Testimonials & Reviews

“All the folks at Fins & Feathers were fantastic at helping me to organize my first flyfishing trip to Bozeman. The booking and advice for scheduling my 3-day guide package were easy and thorough. My guide Charlie was an absolute gem! I got to see a wide variety of water - the Yellowstone, the Upper Madison, and the Lower Madison - and he consistently got us into fish. I hooked lots of fish, landed lots of fish, and lost lots of fish. What more can you ask from a guide or a fishing trip?! Thanks again, Charlie, for all your hard work. I look forward to returning to fish with you again next April.”

Al - New York

"I had an incredible day on the Madison with Ryan. He's a very patient teacher for those of us just discovering our passion for fly fishing. I had a blast and I caught trout. Thank you, Ryan. It was my first trip with Fins and Feathers but it won't be my last."

Barry B. - New York​

“Great experience with Fins and Feathers. Our guides worked non-stop to get us on fish from dawn until dusk. Despite our lack of technique and experience, we netted fish of all varieties: cut-throats, hybrid cut-throat rainbow, rainbows, browns, even some native whitefish. Lodging, hospitality, and attention to all the details made this trip a great experience and memory. We were a little concerned about bringing our wives and whether they would enjoy the trip - no problem at all, they loved the entire experience.”

Bill S. - Tennessee

"Had a blast with Toby from Fins and feathers last month. Nothing but the best. It is our 5th trip in 10 years and we have never been disappointed."

Bob B. - Georgia

“This was our first trip to Montana and we enjoyed every minute of it. The guides were extremely helpful, gracious and polite. They offered suggestions and were committed to making sure we had a great experience. In fact, towards the end of our last day, our guide rowed upstream 4 times to give my son a chance to catch a fish he had missed. He caught the fish. I would highly recommend these folks.”

Chris D. - Texas

“We booked a trip through Fins & Feathers, guide service and hotel, everything was perfect. Our guide Steven Rendel was great, we had time of our life. He got my wife using a fly rod within 30 minutes of arriving at the river. We caught a lot of fish every day. Highly recommend using Fins & Feathers for booking your trip.”

Dan K. - Missouri

"Joanie and I fished the upper Madison with Ryan in August and had a great drift trip. I learned a ton from him and Joanie nailed her biggest rainbow so far and I got my first brown. We are just getting started and Ryan was super helpful."

David T. - Washington

“This was without question the best-guided experience that I have had. To begin with, I was paired with a guide who fit my style of fishing perfectly and more importantly, he put me on fish the entire trip. I even hit the Montana Slam shortly after getting in the boat. To me, the best measure of customer satisfaction is, would you do it again? Same shop, same guide, yes!”

Don - Texas

"This was my son and my third guided fly-fishing weekend with Fins and Feathers. All arrangements were made by the outfitters after one initial telephone call. Our new guide Charlie was an experienced professional who was attentive to our every need. He custom-tailored our three days of drift boat fly-fishing to our skill level and maximized our time on the water during the three days of our trip. We look forward to being guided by Charlie Napoli again either next May or September depending on our schedule. (By the way, the Fly shop is very well stocked with rods, reels, fly lines, clothing, and specialty fly fishing items."

Ed O. - Arizona

"My daughter and I had never fly fished before last week. I was advised by some old fly fishing pros that a guided trip was the best way to start. So, back in February, I worked with Toby Swank (the owner of Fins and Feathers) to pick a good time (first week of July). Turns out the advice and the timing couldn't be more on target. Our guide turned out to be Ben Jantzen - he was outstanding. Very practical and no-nonsense, but also very enthusiastic and most of all, a great teacher. We floated the upper and lower Madison for two days. Even though our primary objective was to learn the basics of fly fishing, he managed to ensure we also caught fish as well. He knows every inch of those rivers. In any line of work, it makes all the difference when someone is just doing their job, or if it's their passion in life - Ben is definitely in that latter category. We were both exhausted mentally as well as physically at the end of both days but in a good way. I feel a little like a beginning golfer who just took some lessons from a great pro - sudden move from the unconscious incompetence stage to the conscious incompetence stage! Great foundation, and saw enough of the goal to be committed to getting to the next couple of stages.

