Montana Fish-Out
NOW OPEN if you are a current LTFF student (Level 3/4) or past LTFF graduate.
This extremely popular fish-out is what most of you have waited your 3 years in the LTFF program for: The Learn to Fly Fish trip to Montana always seems to be the highlight for most students in the program and is the one trip that just about everyone who goes each year ends up pleading to get the chance to go again.
But we can never promise that and we can never take more than at most 10 from the class each year. So, if you can possibly be one of the lucky 10 students that gets to go this year for 3 days of fabulous guided drift fishing (after arriving Friday, July 8 and not leaving before Wednesday, July 13), you'll want to do it. These dates are the weekend following the July 4th weekend (which is never a good time to fish this river due to the crowds).
We will be float (or drift) fishing on a famed tailwater stretch of the upper Missouri River for 3 days (on Saturday -- Monday this year) out of Craig, Montana each day. The dry fly and nymph fishing for the big strong rainbow and brown trout in this incredibly abundant fishery is world renowned.
This year we will also continue the tradition of having Willy George join us on Tuesday, July 12th for a ADDED full day clinic on fishing the Missouri with special emphasis on the technique of “head hunting”. Willy has put together a unique and amazing day of instruction...and fishing.... Suffice to say this is a day you will remember and you definitely don’t want to miss this opportunity! There is not likely a better day of instruction and fishing out there!
We will be fishing with the HeadHunters Fly Shop's guides, some of the very best you'll ever experience. They will supply all the gear required including fly rods, leaders, flies, etc. However, you are welcome to bring your own gear if you desire. https://www.headhuntersflyshop.com/
You are of course invited to arrive prior and/or stay after our reservations and fish the Missouri or one of the other famous rivers in the area. You are responsible of course for your own reservations outside of July 9-13. Be aware that Montana is a popular destination and both lodging and guide reservations can fill up. Plan early!
Sandals or water shoes, rather than waders, are advised on these Missouri River drift boats for most of the warm sunny days at this time of year which, like most areas flanking the Rockies, may offer also a brief afternoon rain shower. You will likely want to have your waders available for our day in Willy’s clinic. DO remember to pack a pair of rain pants along with a good-quality rain jacket. One cold, all-day-long rainstorm on our first day on the river a couple years ago taught us this lesson, and there's always the possibility of a cold rain or hail storm blowing through.
The transportation options, logistics, gear, licensing, the fish-out rules, etc. will be covered in a pre-fishout meeting, so do try to be there if you can. We will record this zoom call meeting for those who can't make it, but you should look at the pre-meeting as a good opportunity to coordinate your travel plans or to discuss teaming up for traveling and fishing in the area, or for arranging to share a car rental from one of the local airports.
Our traditional lodging (Jumping Rainbow Lodge) was recently sold and the new owners do not plan to make the house available for rental, so this year we will be at the Wolf Creek Lodge, located (not surprisingly) at Wolf Creek…a short drive from Craig where the Headhunters Outfitters shop is located. http://www.craiglodging.com/?page_id=1414
The tiny town of Craig, MT is located on Interstate I-15 about halfway between the cities of Helena and Great Falls (it's about a 50 mile drive northeast from Helena and a little shorter drive southwest from Great Falls).
If you are planning to fly there, the airports in those two cities are the closest possibilities, but there is also Bozeman, MT which is about a 2-1/2 hour drive away and Missoula, MT, which is probably just about as far. Flights fill up quickly, so start looking at your options and checking available flights and prices now before the first pre-meeting to be able to discuss your preference for driving there or flying to one of these airports.
You should plan to arrive at the Wolf Creek Lodge sometime late on Friday afternoon, July 8. And you won't need to leave the house until Wednesday morning, July 13. We will confirm specific check-in and check-out times at our planning meeting.
We will cook our own group dinner on Friday night, but our dinner on Saturday and Sunday nights will be catered (which will provide left-overs for Monday night). Lunches will be provided by the guides on Sat.-Mon., and we will have enough food in the house for a quick breakfast each morning and for hors d'oevres and adult beverages for happy hour each afternoon, as well as lunch and dinner on Tuesday. All should expect to volunteer for helping to cook breakfasts and some kitchen clean-up will be covered in the pre-meeting.
Covid: Covid vaccinations are required. It is understood that there may be differing points of view on this, but please consider:
· - Many guides now require vaccinations. Maintaining proper social distance in drift boats is nearly impossible.
· - As we will be eating and rooming together at the lodge, it makes sense out of mutual respect for each other, as well as our hosts and guides.
Your compliance and cooperation is appreciated by all.
The total fee for this event this year is $1,950 which covers all 3 days of top-notch guided fishing and gear, Willy’s amazing day-long clinic, 5 nights in the lodge, and all meals and beverages (including wine and beer) for most of those 4 days. It DOES NOT cover your transportation expenses, a Montana fishing license (with a req'd. small conservation fee and separate aquatic nuisance fee), or the guides' gratuities.
Those who have gone on this fish-out before have had some of their best fishing days ever, and had such a grand time together, that they would go again in a heartbeat if we'd only let them. So, if you regrettably can't make it, you may be making someone else very happy.
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For lodging reasons, this trip is limited to only 10 Level 3&4 students, so sign up as quickly as you can so that you don't miss out!
Cost: $1,950 payable online as a non-refundable registration fee (unless there is someone on the waitlist to replace you).
GGACC policy is that reservations are non-cancellable. Please plan accordingly before you register!
Contact for more info:
Bruce Greenwood (brucegre@pacbell.net)