Montana Fly Fishing Outfitters

Guiding on the Yellowstone starts at Carbella Fishing Access and works downstream through Paradise Valley and past Livingston, the town the operation launches from. The Yellowstone is a 692-mile freestone river holding Yellowstone cutthroat, rainbows, browns and whitefish, and it eventually reaches the Missouri in North Dakota. Before runoff, from March into early May, it fishes to blue-winged olives, March browns, caddis and midges, and it is a favored stretch of the calendar for large streamers. Late spring brings the salmonfly hatch, and summer settles into caddis, pale morning duns, yellow sallies, nocturnal stoneflies and grasshoppers. A full day costs $700 and covers tackle, lunch and beverages; a half day costs $600 and covers tackle and beverages. No more than two anglers fish with a guide at once. Bookings take a 50 percent deposit, with cash, check, Venmo and Zelle accepted.