Missouri River Fly Fishing - Craig, Montana

Welcome to The Trout Shop

The Trout Shop - Craig, Montana

Full Service Fly Fishing on the Missouri River

Vertical Integration?

In microeconomics and management, vertical integration​ exists when the supply chain of a company is owned by the same company. Usually each member of the supply chain produces a different product or (market-specific) ​service that, when combined, satisfy a common need.

Wow. That's a lot of gobbledy goop. But, that's what we do. We supply top quality, destination specific, fly fishing products and services on the world famous Missouri River. The Trout Shop compliments your trip with the best fishing gear available.

Not an ordinary destination fly shop.

Whether you are staying with us or making a quick pit stop to grab a streamside lunch, a few flies and arrange a shuttle, we efficiently help you, and thousands of customers like you, spend more time on Montana’s most popular fishery. The river, more importantly the fish living in the river, drives us to our destination.

Products
Focused on Fly Fishing for Wild Trout

Through our journeys, we built our fly fishing tackle business to enhance our customers' Missouri River destination experience, reach a larger customer base and create a more stable business model. Our destination customers continuously help us help you by sharing their river experiences while visiting us and from their worldwide travels.

Our on-line store displays all the quality products we stock and sell. As we customize our web site pages to provide you with unique shopping experiences, the foundation gained from our destination customers continuously influences our offers.

Thank You.

River Services
Mission: Helping You Spend More Time on the River

We strive continuously to open the doors to fly fishermen seeking the wild trout in their home waters and Montana's Missouri River. Creating lifelong memories through building custom fishing experiences is what we do. Without question, our home water spreads a lot of joy. We enjoy helping you get the most out of Montana’s Missouri River and learning from your experiences while you're in Craig, Montana, and from your home based treasures.

Modern Booking and Purchasing Tools
Build Your Own Custom Fishing Package and a Little More

By using modern technology as a tool to build custom fishing packages, we feel you gain by enjoying more quality fishing time on the Missouri River. Book all the services you need for your trip on The Trout Shop’s web site.

Get the rest of your trip’s needs taken care of; avoid waiting in line. Buy your Montana Fishing License and store it on your phone and safely in the cloud. When you arrive in Craig, find the river and take it all in. You have time because you don’t need to stand in line. Once you’ve taken a deep breath, stop at The Trout Shop, get your lodging keys, grab a few hot flies and fish till dark.

Easy Access

Click and Fish More

Traveling to Montana? Create and book your own custom fly fishing package. Fish how you want and when you want. Book a room at The Trout Shop Lodge and go wade fishing. Learn the river’s secrets while floating with a Missouri River Guide Below Holter Dam or hunt for huge trout at the Land of the Giants. Rent a Drift Boat for a day or two. Stay at a Full-Service Vacation Home with your fishy friends.

Need some sample dry flies for your tying bench? No problem. Look through our huge selection and add your choices to the same shopping cart that your trip bookings are stored in. Need a fly line? No problem. Select from our complete trout fly line collection and add your choice to your cart.

When you have all your product and service needs in your cart, finish your transaction and start packing your bags. Fish.....Listen to the outgoing Click of your fly reel's drag system.

Our web site shows you everything, well most everything, we offer to you. What's missing can't be listed on a web site. Montana's Missouri River holds those secrets.

Join us at The River Hub. Build and share Montana's Missouri River fly fishing memories.

We look forward to fishing with you.

The Trout Shop - Craig, Montana.
Not an ordinary destination fly shop.

Guiding Principles
  • Integrity
  • Long Term
  • Equal Access

Established in 1989, The Trout Shop began turning the historic Craig Mercantile building located on Lot 1 Block 1, Township of Craig, Montana, into a fly shop and lodge. Instead of selling Peter Schuttler Covered Wagons, we started selling fly fishing products and services.

From 1990, when Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks initiated their plan to make the Missouri River the workhorse of Montana, we watched fly fishing history unfold. Stable river flow management and abundant public access paved the way to the fishery we all enjoy today. In Montana, only the iconic Madison River tops the number of annual angler days counted on the Missouri River.

As the resource's popularity grew, The Trout Shop adapted along with it. Change continues its movement.

The Trout Shop 1994

The Trout Shop on Montana's Missouri River in 1994

Missouri River - Your Public Treasure

Abundant public access assures a quality fly fishing experience for all that can't resist the temptation to check the river out. Whether you are going wade fishing for the day at no cost, staying in the Craig Campground for around $10 / night, booked into a full-service lodge for around a $1000 / day, or everything in between, you have permanent access rights to a Montana Treasure.

Public Access - The Trout Shop’s Long Term Commitment to You

Location, Location, Location.....