Oh, and a little about the Madison - we happened to catch the beginning of the salmon fly hatch the second day on the Upper Madison. My, what an experience - might have spoiled us for any other river for awhile!

All in all, great life experience and worth every penny."

Greg P. - Utah

“My son and I fished with Fins and Feathers for 10 days this summer. had an absolutely 'fintastic' time. Guides were excellent - extremely knowledgeable, patient and put us on a LOT of fish. Equipment provided was amazing too, top of the line, latest and greatest. I would highly recommend it.”

Ian E. - Texas

“My wife and I are moderately experienced and wanted to introduce our daughter and son in law to fly fishing. We booked a float trip designed to introduce them. Our guides were knowledgeable, handled our beginners with ease, and improved our fishing as well. We fished the lower Madison on a beautiful sunny day. The guide thought it was a little crowded (we didn't feel pressured at all) because many of the rivers and streams are high and fast due to last winters heavy snowfall. We all caught fish (rainbows, browns and a couple of west slope cutthroat): half a dozen small ones, 2 at 20" and a dozen from 14" to 16". It was a great day and we have 2 kids looking forward to rods, reels, and waders for Christmas! Thanks, Fin and Feathers!”

Jim S. - Texas

"My son had a destination wedding in Bozeman. Decided to treat my sons to a fly fishing adventure prior to the wedding. Contacted F&F for their assistance and help make the adventure happen. F&F had everything ready for us and took us to the Madison River for 8 (4 boats) of us. It was a great day, lots of fish, but the patience they had for us beginners was awesome. My boat was guided by Steven. He was a fantastic guide and when I return again next year (we liked it that much), I will ask for him. Would recommend this company for beginners to season fly fisherman. It was a great way to begin a wedding celebration. Thanks to all for making the magic happen."

John F - California

“The team at Fins & Feathers never disappoints! My fourth trip with them and will certainly be back for more. The weather was tough, but they put us on the fish and kept the days exciting! Provided great recommendations for wade fishing on our own as well as a local restaurant for dinner with our group.”

Jordan T. - Maryland

"Great shop, fantastic, knowledgeable guides. Steve, Toby, and Ben guided us on 3 different rivers. They worked HARD to provide us with great fishing and an unforgettable experience. Can't wait to return."

Katya B. - Massachusetts

"We spent two days with Steve Rendle in August, one on the Yellowstone and one on the lower Gallatin. We think he is a great guide. He takes very good care of us. At the end of the day, we realize that he has made us better fishermen.

Of course, we and other friends and family have been out with him before. So we know he works very hard to see that we are comfortable and happy. We think there are other great guides at this shop, but we can't stop using Steve.

Our plan is to get several more friends to come along next time and get two guides working hard"

Linda G. - Arizona

"What a great trip! Jake was our guide and was so knowledgeable and helpful. The perfect blend of laid back and professional. Ryan helped us in the shop and couldn't have been nicer! Great day of making memories thanks to these guys!!"

Margo P. - Texas

"Folks in the shop were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Guides for our three trips: Toby, Steve, and Ben .. were great. I learned a lot from each, caught lots of fish, and they knew the river (and honey holes) well. I highly recommend any of these guides!"

Mark D. - Maryland

“Have enjoyed the professional services and friendship with the Fins and Feathers team for a decade and a half. I just spent a week getting after it. Great times in the Gallatin, Upper Madison, and Channels. Thanks, team for a job well done. Anyone seeking "fishy guides" who are helpful, knowledgeable and fun... give em call. They are the best.”

