Upcoming Trade Show & More

In This Newsletter

• The Fly Fishing Show – Edison, NJ
• Common Trade Show Questions
• Ice Fishing Trips
• Snowpack

Mark Your Calendar!

We will be at The Fly Fishing Show this weekend in Edison, NJ.

In the booth: Owner/Outfitter Nate Stevane & TOTF Adventure Director Chris Kirkwood.

Booth #335 – see the map below.

The Fly Fishing Show – Edison, NJ

Dates: 
January 26, 27 & 28, 2024

Time
Friday: 9am – 6pm
Saturday: 8:30am – 6pm
Sunday: 9am – 4:30pm

Location: The New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center
97 Sunfield Ave.
Edison, NJ 08837

ADULT

Common Trade Show Questions

Here are four of the most popular questions we receive and our answers.

1. Where is your shop located? This is a popular question and a good one. Not all outfitters in Montana have a brick-and-mortar storefront, and we are one of those. Fly shops need to move inventory and thus may charge guests for flies and leaders. We have no desire to sell you flies, leaders, tippet, rods, or waders. Not having a storefront allows us to include all tackle on our guide trips at no extra charge. We also feel charging extra for flies is a distraction from how you fish; as you start to lose those $3.00 flies two at a time (because most guides run a tandem setup), anglers start to compromise how they fish because they are more concerned about losing another fly (or two flies) when they should be rolling the dice to get that fly closer to the log or branch where the fish is located.
2. Where do we stay during our fishing trip? We have several lodging options for anglers, including vacation rentals for small or large groups, groups that like to cook their own meals, recommendations for hotels depending on where we are scheduled to fish, inclusive packages, or camping suggestions if traveling with a camper or RV. Guides representing us on the water will pick you up at your lodging location or meet you at a location convenient for you and them. We tailor trips to each angler’s needs based on the angler’s desires, time of year for the trip, river conditions, and hatches.
3. How many guides work for you? TOTF has about 40 guides on our roster. With that said, most, if not all, guides in Montana are not employees of outfitters. They are licensed independent contractors that own their boats, rods, and gear and carry liability insurance. They can work for whomever they accept work from based on their availability. As an outfitter and guide for the past 24+ years, I have great relationships with all the guides I use and know exactly which guide is best for what water- from Yellowstone National Park to the Missouri River near Craig, MT. The guides we have listed on our website are guides we use more often than others, and they are okay with us listing them on our site. We have several other I.C. guides that we use often but are not on our site. We have guides who live in Bozeman, Ennis, West Yellowstone, Livingston, Helena, Cascade, Butte, Cameron, and Missoula, Montana. As stated above, guides representing us on the water will pick you up at your lodging location or meet you in a convenient location for you and for them.
4. How many hours do we fish during a guided day of fishing? Over the past several years of doing trade shows, more and more visitors to our booth who have previously fished in Montana have expressed concerns that when they pay for a full-day trip, they end up with only a few hours on the water. Of course, it would be disappointing to find out that your day starts at the ramp at 10 am and finishes at 3 pm, with only 5 hours of fishing. I am not sure where this routine started, but we are not okay with this kind of treatment. Our full-day trips are based on eight hours, starting when the guide sets up your rod and/or the boat. Half-day trips are four hours, starting when the guide sets up your rod and/or the boat. We will accommodate you if you have requested to be off the river early.
5. How far in advance should I book my trip? We always encourage booking your guided trip a year in advance to ensure you get the best guide, the dates you want, and the lodging you want. Getting a great guide at the last minute is not out of the question, but that is usually because they had a last-minute cancellation. For the best experience, we never recommend waiting until the last minute. For large groups of anglers, we also recommend a year in advance for the same reasons.

Ice Fishing Trips

Because we have received a lot of requests and inquiries about ice-fishing trips over the past couple of years, we have added ice-fishing trips as an option for our guests.  We have a couple of guides that “geek” out on ice fishing, and they could not be more happy about this addition to keep them busy during the winter months.

A couple of the guides have enough gear to take up to 6 anglers.

Full-day Pricing:

• 1 or 2 anglers, 1 guide $650.00
• 3 anglers, 1 guide $750.00
• 4 anglers, 1 guide $850.00
• 5 anglers, 1 guide $950.00
• 6 anglers, 1 guide $1,050.00

Click HERE for more information.

Current Snowpack

We have experienced a very slow start to our snowpack this winter. The current snowpack is fair at best. It is too early to make any assumptions about summer water conditions. The spring months of March-May can bring high moisture snowfall and bump our numbers. We will keep you posted on our snowpack. For more current and up-to-date information, follow us on our social media feeds, such as Instagram and Facebook.

Thank you for staying connected with us on current conditions, reports, and news!