Craig, Montana - The Land of Opportunity

The Trout Shop started where The Trout Shop Café is located today. At the time, the fly shop held lots of wasted space. We needed a restaurant to serve our lodging guests due to a lack of available options that let anglers fish until dark.

We renovated the fly shop and turned it into a food service establishment. The fly shop moved to our adjacent enclosed awning; a 16' x 8' space looking at the river. ​Good things came in small packages. No need for a showroom floor; just enough room for a recliner, a fly tying bench, a few fly bins and some peg board for a few product packages.

We sold flies we tied on Dai Riki Hooks with countersunk brass Spirit River Beads. Dai Riki Hooks, Leaders and Tippets imported by Dan Bailey’s and Dr. Slick Clamps rounded out our streamside tackle offerings. Custom built rods made out of Fisher and G. Loomis graphite decorated the empty wall space. Hardy Princess and Scientific Angler Fly Reels attached to most rods. We packaged Lightning Strike Indicators while doing shuttles. From time-to-time, we rented the S.S. Minnow for the day to our brave customers. Rooms rented for $35 / Night. Each extra person cost another $5. Rooms filled with guests and fly tying feathers. Portable TV’s and griddles occasionally fell out of guest's luggage. Guides “got up, rowed the boat and ate a Tombstone Pizza at Joe’s”. The shop closed when the bugs came off. Craig claimed a population of 32.

The Mighty Mo

In 1992, the movie The River Runs Through It hit the big screen. The Epic movie’s impact reached far beyond the big screen. Now, our fly shop proved to be way to small. The pendulum swung carrying our fly shop across the street to Parrothead Fly Shop's old location. We befriended the cats living under the building and learned to shut the computer off before we turned on the wall-shaker air conditioner. More than one chapter of the river’s history belongs to Norman Maclean’s novel. The impact never left.

Thirty Restoration Years

From the beginning, The Trout Shop Lodge received our utmost attention to detail - the century old building needed it. Now the building’s 6 quality hotel rooms and a boutique, pub-style restaurant offer guests an unbeatable fly fishing experience when they get off the river.

The Trout Shop Lodge on Montana's Missouri River

Times Changed

In 1999 we eagerly sought a larger fly shop location again - one that we could call our own. We bought our present location adjacent to the Craig Interstate Hwy. 15 Exit Ramp and converted its small house into our fly shop. Today, Craig Mercantile Deli operates in the small house. The Trout Shop operates out of the larger, attached addition.

The Trout Shop - 2023

The River Hub - Craig, Montana - Population: 29

The Trout Shop - Craig, Montana

Two Locations to Serve You

The Trout Shop's large parking lot, two blocks from the river, greets you and your drift boat when you arrive. The Trout Shop Lodge rests in the center of all the town’s action and only a couple sips of coffee away from all you need. Meet your guide at The Trout Shop in about 60 seconds. Meander across the street to the Craig Boat Ramp from the lodge in about 30 seconds. Take your time.

All roads, rails, trails and the Missouri River lead to Craig, Montana. Once you've conquered Montana's Missouri River with a fly rod, we're confident you'll follow a path back to The River Hub year after year.

Thank you.

The Trout Shop
Lot 1, Block 1
Township of Craig, Montana

THE RIVER HUB - CRAIG, MONTANA

Toll Free: 800-337-8528
International: +1-406-235-4474
Email: info@thetroutshop.com

Location

The Trout Shop
275 Bridge Street
Craig, MT 59648

Profit Pages helps make your site amazing!

Profit Pages makes it easy to build beautiful, customer friendly websites. Sites built with Profit Pages are more user friendly, bring in more sales, and bring back more repeat customers.

Profit Pages helps make your site amazing!

Profit Pages makes it easy to build beautiful, customer friendly websites. Sites built with Profit Pages are more user friendly, bring in more sales, and bring back more repeat customers.

Profit Pages helps make your site amazing!

Profit Pages makes it easy to build beautiful, customer friendly websites. Sites built with Profit Pages are more user friendly, bring in more sales, and bring back more repeat customers.

Business Name

House of Fly, LLC
275 Bridge Street
Craig, MT 59648

Business Contact

The Trout Shop
275 Bridge Street
Craig, MT 59648
Toll Free: 800-337-8528
International: +-406-235-4474
thetroutshop.com
info@thetroutshop.com

Registered Business Names

Missouri River Trout Shop
The Trout Shop
Trout Shop
The Trout Shop Outpost

Close (esc)

Search services

Use this popup to embed a mailing list sign up form. Alternatively use it as a simple call to action with a link to a product or a page.

More info

Age verification

By clicking enter you are verifying that you are old enough to consume alcohol.

Search

Shopping Cart

Your cart is currently empty.
Shop now