Mike B. - Maryland

"Spent three days on the Mo around Craig, MT with Feathers and Fins. Absolutely splendid fishing - I wish I were still there. We had great action from put-in to take-out and cordial help from great guides all along. Streamers, dries, nymphs... with a nice show of rainbows and browns to reward our flawless presentations

. Feathers and Fins expertly planned the trip and ensured a good time for all skill levels and ages (30 to 70!) in our party. When are we going again? Are we there yet?"

Mike F. - Georgia

“A few days ago, a good friend and I tool a full-day guided fishing trip with Fins & Feathers. It was a fantastic day and was everything they promised and more. They took care of everything, and my friend and I could concentrate on just catching fish (which we did!).

The guide (Toby) was extremely knowledgeable of the area, picked the best river for us to fish according to that day's conditions. I had not been fishing for a number of years, so the guide gave me a short refresher on techniques and other tips that really paid off in catching fish. He also pointed out the best spots along the river to cast into to produce catches.

He did all of the work and we thoroughly enjoyed the day, as well as his excellent company. I'll be back to Fins & Feathers for more guided fishing trips soon!”

Mike R. - Wisconsin

"This was my fourth summer to fish with Toby in the Bozeman area; in addition, I have fished on Missouri in May the past two years with Toby. Easy to describe Fin and Feathers - "One of the Best". Toby is one of the hardest working guides I have ever fished with; if you don't catch fish, it is not because Toby did not try. My trip this year included my 15-year-old grandson. Toby went out of his way to make sure he had a good trip and he did. Last year I took seven of my friends to Bozeman, we used three other guides - all of whom I would recommend highly. Last words - "ONE OF THE BEST"

PS - if you are into fly tying you will find a super supply of materials in his shop."

Noble G. - Texas

"My wife and I came to the Missouri headwaters area of Montana as beginning fly fishers for a fall vacation and some locals recommended that we contact the folks at Fins and Feathers to arrange a guided trip. What a great recommendation! My wife and I were led down the lower Gallatin with Charley and then I joined Steve on the lower Madison the next day and we had a truly fantastic time for our first river fly-fishing experiences. Both guides were extremely knowledgeable and fun personable guys, and we caught plenty of fish, thanks to their knowledge of the water and choice of flies to use at any given location. I can't wait to come back and fish more stretches of those amazing Montana rivers with them"

Ray M. - Washington

"My family did a float trip on the Madison with Fins and Feathers and we had a great time. My wife and kids have little fishing experience but still managed to catch some fish and have a great time thanks to our guides, Toby and Ben. Also, the shop was great!"

Scott H. - North Carolina

“Just spent the best 3 days of fly fishing on the Missouri River between Craig and Cascade, MT that I have ever had! Many thanks to Toby Swank of Fins and Feathers of Bozeman for his excellent guiding skills. Numerous rainbow and brown trout were caught each day due to Toby's superb knowledge of where to catch fish and what to use to catch those fish on the Missouri River!”

Tese S. - Montana

"I have fished with 30 guides or so in different parts of the country and can tell you Toby provides a fishing experience like no other. I have taken my 8-year-old and 16-year-old boys with Toby, my wife, and probably 10 beer drinking bass fisherman as well as a few real anglers and each one has come away with memories that will last a lifetime. Lots of fish, lots of laughs, some sage advice for the youngsters and a true Montana experience."

Tom B. - Missouri

"We just finished a guided trip with Fins and Feather and had a fantastic experience all around. Our guide, Charlie, was outstanding and we couldn't have been happier with him. This was my wife's first-time fly fishing and he took the time to work with her both before we hit the water and throughout the course of the day. Charlie was incredibly patient and his helpfulness is what made the trip so exceptional. We opted for the all-inclusive package from Fin and Feather and the equipment was top notch. The provided lunch was great and couldn't be happier on that front as well. The weather wasn't the greatest, but we still landed plenty of fish and made memories that will last a lifetime."

Wesley D. - West Virgina