Fly Fish the Bighorn River in Montana! This DIY camp is for anglers who are ready to row drift boats, throw streamers for big trout, and make life-long memories.
What is a DIY Camp with Fishing For All?
Our DIY camps are the perfect way for intermediate-advanced anglers to test their skills, meet fellow anglers, and explore new water. These trips are considered “DIY” because participants are expected to share in the camp experience by cooking a meal or two for the group, help with cleaning, rowing, fishing, and provide their own equipment. FFA guides will be there to coach and advise on the needed skills and tackle, ensure everyone is comfortable, safe, and having fun, but they get to fish too. Because of this, our DIY camps are offered at a greatly discounted rate compared to our all-inclusive, fully-guided camps. FFA will still handle the trip logistics and lodging, you just have to show up with a healthy dose of team spirit and be ready for an adventure.
Who Can Go on DIY Camps?
These trips are best for anglers who are intermediate-advanced with a solid enough foundation in fly fishing to be able to fish independently. This is a good “next step” for anglers who have completed our 201 level class. Before anglers can join a DIY Camp, they have to complete certain 301 level classes as prerequisites. These classes will ensure you have the foundational skills needed to be successful and safe on the DIY Camp, and the required classes will be listed below. Otherwise we welcome anyone and everyone to join us: men, women, BIPOC, LGBTQ, young, and old! Just be ready and willing to share camp responsibilities, grow your skills and self-confidence, and work as a team to create an awesome fishing adventure.
DIY Montana Camp
Experience the rugged beauty of the Bighorn River in the winter. No crowds, no sounds, just big trout under a big sky. The top 13 miles of the Bighorn River are some of the most famous and best trout fishing waters in the nation. We’ve been visiting here in the winter for nearly a decade for two main reasons: 1) No crowds, 2) Big trout on streamers. If you’re willing to fish in the cold and wind, you will be rewarded with trophy trout while surrounded by rejuvenating natural beauty. It sounds crazy on paper- because it is- but people always come away from this trip feeling more self confident and ready to do it again. Enjoy 4 full days of fishing with one full travel day on each end.
The Fishing
The Bighorn River is one of the best and most famous trout fisheries in the nation. It boasts a staggering number of trout per mile which average 14-16″. We routinely catch fish 20″+ during the winter using white streamers. Most of the fishing is done while floating from a drift boat, casting streamers with 6-8wt rods and sinking line towards the middle of the river. These big trout will hit hard and fight acrobatically once hooked! Enjoy four full days of fishing on this amazing river. You will have to supply your own fishing equipment, but we’ll send you a detailed supply list, and we’ll be staying right next to a fly shop if you need to get something.
The Lodging
We’ll be staying in a historic 1800’s cottage right in the tiny fishing village of Fort Smith, Montana. It’s freshly updated and very comfortable, with all the amenities of home. It has 4 shared bedrooms and 2.5 baths. The put-in for the river is just a short drive away. We’ll be renting drift boats locally and they’ll take care of the launching and shuttles for us. The weather varies greatly, some years it’s sunny and in the 40’s-50’s, others it’s snowing and below freezing. We expect the weather to be a bit more mild than MSP, usually in the 30’s with some snow and wind. You’ll put your drift boat rowing classes to good use on this trip! Bask under a big, Montana sky with golden hills and snow capped mountains in the distance.
The Experience
Day 1:
Wake up early and carpool out to Fort Smith from MSP. It’s a full 11 hour drive across the great plains, so it’s a great time to get to know your fishing buddies. Arrive in Fort Smith around 4 or 5pm, get rigged for the next day and enjoy a nice dinner with the team, then go for a walk to stretch your legs and explore the little town.
Day 2:
Wake up early and hit the water. Our drift boats will be waiting for us on the ramp! We’ll likely fish the top three miles this day to get used to rowing and fishing. Enjoy a hot lunch on the shore. Head back to the cabin afterwards for dinner and drinks, then head out for another walk or drive up to the top of the mountain if the roads are open.
Day 3:
Wake up early and hit the water, now we have the routine down. Depending on the conditions and how the group is doing, we’ll float the lower 10 miles this day. The lower river has long deep pools, and some fun rowing through big rapids. Relax in the cabin and enjoy a good dinner.
Day 4-5:
Do it all again, and now that the crew is feeling more confident and we will have figured out the fish and rowing, we’ll likely run the whole 13 mile section, hitting only the best spots with our streamers.
Day 6:
Pack up and head out early in the morning back to MSP. Depending on when we leave and the road conditions, expect to be in the early evening.
Required Prerequisites
- One 301 Fly Fishing – Streamer Rigging and Techniques Class
- At Least Two 301 Fly Fishing – Drift Boat Rowing Classes
- Consider becoming a Frequent Fisher Member to get free 301 classes and more!
2026 Rates & Date
$1200/person. $125 deposit due at time of booking.
(All-inclusive price: $2000/angler)
Dec 28-Jan 2
(Jan 3-9 can be added if a private group is interested, or the first week books quickly. Email Evan if interested: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com)
What’s included
- 5 nights cabin lodging
- 4 days of fly fishing
- Transportation to and from the fishing area
- Shared camp responsibilities, like cooking and cleaning
- Opportunities to grow your advanced fishing skills, like drift boat rowing and streamer fishing
- Rented drift boats and shuttles
What you’ll need
- MT Fishing License
- Transportation/carpool to Fort Smith, MT
- Personal fishing equipment, like rod, reel, lines, and flies (A detailed supply list will be sent to you.)
- Personal gear items, like polarized sunglasses and rain gear
- Gratuity for guides and boat rental/shuttle staff (recommend $100/pp/day for guides, $50 per boat, $5-10 per car/day for shuttles.)
The Details-
Deposits are due at the time of booking, plus $2 per person booking fee and a 3% processing fee. Our booking software will auto-collect the remaining balance on the first day of the trip.
Hosted trip deposits are nonrefundable within 30 days of the trip start date., but can be applied to alternative trips. In the event that trip is canceled by the guide due to unsafe conditions, etc- the deposit can be fully refunded or be applied to alternative trips.
Equipment needs will vary per trip. We will send you a full packing list and itinerary so you know what to bring/expect. If you don’t have your own fishing equipment, we can provide you some free of charge.
It is advisable to purchase travel insurance for your hosted trip in the event of last minute cancellations. Fishing For All LLC does not provide this service, and it will need to be purchased separately at the discretion of the participant.
Please tip your guides and hosted trip staff, it is greatly appreciated!
Private Custom Camps-
Private camps can be arranged on a limited basis at Troutopia on Trout Run Creek in Chatfield, MN, the Bass Camp Cabin on the Snake River in Pine City, MN, or to other custom areas. We’ll organize all the details for you! Please contact us to inquire about private custom camp options and pricing.
