Smith River Fly Fishing Float Trip| Yellow Dog

Accommodations

Tents

Season

May-July

Species

Brown Trout & Rainbow Trout

Ideal for

All Anglers

Fly Fishing Montana's Famous Smith River

There is one trip that the entire Yellow Dog team looks forward to every spring, a trip that many of us Montanans consider the best trip of the year – the Smith River float. This is a fully-guided float trip on the pristine, protected, and isolated waters, covering 60 river miles and winding through a scenic and remote canyon over the course of five days. Fly fishing the Smith River, one will primarily catch brown trout, although there are also populations of rainbows, cutthroat, and brook trout as well. When you arrive in camp at the end of each day, spacious two-person tents are already pitched, the camp is set up, dinner is cooking, and drinks are ready.

Lodging Details
When you arrive in camp at the end of each day, spacious two-person tents are already pitched, the camp is set up, and drinks are ready. A hearty and delicious streamside dinner will provide the perfect end to a day in the wilderness. Stare into the campfire, enjoy a glass of wine, and think about the rises of the day, the “one that got away,” and the hook-ups to come in the morning. Swap stories with your friends and watch the last flicker of sunset slip below the cliffs of the river canyon. Tents, cots, and foam mattresses are included. Dry bags are also provided for each client, allowing you to pack your gear in waterproof bags and keep your clothing safe and dry on the river.

Food and Beverages
Delicious appetizers and your favorite beverages await your arrival each evening after a full day on the river. Enjoy hearty “camp-style” Western meals featuring fresh salads, entrees such as chicken kebabs or steaks grilled over an open fire, and apple crisp baked in a Dutch oven.

Non-Angling Activities and Options
While the Smith is a great angling adventure, non-anglers will no doubt enjoy the trip just as much. Wildlife is abundant throughout the river corridor. Nesting waterfowl patrol the banks of the river as migratory songbirds search the bushes and the sky for an unsuspecting stonefly. A mid-day hike in the foothills may be rewarded with the treasure of a “shed” elk or deer antler. Although there are no grizzly bears in this part of the state, a sighting of a black bear in its blond color phase may have you convinced otherwise. Hiking, eating great food, reading, and – above all – relaxing are all important elements of this trip.

Internet / Communications
There is no wireless or cell service in the canyon. Typically the outfitting crew will have inReach Communicators that can be used to contact rangers in the event of an emergency.

How To Get There
If your plan is to fly to Montana on a commercial airline, we recommend that you make reservations as soon as possible once you have firm river dates. You’ll want to fly into Helena, Montana (HLN) the day before your first scheduled river day.

Arrival and Departure Details / Times
Try to schedule a flight that arrives in the afternoon. Delta (Sky West) and Horizon both service the Helena Airport (HLN). A representative from the outfitting crew will be at the airport to meet you when you arrive. Your first stop will be to get fishing licenses and any other last-minute things you might need. Then you will head from Helena to White Sulphur Springs, where there will be a room waiting for you at a local motel. The following morning you will begin your 60-mile expedition down the Smith.

On the last day of the trip, you will usually be off the river between in the early afternoon. Most anglers make reservations to stay overnight in either Helena or Great Falls after their last day on the river, with plans to fly home the following morning. Once off the river at the Eden Bridge take-out, you are approximately one hour from Great Falls, two hours from Helena, and about three hours from Missoula. We recommend you make reservations in Great Falls at either the Holiday Inn (406-727-7200) or the Best Western Heritage Inn (406-761-1900), or in Helena by calling the Wingate Inn (406-449-3000). All have excellent accommodations and a shuttle service to the airport. If, however, you will be driving and want your car waiting for you when you get off the river, we can arrange to have it shuttled for you.

Documents Required
Montana fishing licenses are available at all area fly shops and sporting goods stores, or online.

Travel Arrangements
Yellow Dog provides airline reservations ad ticketing assistance through etcTravel Group, and a full-service airline logistics agent that can help book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, and more. You can click here to request a quote or contact Yellow Dog for more information at 406-585-8667. etcTravel Group offers dedicated support services for all Yellow Dog clients. Service fees may apply when booking or researching tickets, and etcTravel will discuss this with you before sending quotes.

Travel Tools
– Airline Ticketing
– Moon Phases
– Rent This Rod
– Trip Insurance and Emergency Evacuation
– Global Rescue Membership

General Information
The character of the Smith River is diverse, offering anglers everything from wide riffles and deep pools to shallow flats, undercut cliff walls and quiet backwaters. The river drops over 1,000 feet in elevation during the 60-mile stretch, creating as wide a variety of trout habitats as one can imagine. While the Smith is primarily a brown trout fishery, there are healthy populations of rainbows as well. Fish will average 14 to 16 inches with the occasional 18 to 24-inch fish landed. While releasing 20 to 30 fish in a day is common, many anglers find that the fishing is second to the overall atmosphere and beauty of the river and the canyon walls.

Since this is a natural freestone river, the insect populations on the Smith are numerous and diverse. Everything from the smallest trico mayfly to the legendary salmon fly thrives in the wild waters of the river. The season’s major hatches begin with the famous “salmon fly” stoneflies in mid-May. These hummingbird-sized salmon flies are quickly followed by large golden stones, which continue through the month of June. At the end of June, the Smith is often graced with a prolific brown drake hatch. They hatch in the afternoon and transition into an impressive spinner fall at sundown. Some anglers have been known to rush through dinner and skip dessert, beckoned back to the water by the unmistakable “gulping” sounds coming from fish feeding on evening drakes.

