Missouri River

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 The Missouri River is about a three to four hour jaunt from Hamilton depending on how excited you are to get there. The supreme fishery in the state of Montana and the whole U-S-of-A for that matter, the Mighty Mo is a trout angler's dream water behaving like a gigantic spring creek with wavy moss, flat slick water, and consistent profuse hatches of mayflies and caddis of endless varieties. This is secretly every guide’s favorite river in the state of Montana no matter where you call home.  

Starting at Holter Dam in Wolf Creek, we guide this giant tailwater past the fishing mecca of Craig, and on downstreasm to Cascade 30 miles below. Vast between the banks and packed with heavy rainbows and some scattered big browns, the Missouri often sustains over 6,000 fish per mile, and they are some of the strongest fish you will ever encounter. Dry fly fishing on the Missouri is legendary for the consistency and sheer volume of the insect hatches, as well as the technical opportunities for sight casting to rising fish.  Nymphing always has its place here, and can be deadly when the hatches and fish align.  One must always bring their A game to the Mo, though, as adversity is commonplace on a canvas so vast: howling winds, surprise hailstorms, impossible fish. impossible casts...always worth it.