very forward to it and will report back if this thread is still active. Hope everyone has a great Friday!

RT

If you want the ultimate flyfishing experience in one of the most beautiful areas of the country I have three recommendations for you all out of the same general area of Southwest Montana..

1) Classic Journey Outfitters out of Missoula Montana: Joe Cummings has some of the best guides in the West working for him, and they can accommodate any experience level: He has some excellent all-inclusive packages: https://www.montanaflyfishingguide.com/

2) Troutzoolah also in Missoula: Brooks Jessen is one of the finest outfitters in the area. He would be my second recommendation behind Classic Journey. https://troutzoolamontana.com/

3) Renegade Flyfishing Outfitters: Eric Ederer is another amazingly talented guide in the area. I would also recommend Eric if you want to fish a wider variety of water outside of the Bitterroot valley: https://flyfishmissoula.com/guides/

The main reason I highly recommend this area of the country is for the variety of water and opportunity it offers. There are 5 major Blue Ribbon trout rivers all within 2 hours of each other providing lots of options depending on time of year, and water levels. There is always water to fish.. The other reason is that this area also has some excellent spring creeks and streams that offer some excellent DIY options... The Bitterroot river, West Fork, Clark Fork river, Blackfoot river, Missouri river, Fish Creek and Rock Creek are all fantastic fisheries that you can fish guided or DIY.

I have been flyfishing out West for the last 25 years and we always spend a couple of weeks in Southwest Montana to fish. My only other recommendation would be to contact these outfitters fairly soon, because they all book up well in advance. please feel free to message me if you have questions or would like more details. Here is a link to a report of our last trip out if you are interested.. https://www.africahunting.com/threads/montana-2022.71299/

Heck just come on up to Wyoming and go DIY or book with one of the outfits out of Casper or Saratoga.
Casper guys might have new access on the Platte through the ranch the BLM just bought, it was very regulated by the LOs.
We have great walleye fishing too.
Platte in Casper is known for big trout, might look into Fish On Ranch around here too, Laramie/Centennial area.

Lots of snow this year so runoff may be a little drug out, June might still be very high water.

I sent you a P.M. with some info that you may like.