Missoula, Montana
Home waters. Expert guides.
Float trips on Missoula’s home rivers
- Missoula, Montana
- Licensed MT Outfitter #68694
- 1 to 2 anglers per boat
- 100% catch and release
From $550Half day float
16 yearsGuiding Missoula rivers
4 riversWithin reach of town
100%Catch and release
Your guide
20 years on these rivers
Jason Brininstool has called Missoula home for more than 20 years and turned a lifelong obsession into a career. He knows every productive pocket on the Blackfoot, every foam line on the Clark Fork, every woody bank on the Bitterroot and every seam on the Missouri.
What sets Jason apart isn’t just fish counts. It’s deep river knowledge, patient instruction and genuine care for your time on the water. Every client leaves the boat knowing something they didn’t before.
Jason Brininstool, owner and outfitter
Choose your day
Guided float trips out of Missoula
All trips include gear, flies, food and a guide who’s genuinely invested in your day.
Most popular
Full Day Float
Six to eight hours covering miles of river, multiple hatches and your best shot at a fish of a lifetime.
- Streamside lunch and drinks
- Shuttle coordination
- All rods, reels and flies
$675 for 2 anglers
Morning or afternoon
Half Day Float
Three to four hours in the best window of the day. Great for first-timers, families and tight schedules.
- Snacks and drinks
- All rods, reels and flies
- Expert instruction
$575 for 2 anglers
Non-anglers welcome
Half Day Scenic Float
A relaxed three to four hours on the river for guests who want the views, the wildlife and the quiet.
- Up to 2 guests
- Snacks and drinks
- Rain gear on board
$500 up to 2 guests
The water
Four rivers, one guide
Jason fishes all four and knows which one is fishing best on any given day.
Freestone
Bitterroot River
Home of the famous Skwala hatch and the first river to come alive each spring. Braided channels and big browns tight to wood.
Freestone
Blackfoot River
Made famous by A River Runs Through It. Fast, powerful and beautiful, with native westslope cutthroat. Our best early summer dry fly water.
Freestone
Clark Fork River
Missoula’s river, running right through town. Large rainbows and browns, quieter water and an outstanding fall.
Tailwater
Missouri River
Over Rogers Pass below Holter Dam. Thousands of trout per mile and technical dry fly fishing, at its best in spring and fall.
Plan your week
Fish them all
Booking three days? We’ll do our best to get you on a stretch of each river, depending on conditions and hatches.
Reports
What’s fishing now
Jason posts river-by-river reports with flows, hatches and top flies through the season.
From the boat
Recent days on the water
Big browns, rainbows and cutthroat, all released to fight again.
What clients say
Real clients. Real days on the water.
Barry O. · Missoula, MT
Jason restored hope and joy
“He taught me casting, mending, managing my line, setting the hook, and landing fish. Despite the limitations in my life at the time, Jason restored hope and joy. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of floating the Missouri, Bitterroot, Blackfoot, and Clark Fork with him.”
Preston B. · Alexandria, VA
Back several times a year
“His passion, skill, good company, and patience have drawn me, my family, and friends back to Montana to fish with him several times a year ever since. Cannot recommend him more — just don’t take my days!”
Gwen H. · Palm Beach, FL
A productive, enjoyable day
“His knowledge of the rivers is obvious the moment you step in the boat. If one approach is not working, he quickly switches things up — and it usually pays off. Plan on a productive and enjoyable day on the water.”
Conservation
Catch and release. Every time.
Barbless hooks, rubber nets, fish kept wet and fully revived. Zootown Anglers supports the Blackfoot Challenge, the Clark Fork Coalition and Trout Unlimited Montana.
Beyond Montana
Colombia peacock bass
When Montana winters close in, Jason hosts a small group on the Rio Vichada and Rio Orinoco for peacock bass and payara.
How it works
Three steps to the river
Step 1
Pick your trip
Full day, half day or scenic float. Planning a multi-day trip or a group? Email Jason and he’ll build it.
Step 2
Hold your date online
Choose your day and pay the 50% deposit right here on our own site. Your date is confirmed instantly.
Step 3
We pick you up
Get your Montana license and we handle the rest: pick up, gear, flies, lunch and the shuttle.
Through the year
What’s fishing near Missoula
The Bitterroot and Clark Fork come alive with the first big dry fly window of the year.
Hatches: Skwalas, March browns, BWOs
The Missouri carries May while freestones run off, then salmonflies and golden stones arrive.
Hatches: BWOs, caddis, salmonflies
Big bugs, caddis and PMDs, then hoppers. Half days only from July 20 to August 15.
Hatches: PMDs, caddis, terrestrials
Cold water, mahogany duns, October caddis and big browns staging in deeper runs.
Hatches: Mahogany duns, BWOs, October caddis
Good to know
Questions before you book
Do I need experience to book?
No. Jason works with complete beginners regularly, and it’s some of his favorite guiding. He’ll walk you through casting basics, reading water and landing fish. Many first-timers land fish on their very first trip.
How much is a guided float trip?
A Full Day Float (6 to 8 hours) is $675 for two anglers or $650 for one. A Half Day Float (3 to 4 hours) is $575 for two or $550 for one. A Half Day Scenic Float is $500 for up to two guests. Multi-day trips are priced on request.
Do I need a Montana fishing license?
Yes. Every angler needs a valid Montana Conservation License and Montana Fishing License before the trip. Buy them online at fwp.mt.gov. Jason sends the link and walks you through it when you book.
How far in advance should I book?
As early as possible. Spring (March to April, May on the Missouri), early summer (June to mid July) and fall (September to early November) book out months in advance, sometimes nearly a year ahead.
What if the weather is bad?
We fish rain, wind and cold; overcast days often bring the best hatches. If Jason decides conditions are genuinely dangerous (lightning, severe flooding), the trip is rescheduled or your deposit is fully refunded.
Do you pick us up?
Yes. We provide pick up and drop off the day of fishing, unless we agree on a meeting spot for clients with their own transportation.
Let’s get you on the water.
Pick a full or half day float, choose your date and hold it online. Rods, reels, flies and lunch are on us.