{Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Overnight Float Trip - Montana or Utah

if you're interested in Montana, you have a ton of rivers to choose from. All depends on the time of year, flows, experience you want, etc. Freestone/tailwater, big water, small water, remote/less remote, hoppers/streamers/hatches...it's too big to distill into 1 trip. 

When I tell people about the state, I divide it into 6 sections

-East: The bighorn, stillwater, Boulder - best based out of Billings

-Yellowstone river & park - base from Livingston, Gardiner, or Bozeman

-SW MT (Madison/Big Hole/Gallatin/Ruby etc) - Bozeman, Butte, Twin Bridges, Dillon

-Central: Smith, Missouri - Helena or Great Falls

-Missoula: Clark Fork, Bitterroot, Rock Creek, Blackfoot - Missoula

-NW: Flathead (south, main, north), Yaak, Kootenai. - Whitefish/Kalispell

Most of the fly shops out there are pretty good at telling you straight up what's fishing and what's not. Streamflow matters there more than you would realize at first. when I lived there, Kingfisher in Missoula, CrossCurrents in Helena, and Parks' fly shop in Gardiner were my go-to stops.  

As far as what I'd recommend if you're floating for a couple days, here would be my top choices 

1.) the locals prize a Smith River floating permit over almost anything. They're hard to get, but i'm told it's amazing, and truly wild. 

2.) The Big Hole. It may be the prettiest valley in the state, which ranks it high up globally. Go in September for hoppers. 

3.) The Missouri or Big Horn. tailwaters, similar to fish, biggish water with tons of 15-20-inch fish. Better hatches on the missouri, but both are amazing. 

4.) The Yellowstone. Paradise valley is incredible. Plenty of water to fish, good sized fish, lots of tactical options. 

5.) South fork of the Flathead. Super wild & remote. Cutthroats/bull trout. 

Single day floats on literally any of the rivers can be fun. Boats are the way to go out there. For guides, Walter Wiese at http://www.ycflyfishing.com/ is great for Yellowstone, the Park, and that neck of the woods. Most fly shops can hook you up with good guides pretty easily as well. 

On Friday, July 8, 2016 at 11:39:19 AM UTC-4, jamie.charles1 wrote:

I know a question like this might be too broad and/or might cause a couple disagreements but I have to ask. I have decided to finally plan a trip I have dreamed about now for a long time, only I am having difficulties narrowing it down to a location. I am hoping this group could lend some advice and reasoning to my decision. 

I will be planning an overnight float trip out west and although Montana comes to mind first, I have always wanted to fish the Green River in Utah as well. So my question for whoever might be interested in helping an indecisive angler plan a trip is:

1. Which western state would you recommend?

2. Which river would you choose?

3. Is there a guide service you have used before?

Again, I know this is a very broad question and has numerous factors in determining the answer (experience, season, costs, etc.) but as I have no experience in western rivers, I figured any and all insight would be better than nothing. 

So thank you for any help!!!

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