July hatches are primarily dominated by hoppers and cicadas, and the dry fly fishing continues to be fantastic. While it seems that this is a river custom-made for big dry flies, smaller hatches are always present to fill in the gaps. Blue-winged olives, pale morning duns, and many different types of caddis will have you matching the hatch and casting dries on a constant basis. If anglers are willing, subsurface fishing can also be very productive. Nymphing and bugger fishing can really produce numbers, with some of the biggest fish of the year falling for surprisingly large streamers. There is nothing quite as exciting as witnessing a monster brown give in to his voracious carnivore tendencies to chase a big streamer to the surface.

Boats and Equipment
Depending on water levels, anglers mostly float the river in three-man 14-foot, self-bailing rafts customized for fly fishing. Sometimes drift boats are used on early season trips.

Package Rates
Remember that Yellow Dog’s services are completely free! When you book a trip with Yellow Dog, you never pay more than when you book directly with the outfitter.

2024 Pricing
$5,300.00 per person

2024 Trip Dates
May 1 – 5 (8 spots)
May 9 – 13 (8 spots)
May 16 – 20 (8 spots)
May 18 – 22 (full)
May 23 – 27 (8 spots)
May 26 – 30 (4 spots)
June 2 – 6 (full)
June 3 – 7 (full)
June 9 – 13 (full)
June 18 – 22 (full)
June 19 – 23 (full)
June 24 – 28 (full)
June 25 – 29 (full)
July 3 – 7 (8 spots)
July 8 – 12 (8 spots)
July 9 – 13 (8 spots)

What’s Included:

Transportation from Helena airport to White Sulphur Springs
One (1) incoming night in White Sulphur Springs
Five (5) days of guided fishing (2 anglers per raft)
Four (4) nights camping (2 anglers per tent)
Tent, cots, and sleeping pads
All meals
Beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages
Rods/reel, flies, and tackle
River usage fees
Transportation from take-out to the chosen hotel in Great Falls or Helena

What’s Not Included:

Airfare
Other area airport transportation (dependent on the airport)
Wader/wading boots (BYO)
Liquor and any other specialty drinks or mixers (BYO)
Montana fishing licenses
Sleeping bag (can be provided upon advanced request for an additional cost)
Personal vehicle shuttle fee
Gratuities for outfitting crew
Outgoing nights lodging in Great Falls or Helena at the end of the trip

Smith River Float Trip (Central Montana)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS – CANCELLATIONS
A non-refundable deposit of 50% per person is due at the time of booking for all trip packages and reservations, and final payment if due 90 days prior to arrival. All trip cancellations must be received in writing, sent to Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, LLC. Please note that all deposits and trip payments are non-refundable, and upon cancellation, payments will be forfeited, and no refund will be issued. For all cancellations outside of 120 days of scheduled arrival date, a 50% trip credit (minus a $100.00 per person Yellow Dog cancellation fee) may be transferred to another date within 12 months of the originally scheduled trip date. In the case of cancellation by the client, both deposit and final payment may be transferred to another guest or angler for those same (original) dates if facilitated and arranged by the client. Receipt of deposit and/or final payment is acknowledgment that registrant has read and accepts the deposit, cancellation, refund and responsibility clauses for these packages. Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures strongly recommends that anglers and guests purchase travel insurance for this trip.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW YELLOW DOG GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND CANCELLATION POLICIES

Payment Terms For All Yellow Dog Trip Bookings
In order to lock in your trip reservation, we ask that you please remit payment at the time of receipt of invoice. For your convenience, Yellow Dog accepts on-line payments via a direct and secure ACH platform – a quick and easy way to complete your trip reservation. Note that all Yellow Dog invoices include a live link that takes you directly to the Yellow Dog ACH platform for fast and easy payment. For open and existing invoices with a remaining balance, payment reminders also include this easy link to the ACH page.

Other customary forms of payment that are accepted are checks or wire transfers. If you would like to pay in a different way or have any questions about alternate payment methods, please contact Yellow Dog at (888) 777-5060 or (406) 585-8667. We are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Beginning September 1st, 2020, Yellow Dog will apply a 3% convenience fee for all credit card transactions.

Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures Standard Forms For Payment

ACH online payments (for US banking institutions only).
Traditional checks (sent via mail)
Electronic wire payments (client is responsible for any wiring fees)

*Please contact us if you prefer or require a different payment option. Convenience fees may apply for other payment methods.

**Please be aware that the ACH platform is only available for US financial institutions and bank accounts. International payments can be made via wire or with a credit card.

“The float crew/guides were excellent. They were very professional yet a lot of fun! The food was over the top — Coleman would be irreplaceable! Enjoyed Evan playing guitar after dinner as we circled around the campfire, as well as the stories shared by the guides. We will never forget “Turkey Rick”. Also, was a first for us as we had never seen a “human sleeping bag” before — thanks to Tom! We made new friends with the other clients on the trip. Jake did a great job of placing like-minded couples together. All in all, a fantastic trip to a beautiful part of Montana. And, we did catch some nice fish! Thanks!” – Teri M.
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“One of the best experiences I have had with a fishing trip. Everyone was very helpful and also worked so hard to accommodate the guests.” – Judy R.
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“An extraordinary adventure.” – Richard K.
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“Super fun, superfood, guides perfect! More fish on days 1 and 2; hard to control. On days 3-5, there were more around and we caught them! Great fun!” – Tom C.
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“The Smith River trip was an amazing experience in a beautiful area. The outfitter/guides were friendly and excellent hosts that went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience.” – Mark W..
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“What a top-notch outfitter, honestly, probably the best I’ve experienced. Crew, food, camp and guides 10 on a scale of 10. Joe had dinner with us the night before put-in and I can see why they all have the utmost respect for him and the way he treats people and conducts his business. Thanks to Yellow Dog for your help along the way. Oh, and when’s the last time the shuttle company washed and vacuumed your vehicle and left you a thank you note? Thanks again.” – Ron K. (Montana)