This was our first time fly fishing, and we had an incredible time with Patrick as our guide. He was patient, gave great instruction and put us in the best spots on the Madison River. Very knowledgable. The highlight of the day was getting to catch a beautiful little Brown while my son netted the fish--Patrick coaching both of us and there to take the picture! A memory of a lifetime! The lunch was great, and Patrick made everything enjoyable. We couldn't have been more pleased. read more

New Coach Patrick, our guide, is phenomenal! He helped us through everything from providing waders, a gourmet lunch, fly fishing rods, flies, teaching us the basics, and was very patient and kind! I think our family has caught the fly fishing fever! We caught a variety of beautiful trout ranging in size 12-17 inches. Best decision I made about our vacation was to go fly fishing with Blue Ribbon Flies. Everyone in the store is friendly and thank you Cam for the tip about moose! read more

The crew at BRF are helpful, knowledgeable, & courteous. They know the local waters well, & make every effort to make it a pleasant day when out on the water. The guides make every attempt to help you catch fish, Cam, the owner, born & raised in West Yellowstone...Is one of the best guides I have fished with over the many years I have been fly fishing, & you will not find a more patient & hard working individual in sport we all love!! read more

Very informative great knowledge of the rivers in the park. Fairly priced for a tourist town.

First off, the guide was very good and worked hard. the issue I had was the fact that I was required to pay extra for any and all flies used for the day after paying $700 for the trip. In addition, the guide showed up with zero rods rigged and expected to use my gear. Again the guide was good, just be prepared to be nickeled and dimed to death on all products used during the outing. read more

These guys are super friendly. You can ask them anything and they will help. They want you to have success fishing in the area. Highly recommend them. read more

I always stop and buy a few flies and always seem to have luck with them I always say Good flies equal lots of fish. The staff is very knowledgeable about what the fish are hitting on and the best locations read more

Blue Ribbon Flies - Fishing Near Me - West Yellowstone, Montana

This is a review for Patrick, a guide we booked through BRF to take us out for a day of fly fishing. We found Patrick to be fun, professional, knowledgeable, and most importantly- PATIENT with two fly fishing noobs. We started off our day on a lake, without much current to learn how to cast somewhere easy, then went out on the Madison for some float fishing, which is just beautiful and a bit challenging. It was an awesome experience, if you can request a guide, ask for Patrick! read more

My Sister-in-law and I booked a July 3rd guided float for the Madison River. We found out the salmon fly hatch was on, so we expected action but little did we know we would get an education as well. Our guide took us to the river bank on several occasions to show us the different insects that were hatching - Stonefies, salmon flies and their exoskeletons, midges of all varieties and colors. It really helped us understand the decisions behind creating different types of flies and when/ how to use them. Between us we landed 15 fish, including an 18" rainbow, a 20" brown, many rainbows and hybrids and one mountain whitefish, but not a native cutthroat. I don't want to say how many I didn't land, but there were 4 that I really wanted to net before losing them to "angler error". I'd like to take a moment to thank the person who made this a memorable day - our guide Curtis Brown! Curtis was extremely knowledgable and patient. He was part teacher, entomologist and cheerleader. He had us use different presentations and techniques to match the sections of river we were on. He also explained what flies and nymphs we were using, as well as the reasons he was changing to them at the moment. We only lost two flies (one to a rock snag and another to the biggest fish I didn't land when I got too excited and applied too much pressure). Whether we hooked a 4" or 20" trout, Curtis's calm demeanor and instruction remained consistent and improved our chances for success. He also worked tirelessly on the anchor and oars with good humor and without complaint. If you get the chance to book a fly-fishing trip in Montana, you've got to go with Blue Ribbon Flies. If you get the chance to choose your guide, you've got to request Curtis Brown! read more

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One of the most helpful fly shop experiences I've ever had. Incredible local knowledge, and thanks to their recommendations, they suggested we hit a different stretch of the river than originally planned, and boy was it a good rec. If you find yourself in the Yellowstone area for flying, Blue Ribbon is a must stop shop. read more

I Have been fishing with Blue Ribbon for over 30 years. They are the best. I started when I didnt know anything and from the start they were amazing. I make it a point always fish with them. all the guides thru the years have been fabulous. I have fished with most...always great..always fun, always learning. Thank you Blue Ribbon, Philip, read more

I have been fly fishing for nearly 30 years and I have traveled throughout Yellowstone several times. I've checked out almost every fly shop in and around Yellowstone and Blue Ribbon Flies is my 'go to' source for information, flies, and tackle. Craig Matthews is a great guy and fantastic source of information. Everyone at the fly shop was very helpful. Can't say enough, really. read more

Blue Ribbon Flies - Fishing Near Me - West Yellowstone, Montana

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Terrific team of knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful employees. Excellent selection, well located, and fair prices. Good variation of clothing, too. read more

Craig Matthews and company run a great fly shop complete with all the fly patterns, gear and advice you'd ever need to fish around Yellowstone and the Madison River Valley. Don't forget to get Bear Spray and take some time to listen to Craig's great stories. read more

