FAQ's

Please refer to our rates page for the current seasonal guide trip rates. Please note our deposit policy on all our guided trips. This deposit policy is designed to provide a fair and clear business transaction, so more important concerns can be addressed – such as catching a southern Utah Bonneville Cutthroat Trout.

If you want to specify an area to fish, or one or two specific days, or a guide, we suggest you make plans as early as possible. Many of our clients return year after year and they often like to request the same guides they have fished with before.

A full year in advance or more is recommended if you have very specific requirements.

If it isn’t important which guide you fish with, where you fish, and you have a very flexible schedule, we will try to work you in with 4-5 weeks’ notice. It is much more difficult for us to schedule guide days with less than a few weeks notice as our guides are usually booked up by then. Again, if your schedule allows you to make plans early, it is always a good idea to do so.

If you want to request a specific area to fish we would like to know in advance. During our busy season , this information will help us spread out with the other guides. With the variety of fishing opportunities available, it isn’t difficult for our guides to spread out over the entire area.

Finding the highest quality fishing for clients is not a problem as long as everyone doesn’t want to fish the same place. By discussing your desired destination in advanced we can tailor your trip and insure that you are in the waters which you have recently read about, seen on T.V., viewed in pictures or dreamed of fishing your entire life.

It also helps us if you can give us some idea of your ability and experience level. We fish with clients of all skill levels and abilities. Areas where the fish are smaller and easier to catch which provide more action are often the best choice for fly fishers with limited experience.

Experienced anglers are often times more interested in the challenges of fishing for larger trout, even if they don’t catch as many.

All of our fishing areas are over 5500 feet in elevation. It frequently takes a day or two to get adjusted if you come from a low elevation. It is helpful to go on some longer walks or short hikes the weeks prior to your arrival as it will loosen your muscles and build up your lungs. Some of our trips don’t require much hiking, but the more you can handle, the more you can get to. Don’t try to go too hard the first day or two and let your guide know your limitations.

A few days of practice casting before your trip will do wonders. You’ll be amazed at the difference a few hours of practice on your lawn can make. Without practice, it can sometimes take several days for an experienced caster to get back in the groove. Try short practice sessions of 20-30 minutes several days during the weeks before you arrive.

Fremont River Guides has some great equipment which can be provided for your trip. Whether it be a Sage Fly Rod, Simms breathable waders or wading boots, we can provide gear as long as you request it in advance. All flies can be purchased from us once you arrive and it is recommended you do so as the hatches change frequently and the guides will have favorites they are confident in using. It is important that you come with the necessary items on our gear checklist as these items cannot be purchased once you arrive. If you know that you will need outfitting please notify us ahead of time and we will reserve your equipment and have it ready.

Please bring whatever flies you currently have and which match the season here in southern Utah. You may find more information regarding hatches on our seasons page. We will be stocked with all the specialty patterns needed to entice the trout during specific hatches and it is recommended that you wait to purchase these flies until your arrival. We will make sure you have what you need.

We strongly recommend bringing your own fishing gear. We recommend an 8 1/2 or 9 foot rod with a 4 or 5 weight floating line, which will handle most situations. A sinking line is only necessary if you plan to fish our mountain lakes. In most cases you will want to purchase recommended flies the morning of your trip to match conditions.

Chest waders are a good idea to have during the summer and a must in the early spring, fall, and winter months. Often during the summer months when the temperatures hover between 80-90 degrees, light pants or shorts and sandals are fine. The summer sun requires that you have a hat, polarized sunglasses, insect repellant, and waterproof sunscreen. Be prepared for varied weather. The weather here changes fast. A sweater, jacket or down vest, fingerless fleece gloves, as well as a good raincoat should be included as a precaution.

In the days prior and the morning of your trip, your guide will discuss your gear and look at your flies to make sure you have what is needed before departure.

Many of our clients use an average of 12 to 18 flies per day, depending on where they fish. We do not accept returned flies for credit at the end of the trip. Your guide will also have selecting tackle items such as leaders, tippet and fly floatant necessary to help make your trip a success. Some of this terminal tackle is included in the guide trip fee, but you will need to purchase extra flies and some leaders depending on how your day goes.

