Quick answer: A family fly fishing trip in Missoula is a guided float on the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, or Clark Fork with one or two anglers per boat and a guide who plans the day around who is on board. Younger kids do best on a half day ($550 per boat). Older kids, teens, and adults do well on a full day ($675 per boat with a streamside lunch). Families larger than two anglers take multiple boats on the same stretch, and nobody needs experience or gear. Kids under 12 fish without a license. Tell us the ages when you book and your guide builds the day from there.
That is the short version. Here is how to put a family day together so it works for the seven-year-old, the teenager, and the grandparent all at once.
How do family trips work with more than two people?
Each boat holds one or two anglers plus a guide, so a family of four takes two boats and two guides, floating the same stretch together. That turns out to be the best setup for families anyway: two people in a boat both fish the whole time, and there is no waiting for a turn. We can run up to six boats a day, so even a big extended family fits on one date if you reach out early, especially for summer.
Splitting up is worth thinking about. Put the beginners with the most patient adult, put the kid who wants to fish hard with the parent who does too, or let the guides mix things up at the lunch stop. Your guides talk to each other on the water and keep the boats close enough that everyone shares the day.
Half day or full day for a family?
Match the trip to the youngest, most restless person in the group, not to the most ambitious.
- Half day, $550 per boat. Three to four hours on the river, a few fish to hand, and lunch in town afterward. This is usually the right call for younger kids. They finish the day wanting to come back, which matters more than anything else on the trip.
- Full day, $675 per boat. Around eight hours with a streamside lunch. Older kids, teenagers, and adults who want to actually learn the cast do well here. If the family is split, run a half day boat for the young ones and a full day boat for the rest. The half day boat is done in time for the afternoon.
Our half day or full day post walks through the trade-offs.
Does anyone need experience?
No. A lot of the people our guides take out have never held a fly rod, and families are often a mix: one parent who fishes, a spouse who does not, and kids who have never tried. That works. Your guide spends time on the basics before the fishing starts, and then coaches from the rowing seat all day. From a boat, casting is easier than most people expect, since there is nothing behind you to snag, and the guide puts the boat where the fish are reachable.
Taylor Scott, the licensed outfitter who runs these trips, grew up fishing these rivers with his own family. His dad fished, his mom rowed, and he has two young boys of his own he fishes with whenever he can. That background shapes how we run family days: the guides are patient, they keep kids actually fishing rather than watching someone else fish, and when a kid’s attention drifts, the guide reads it and changes the program.
Which river is best for a family?
Any of the three main rivers can work, and your guide matches the water to the group. The Bitterroot, Blackfoot, and Clark Fork are all within minutes of Missoula, all fished from a drift boat or raft so nobody has to wade tricky water, and all have calm stretches with easy fishing and plenty to look at between fish: osprey and eagles working the river, deer on the banks, and canyon walls sliding by. You pick your dates. We pick the river based on what is fishing best and who is coming. Compare them on our rivers page.
What do kids and grandparents need?
The same short list as everyone else. Layers, a rain jacket, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat, sized for each person. All the fishing gear is provided. Snacks and drinks come with every trip, but bring the snacks your kid actually eats, and bring a camera for the first fish. Anyone 12 and older needs a Montana fishing license, bought online ahead of time. Kids 11 and under fish without one. Our license post has the details.
For older family members, the boat does the work. There is no long walk, no wading required, and your guide can pull over wherever someone wants to stretch. On cold spring and fall days we can lend waders to anyone who wants to step out, or you can rent a set from Rent Waders (rentwaders.com), a Missoula company that delivers to our shop.
What does a family trip cost?
Day trips are priced per boat, not per person: $550 for a half day and $675 for a full day, each for one or two anglers. A family of four on a full day is two boats, $1,350, with lunch, gear, flies, and transportation to and from the river included. A $150 deposit per boat holds your date and is fully refundable up to 30 days out. Our cost post has everything in one place.
How do you set it up?
Call us with your dates, how many people, and everyone’s ages and experience. That last part is the one thing we ask for, because it changes the plan: the water, the pace, the trip length, and which guide goes with which boat. For summer dates, reach out at least two to three months ahead, since June is our busiest month and a family needing two or three boats on the same day takes coordination. Most trips meet at the Missoulian Angler Fly Shop in downtown Missoula (802 S Higgins Ave), or we can pick your family up at your hotel.
Read more on our family fly fishing page, and see our kids post for the youngest anglers.
Common questions about family trips
How young is too young? It depends more on the kid than the age. Children who can sit in a boat for a few hours and enjoy the river do fine on a half day. Tell us the ages and we will be honest with you.
Can a non-fishing family member ride along? Each boat holds two anglers plus the guide, so a third person cannot ride in the same boat. A parent who wants to ride and watch instead of fish takes one of the two seats.
What if the kids get bored? Good guides see it coming. They switch spots, pull over to throw rocks, look for bugs, or hand over the oars for a minute. The half day trip exists for exactly this reason.
Do you run family trips all season? March through October. Summer is the most comfortable for kids, with warm water for wet wading and long days. Spring and fall are quieter and the fishing is often better, but they call for layers.
Book your family trip: (406) 728-4308