This is the best fly shop in West Yellowstone--a class act. In fact, this is my favorite fly shop anywhere. I've been stopping there for gear, advice, and friendly banter for 23 years. The staff is helpful and very knowledgeable. Craig Mathews and John Juracek established a culture where they nurture young talent ( witness Peter and Aaron for example ). I took casting lessons from John. You could not ask for a better teacher. Craig was mentored by the great Charles Brooks in the 70's and his newsletter entries are a pleasure to read. They don't just want to sell you stuff, but want to share the joy of fly fishing and their love of the Yellowstone area and its rivers. I don't think I've met a serious angler that wasn't aware of BRF or that didn't have a high regard for it. I live and fish in Colorado most of the year, but each year I spend two glorious weeks fishing the Yellowstone area and stop at BRF often. read more

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I go to Yellowstone every year in July fly fishing and Blue Ribbon Flies is a must stop every year before the trip. The staff are knowledgeable and excellent about what the trout are going for and at what locations. The selection of flies and product are the best I've seen. They will even keep your bear spray for you until your trip the following year - for free. read more

Blue Ribbon Flies stood out among the numerous fly shops in West Yellowstone. They were friendly, courteous and knowledgeable about local conditions, and their fly selection was excellent. I will not hesitate to visit anytime I'm in the area. read more

Just wanted to let you know I'm grateful to you all at the shop! We spent the day floating the Madison with Dan had a great day on the river, fishing was good and was able to work on my casting skills. I highly recommend a stop at Blue Ribbon if your planning a trip up to fish in the West Yellowstone area. read more

went in and got great info on where to fish. Hooked me up with some great flies. I caught 14 in one morning on the Madison 06/07/14 thanks for your time and advise Mike Malloy orangevale,ca read more

Craig and Jackie Mathews run a first rate, friendly and extremely helpful fly shop. They offer up to the minute advice via a front door chalkboard with the latest fishing reports (and invaluable fly suggestions), 'how-to' guidance on gear and fly tying, and stock their store with unique hard to find as well as essential materials. BRF has made a name for themselves because of their quality outfitting, innovative fly patterns, and field tested techniques as demonstrated in their books, videos, and fly tying YouTube channel. They've been our go-to fly shop for about 15 years now, whenever we visit Yellowstone country, and they're as helpful via email or phone call as they are in person. When I've purchased materials over the internet from their online store, and had any questions about a particular item or how something should be used, (or in one case, a freebie of an unfamiliar new material needed for the fly I was learning to tie) they've always been generous with their guidance and taken the time to answer my questions. I can't imagine fly fishing in the greater Yellowstone area without stopping in for a visit first with the good folks at Blue Ribbon Flies. Lisa L. read more

My father and I chose Blue Ribbon based on a recommendation from a friend. The folks in the store are extremely cordial, and we were excited to go on the fly fishing trip we had booked. We met our guide John at the store in the morning, and he was extremely friendly and seemed genuinely eager to take us out. In fact, he offered to make me a college colored fly after the trip. He was also provided great advice regarding our dog who we had planned to take. Initially, we were told we would wade since we had the dog, but John advised us to take his boat. If you decide to take a dog, use the boat! As i mentioned, it was going well, but once we got on the water, it seemed to me that John was a bit grumpy. In fact, he would sometimes yell at my father and me for doing something wrong. It is fair to say, that it is his boat and he needs to maintain order to keep us safe, but I think he could have done it differently. Little did he know, my dad's eyesight isn't the best. He repeatedly told him to keep an eye on his fly and would get mad when a fish would take the fly and my father wouldn't notice. The other item which was a disheartening was the fact that my dad had to ask if he could have some water to take his medicine. Not once, did John offer us anything to drink. Luckily, we had brought our own water but it was odd to me that after paying that much for a trip that the guide would at least offer drinks. Lunch was provided and part of the fee. During the fishing trip, John offered to give my dad a lure which he could use to catch striper in Lake Texahoma. My dad is an avid fisherman and was pleased to see that John would give something like this. So during the trip, we tried to ignore the fact that John seemed quite grumpy, but it was difficult. Something i failed to mention was that transportation was supposed to be provided from your hotel or the store front. Instead, John asked us to follow him to the fishing spot and we found out he actually lived near the location. So at the end, since I wasn't quite happy with the trip, i only tipped him $50 which was 10% of the cost of the trip. Well...he did not like this at all. In fact, when my dad asked him if he could still provide the lure that John offered, John pulled out the cash i gave and looked at it and simply said..."yeah...sure" And gave my dad something from his truck. I know everyone has a bad day sometimes, but don't offer things that you don't genuinely want to provide. It almost seemed that he was trying to act that way in order to make sure the tip was bigger. I don't even know how he planned to provide me a fly that was made with my college colors when he had no plans to return to the store since he was headed home after the trip. So from the start...everything he offered was never going to happen. I'm sorry if this review sounds so harsh since i was told by another gentleman that John was a great guide. But on this day, he wasn't at his best and I regret booking at Blue Ribbon. It was not worth the cost. I would advise you to use another store or guide. read more

Blue Ribbon Flies is the best fishing supply store in West Yellowstone. And I owe a lot of my fishing success in Yellowstone Park to their newsletter and their specialized flies. I highly recommend them. read more

We had a wonderful day with Clay! Fishing was excellent. Learned how to fly fish with a patient guide. Booking a trip with these guys is the way to go! Can't wait until we visit again! read more