Lefty anGler & flies

Rates / Booking / Notes / Policies

This page contains very important materials. Please read carefully and thoroughly, especially upon booking me. Any questions? Just contact me any time!!

 

2023 Guide Trip Rates

• Full-Day Float Trip - Yellowstone River: $600/day (1 or 2 anglers)

• Full-Day Float Trip - Missouri River & Bighorn River: $650/day (1 or 2 anglers, 3 days minimum)

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• Full-Day Walk/Wade Trip - MT Public Waters: $600/day (1 or 2 anglers)

• Full-Day Walk/Wade Trip - Livingston's Spring Creeks: $600/day (1 or 2 anglers)

• Full-Day Private Lakes/Ponds Trip - Float and/or Wade: $600/day (1 or 2 anglers)

• Third Angler Rate: Add $200/day to above. 

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Madison River float trips and Yellowstone National Park walk/wade trips can be arranged. 

Please contact me for more details. 

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What's Included & What's NOT Included

• Included: Lunch, transportation, river shuttle, rental gears, flies, leaders.

• NOT Included: Montana fishing license, Yellowstone NP entrance and fishing permission, rod fee/access fee for private waters, gratuity.

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Below are details for some items. 

Lunch

Lunch is included for full-day trips. When time and location permit, I might cook up something quickly. 

As you book trips, please let me know: food concerns such as food items that you just don't like or simply can't eat, allergies, diabetes, and so on.

I usually carry regular and diet sodas and plenty of waters in my cooler. If you'd like to request Gatorade, bottled tea, and so on, please let me know in advance. 

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Transportation

As we set up a trip and the trip date gets closer, we arrange a meeting time and place. This is up to fishing destination, your accommodation, season, and so on. Completely flexible and best for each party. 

River shuttle for float trip (any rivers mentioned above) is included in the float trip prices. 

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Flies

From 2021 season, flies are included in the trip price.

You are welcome to order and purchase any time by contacting me or referring my sales catalog (I admit this site needs major reconstructions as I have developed many more patterns since and I just can't catch up) or after the trip for your own use (especially when you plan DIY days). 

Clients are also welcome to bring their own or buy from shops I recommend and bring with you. Please note FLIES & their QUALITIES DO MATTER. Flies tied by me or flies purchased from recommended shops are much better than those what's called "Discount Flies" that you may see somewhere online. 

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Gears & Accessories

• I have a few sets of rod/reel/line combos, waders, and boots for rentals that are included in the trip price. For one or two anglers, my rod combos can cover. During summer months = June through early September = most clients would not need waders and boots. Instead please bring/wear sandals or shoes that you don't mind getting wet!!  

• My rental waders and boots sizes are limited.  If you need right sizes, I'd suggest you to rent from a fly-shop in the area with your cost. Ideally rental/purchase is completed before the day of trips, rather than the morning of trip. Please ask me if you have questions. I can direct you to right directions.

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Other Necessity Costs

• Montana Fishing License, Yellowstone National Park Fishing Permission, and YNP Entrance Fee are NOT INCLUDED in the trip rates above but are clients' responsibility. Please understand we all pay for these. 

• Access fee / rod fee to private waters (spring creeks, lakes, and ponds) are also clients' responsibility. Clients may pay on the day of trip. Or sometimes, I'm asked to pay in advance on behalf of clients. When clients pay me back at the final payment with credit cards, I'd like to ask a 3% transaction fee for rod fees (not the trip fee). Clients are welcome to pay me a separate check or cash for this (and CC for trip fee if you'd like).  

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Gratuity

As someone who works in this country, I will greatly appreciate gratuities/tips. Most clients offer me 20-25% of per-day trip rates above. There have been clients who have offered me even more. Besides fishing, my superb lunch and work-ethic such as staying late till dark are greatly recognized by those clients. If you are party of several anglers and hiring me and my associate(s), please offer your gratuity to my co-working guide(s) too. 

 

Gears & Equipment to Bring

If you own multi rods/reels/lines and can carry them with you, that can be very helpful. For example, we can set one rod with dry-flies and the other with nymphs. We can keep fishing without changing leader/tippet and without losing time. However for most of fishing situations, 5wt or 6wt 9-foot rod with Weight-Forward floating line will suffice. 4wt-9ft will be a superb dry-fly rod for spring creeks and Yellowstone Park waters. 

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Leader recommendations: 3X, 4X, 5X 9feet. Tippet recommendations: 2X to 6X spools. 

These are included during guide trips but definitely necessities for DIY. 

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As for wader, I strongly recommend Chest-high wader, not the waist-high pants type. Pants type waders will limit your choices of fishing spots, especially, in my observation & experience, at spring creeks. Trust me! If chest wader is a bit too hot, you can roll down any time. For float trips and wade trips to YNP during summer months, most likely we don't need waders but just a pair of wading boots and wet-wade socks.

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For wading boots, felt sole is just fine. Even for the float trips, I recommend to wear wading boots and wet-wade socks as we often get out the boat and fish, at least we get off to stretch and for lunch. Please let me know if you are with rubber-sole with studs before you hop in on my boat. 

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Other Items: sun-screen, your usual medication, fishing vest with your regular items, camera, polarized sunglasses, rain-jacket, 

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Group Trip - 4 or More Anglers

Group trips are welcome. I will arrange trusted guide(s) that I know they can offer the same quality of services as I do. Depending on types of trips, number of clients, and client's request, one guide will be assigned to two or three clients. Arrangements, number of clients, trip destinations, and rates will be discussed upon booking.

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Alcohol Policy

Montana Outfitting Law stipulates Outfitters/Guides should not offer any alcohol beverages to their clients. Not to mention, no consumption while on duty! I (and guides I hire) don't offer any alcohol beverages for lunch nor through the day. Clients are allowed to bring their own and drink them with their responsibility and risk. I personally don't drink beer so the scene people drinking beer in front of me don't bother me. However, let me give you a  fair advise. SW Montana and Yellowstone Park sit on higher than average altitude (4,500-ft & above). Summer air is dry with low humidity. This will thirst and dehydrate anglers from other states and countries. Consequently even regular beer will kick in harder than you experience in your normal environment. Plus, be aware, full-day fishing with a hard-working guide like myself is more exhausting than average anglers do on their own. That's because anglers keep casting all through the day.

During my early career while I was taking trips out of a shop, I have had several clients who insisted bringing their own beer to my boat. I could tell, after beer consumption, their casting got sloppy and their attitude and speeches became sluggish. Consequently they had so-so and barely average fishing that I couldn't help them improve. By the take-out, they did look exhausted and, well, drunk. They offered me poor tips, blaming on me for poor fishing they had...........(true stories)

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Booking Guide Trips

Just contact me! Simple! Email: syamamoto51@gmail.com Phone 406-223-3225

 

Booking Rods at Private Waters

Upon booking spring creeks or lakes/ponds trips with me, I can contact land owners and book a spot for you and I can give you their rates and their deposit policy too. If you happen to know their contacts, you are welcome to book your rods ahead then book guide trips with me! 

 

Deposit Policy

Upon Booking, I will require 50% of trip rates as deposits. Deposits can be paid by credit cards (most major companies), checks, and cash. If we are going to fish private waters with access fees / rod fees, I will make sure booking & deposit policies of private waters with landowners and I keep you updated. 

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Refund Policy

• If the trip is cancelled 60 days before the day of the scheduled trip, full amount of deposit will be refunded.

• If the trip is cancelled within 60 days before the day of the scheduled trip, deposit will not be refunded.

• If the trip is cancelled on the day of the trip (absence, no notices, not answering phone calls, and so forth), a full-day trip rate will be charged to client’s credit card (on top of the deposit that has been paid).

• Cancellation policy of private waters varies by places and by owners. Outfitter will make sure the policy with owners upon booking a slot/rod and explain to clients.

• If the river that has been intended to fish gets muddy by sudden thunderstorms or any other natural phenomena, or when we can’t access to the river (road constructions, access site is closed, and such conditions), clients are advised to be willing to change the fishing destinations. If clients don’t follow outfitter’s advises, it’s considered as “cancellation on the day of the trip”, as stated above, a full-day rate will be charged. This should be discussed and understood upon booking.

• If the trip is canceled within 60 days before the scheduled day or on the day of the trip but rescheduled with the same clients, deposit from the original trip will be applied to the newly scheduled trip.

• If outfitter and guide(s) decide to cancel the trip (dangerous weather/nature conditions and so forth), deposit will be fully refunded. 

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Final Payment

We settle the bill at the end of the trip. Trip rate (rest of 50%) and flies used will be charged

and are paid by credit card, check, or cash. It would be greatly appreciated if I can receive gratuity

by cash but there has been many clients who left me gratuities with their credit cards.

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