Experience the epicenter of wild trout fishing
Montana is home to a lifetime worth of blue ribbon trout water to explore. Where we fish shifts to meet seasonality and optimal conditions.
Every trip is built around the angler in the boat.
Streamers for trophy browns, dry flies on rising fish, or a first-timer's lesson from the ground up. Every trip is built around how you want to fish.
Your day first
Zero guesswork
Nothing skimped
First Timers
Experienced
Full day or half, the highlight of your Montana trip.
Come solo or bring the whole crew. Spend the day chasing big fish or go easy with casting lessons. Tell us what you want and we'll plan around your day.
Full Day
Custom outfitting from launch to takeout on Montana's blue ribbon waters. All group sizes and skill levels welcome. The whole package includes guide, drift boat, shuttle, flies, terminal tackle, and a streamside lunch.
Half Day
The same custom outfitting on the same blue ribbon water, in half the time. A great fit for first-time anglers, families, and anyone working fishing into a bigger Montana vacation, including arrival and departure days.
The man behind Headwaters.
Zach LaBorde is as serious about the customer experience as he is about putting fish in the net. It starts on the phone, talking through the water and building the trip around you, and carries through to detailed instruction on the boat.
He holds his guides to the same standard he holds himself, so you get the same great experience no matter who's rowing at Headwaters.
Most of our business still comes from word of mouth.
Clients tell us the communication is what sold them before they ever got to the boat ramp.
Frequently asked questions.
Straight answers on gear, cost, weather, and what a day on the water actually looks like.
No experience or gear needed. Rods, reels, flies and terminal tackle are provided, and instruction is included on every trip.
Your guide, the drift boat, the shuttle, all flies and terminal tackle, rods and reels if you need them, and a streamside lunch with cold drinks. Your Montana fishing license and your guide's gratuity are not included.
We fish. Rain, wind and cold are part of Montana, and some of the best days on the water come with weather attached. If you waited for a perfect forecast here, you would spend most of your trip indoors. The only time we cancel is when conditions make the day genuinely unsafe, and our refund policy covers that.
Two anglers per drift boat, plus your guide. Larger groups run multiple boats on the same stretch of water, so corporate trips, bachelor parties and family groups all work. Tell us your headcount when you inquire and we will put the right number of boats on the river.
Spring runs on tailwaters: the Bighorn in March and April, the Missouri from April through June for the dry fly fishing it is famous for. The Madison comes into shape in late June for the salmon fly hatch. From mid-July through October we fish the Yellowstone. Tell us your dates and we will tell you what is fishing.
Yes. Every angler 12 and older needs one, and it is not included in your trip. Montana requires a fishing license, a conservation license and an AIS Prevention Pass, and you can buy all three online in one transaction before you arrive. Get yours at fwp.mt.gov/fish/license.
Your deposit holds your date. The remaining balance is due 30 days before your trip. Once we confirm guide availability, we'll send an invoice with payment details, so nothing is left to sort out at the boat ramp. Trips canceled or rescheduled 30 days or more before your date receive a full refund minus a $50 administration fee.
Not required, always appreciated. Your guide is on the water before you arrive and long after you leave, rigging, rowing and cleaning up. Anything you choose to tip goes straight to them.
Tell us when you're coming and we'll do the rest.
