Setting things into motion

2016 is upon us. More quickly than I would really prefer, since for the last hum-tine years I have been saying to myself that when fishing and hunting seasons are over, I will spend a little more time in the outdoors doing things I truly enjoy such as fishing, hunting and skiing. Once again those activities haven't happened, but lots of progress has been made this off season, especially with the revamping our business marketing strategy. After winning the 2015 Orvis Endorsed Guide Service of the Year for the third time since starting Long Outfitting, I realized that this winter was the prefect time to set things into motion.

A new website and logo for Long Outfitting has been long overdue. Last year, I made a commitment to myself, my family, my guides, and our clients that change was on the horizon, and my old school way of doing business hasn't been the best way to keep up with change. Old school is good, when talking about taking care of clients, and doing business with a handshake. Those things won't go away, but when it comes to technological change, brand building, SEO and competition, it was time to catch up with the real world.

With help from marketing specialist, Rachel Anderson of Markouture in Livingston, Montana, everyone at Long Outfitting hopes that you enjoy the launch of our new website, as much as we enjoyed putting it all together for you. Fun times were spent searching through photos, reminiscing about past times on all the water, and dreaming about what next summer will bring. As always, a special thank you goes out to all of our great clients that allow us to guide you around the many special waters that we call our office in Montana. We couldn't be doing this without you.

For those of you kicking tires about planning a trip in 2016 to fish in Montana or Yellowstone National Park, now is the time to get your rear in gear. