The School of Trout will host its fourth annual Spring Creek Trip in 2026. 

Event: Hosted spring creek Fly Fishing trip

DATES: april 26th - May 1st, 2026

LOCATION:  Paradise valley spring creeks near Livingston, Montana

Event SIZE: 8—1o SOT Alumni

INSTRUCTORs: Tim romano, Brant oswald, pat mccabe, Steve “Mac” McFarland & Todd tanner 

COST: $6,950 

DETAILS

Dates:  Sunday, April 26th — Friday, May 1st, 2026

Overview: Back in 2022, several of our SOT alumni asked about the possibility of School of Trout trips where both students and instructors could fish together. We hosted our first-ever trip to the Paradise Valley spring creeks in April of 2023, and we returned in 2024 and 2025. Because of the resounding success of those trips, we are heading back again in 2026. We’ve arranged for private access and top-notch guides on Armstrong Spring Creek, Nelson’s Spring Creek and DePuy Spring Creek in Montana’s Paradise Valley. Please keep in mind that this is not a class. Instead, it’s an opportunity for SOT alumni to travel to a beautiful location, enjoy stellar food & accommodations, soak in natural hot springs, and most importantly, fish to their heart’s content with School of Trout instructors as well as other alumni.

The Fishing:  This event offers SOT alumni the chance to experience three of America’s most acclaimed spring creeks. Armstrong’s, DePuy’s and Nelson’s are all exceptional private fisheries. We expect to have exclusive use of Armstong’s and DePuy’s for our small group — two days on Armstrong’s and two days on DePuy’s, with additional space on Nelson’s — and we’ll have stellar local guides on hand to provide whatever help is necessary. SOT alumni and instructors will arrive on Sunday, fish for four full days, and then depart on Friday. You should expect small streams, clear water, abundant fish and gorgeous scenery. While we can’t control the fishing, or the weather, late April is typically a wonderful time to explore the creeks. Oh, and we’ll also be a stone’s throw from the Yellowstone River. If anyone wants to spend a little time on the Yellowstone, we may be able to arrange for that as well. (Please keep in mind that this is a walk & wade trip. We will not be floating at all.)

Attendees: This hosted trip is exclusively for SOT alumni. We anticipate having space for 6 to 10 anglers. The trip is not open to the general public. (If an attendee wants to bring a spouse, a family member or a close friend, we are willing to explore that option if there’s space available.)

Instructors:  SOT instructors Tim Romano, Steve “Mac” McFarland, Brant Oswald, Pat McCabe and Todd Tanner are signed up to participate in this event. (Please don’t hesitate to visit our instructor’s page if a particular name isn’t familiar.) Brant, as many of you know, is a longtime spring creek specialist who spends an inordinate amount of time working on the Paradise Valley spring creeks. Todd and Pat are both passionate spring creek anglers. Tim had not fished the Paradise Valley before 2023 — but now that he’s spent time on the creeks, he’s looking forward to visiting them again. Mac, of course, loves to fish anywhere and everywhere.

Lodging:  We anticipate that everyone will stay at the historic Chico Hot Springs Resort.

Food:  All meals are included. We’ll be eating breakfast and dinner at Chico Hot Springs — you can see the dinner menu here — and we’ll have lunch on the creeks each day.

Drink:  We will provide beer & wine with dinner.

Instruction: We won’t be offering the instruction you’d typically receive at the School of Trout. That said, we do anticipate finding time for a bit of casting practice, and the instructors will be on hand to answer all your questions and talk fishing to your heart’s content.

After Hours: Kick back and relax; enjoy a soak in the hot springs; spend some time in the Chico saloon; take a drive into Livingston and explore the local nightlife … it’s your call. If there’s interest, we can also put together an evening fly tying demonstration or dive into the fine points of spring creek angling. (In 2023, and again in both 2024 and 2025, Dan and Doug Daufel of Montana Brothers Fly Rods came for dinner and shared their views on fly rods with our group.)

Gear:  We recommend that students bring appropriate spring creek fishing gear.  We will provide a list of recommended gear, clothing and equipment for anyone who is interested.   

Travel:  Students are responsible for the cost of travel to and from Montana’s Paradise Valley.  The closest airport is in Bozeman, Montana, which is approximately a one hour drive from where we’ll be staying. A second option would be Billings, Montana, which is approximately two hours and 15 minutes from our location.

Cost:  We anticipate that the cost for the 2026 hosted trip will be $6,950 per person, which is the same price as 2023, 2024 and 2025.  That includes food, drink, lodging, four full days of fishing, excellent local guides, and the opportunity to spend lots of time with our School of Trout instructors.

Not Included:  Attendees are responsible for purchasing their Montana fishing licenses as well as their travel expenses. We also expect everyone to tip the guides, as well as the staff at Chico Hot Springs — and to do so generously. Finally, late night excursions to Livingston, or “after hours” visits to the Chico saloon, are not included.

Recommended Items:  We can send a full list of what you'll need upon request.

Prerequisites: Participation in at least one School of Trout class.

Additional Info: Spring creek fishing is unique in that it affords us an unusually clear view into the trout’s world. We anticipate that you’ll see a number of fish in the water, and you’ll have an opportunity to watch trout feed both on the surface and below the surface. The fishing at the end of April can be diverse, with the possibility of sight fishing to rising browns and rainbows, as well as sight nymphing to trout feeding in the water column. You can even swing soft hackles or small streamers. While we can’t promise how many fish you’ll catch, we anticipate an absolutely wonderful time in the aptly-named Paradise Valley.

Attend:  If you're interested in joining us, please drop us a note or give us a call at your earliest convenience. This unique event will fill quickly.  

Deposits: A 50% deposit is required to secure your spot on our 2026 Spring Creek trip. If you plan to join us in Montana, please make your check for $3475.00 out to the “School of Trout, LLC” and mail it at your earliest convenience to School of Trout, 178 Wolf Creek Ranch Road, Bigfork, MT 59911.

Cancellation Policy: We require half of the cost of the trip as a deposit when an angler is accepted. Until that deposit is received, your attendance is neither confirmed nor guaranteed. The remainder is due on or before March 1st. All payments, including deposits, are nonrefundable unless the School of Trout is able to secure a replacement to fill your spot at the class. If a replacement is found, SOT will offer a full refund, less a 10% cancellation fee. While we will work to find a replacement in the event of a cancellation, we can not guarantee that we will be able to do so. As a result, we recommend that everyone who is accepted for a class purchases trip insurance that covers their costs in the event of a cancellation or another problem.