Plenty of parents want to get their kids on a Montana river but aren’t sure a guided fly fishing trip will work with children in the boat. It works. We run family trips out of Missoula all season, and kids are some of our favorite clients. Here’s what parents usually want to know before booking.
Kids Pick This Up Faster Than Adults
Kids take to fly fishing faster than most adults expect, and honestly, faster than most adults. They don’t overthink the cast. A guide shows them the motion, they copy it, and pretty soon there’s a bent rod and a lot of yelling in the good way.
Fishing from a drift boat or raft helps a lot here. There’s nothing behind them to snag on the backcast, the guide positions the boat so the fish are reachable, and nobody has to wade in tricky water. Kids who aren’t ready to wade on their own do great from the boat.
The Right Trip Length Makes or Breaks the Day
This is the biggest thing we tell parents: match the trip to the kid, not to your own ambitions.
Younger kids do best on a half day float. Three to four hours on a beautiful river, a few fish to hand, lunch in town afterward. That’s a full day’s worth of memory in a kid-sized window, and they finish wanting to come back. That last part matters more than anything else on the trip.
Older kids and teenagers often do great on a full day. If they’re genuinely interested in learning the cast and want to work at it, eight hours gives them time to actually get comfortable instead of just getting a taste.
Our Guides Are Teachers First
Taylor Scott, the licensed outfitter who runs these trips, grew up fishing these rivers with his own family, and he has two young boys he fishes with whenever he can. That background shapes how we run family days. Our guides are patient with beginners of all ages, they keep kids actually fishing instead of watching someone else fish, and when a kid’s attention drifts, a good guide reads it and changes the program.
Mixed-experience families work fine too. If one parent is a lifelong fly fisher and the kids are brand new, your guide finds water that gives everyone a chance.
What Kids Need to Bring
Same short list as adults, sized down: layers, a rain jacket, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. All the fishing gear is provided. Montana requires a fishing license for anyone 12 and older, available online through Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Under 12 fishes without one. Full checklist on the what to bring page.
Beyond that, bring snacks they like (we provide snacks and drinks, but you know your kid) and a camera. You’re going to want the picture of the first fish.
Tell Us the Ages When You Book
This is the one thing we ask. Tell us you’re coming with kids and how old they are, and your guide plans the whole day around that from the start: the water, the pace, the expectations. It’s the difference between a trip that tolerates kids and a trip built for them.
Booking a Family Trip
Half day floats are $550 and full days are $675, for one or two anglers per boat. Bigger family? We’ll set up multiple boats, and with our six-boat daily cap, reach out early for summer dates. A $150 deposit holds your date, fully refundable 30 days out. More on the family fly fishing page, or call (406) 728-4308.