Our guide trips will usually originate from your lodging facility.  Your guide can also pick you up at your lodging location if it has been designated for the purpose of the trip to be the closest proximity to the days fishing.  From May to September, our guides will generally arrive to pick you up at 8:00 AM and to return around 5 PM.

Your guide day could change drastically which largely depends on you. We strongly believe that the client can dictate the trip if he/she so desires. Of course, we will give you our recommendation for the best times of the day to fish, hatches etc. Then you and your guide can decide whether or not you get out earlier and come back much later. That’s all up to you.

Remember: A typical guide day is 8-10 hours. If your guide works an extra long day, the full day rate stays the same, but you should give a more fruitful gratuity. A finalized itinerary will be e-mailed to you with a time and place to be picked up. From mid-September through the rest of the season, it is more typical to leave around 9 AM and return around 5 PM.

As our operation is remote and much smaller than in populated areas, we have fewer guides than some.  But we are fortunate to have numerous professionals who take pride in their work.  There are few other local licensed guides/outfitters in the entire southern Utah area and we work with those which are experienced and offer services comparable to ours. Unless you have a group of more than 8, you will always fish with one of our proven Fremont River Guides. We can almost always tell you who your guide will be the day you make your reservation.

As most of our guide trips are small groups of 2-4 anglers, you will almost always fish with the same guide. If your group returns each year and consists of 6 or more anglers, we will cater to the desires of the group and switch around as much as possible or asked. Rest assured, when you make your reservation, if we promise a certain guide, you will have that guide. Generally, when you book a guide for a trip, they are yours for the entire trip.

There are many factors which can determine where and when you might want to go fishing. If you would like to determine an appropriate season or trip date, please contact us directly by phone.

Some of your options may include the following; The Fremont River, Boulder Mountain Streams, Boulder Mountain Lakes, Fishlake Mountain Streams or Lakes, Thousand Lakes Mountain Lakes, UM Creek, Sevenmile Creek, Otter Creek Drainage, Sevier River Drainage, Antimony Creek, Mammoth Creek or Markagunt Plateau.

Usually a location is selected at the original time the booking is made. Of course, it is always wise to be somewhat flexible as weather and conditions change from one piece of water to the next. With so many options at our doorstep, your possibilities are almost limitless. Whether you want to fish where one of our television shows was aired, where you saw a past photo in a fly fishing magazine or just one of our favorites, we will steer you in a good fishing location.

By the time you get to southern Utah, your guide will already know the latest information on what areas are fishing best which can be taken into account along with your personal goals for the trip. We advise you to follow the guide’s recommendation but do not hesitate to speak up and let him know what is important to you through out the day.

Fremont River Guides are experienced instructors and expert fly fishers who will do everything they can to not only help you catch trout but to make your excursion an enjoyable experience to remember. They will cater hands-on instruction to include whatever assistance you desire, from knot-tying and fly selection, to casting, presentation, and landing fish. Additionally, there are many services which will likely be unseen as your guide provides expert instruction, tackle rigging, superb river navigation, and other guide-related equipment and services.

Lodging, liquor, leaders, most flies, fishing licenses, gratuities and other items of a personal nature are not included in our day rate. A minimal selection of flies is included in our base guide rates. The guides will have all the necessary flies and other items with them to assure a good day on the water. Additional flies, leaders and some other tackle can be paid for before departure or added to a tab and paid at the end of the trip.

For better or for worse, some of the best fishing occurs when the weather is less than ideal. That said, we want you to have a good time and will not force you to fish in weather that could be dangerously cold or hazardous. On the other hand, if conditions are not too extreme but may be very windy or snowy or other condition, we expect to take you out the scheduled day of your trip.

Re-bookings will not be available unless there are very irregular circumstances and it is completely at the discretion of Fremont River Guides. If you book a date and decide not to go, that is your decision and the deposit or balance paid on the trip is forfeited.  We encourage anglers to purchase trip insurance, but don’t offer advice on which insurance carrier.

We do not encourage this. Over the years, we have learned that one guide cannot provide the high level of service we are proud of to three clients. Except for some instances in lake fishing, three anglers with one guide is much less productive. If, however, you must take three people with one guide then expect the following: 1) you will have to pay the third angler charges 2) expect less attention from the guide 3) expect to catch less fish per person.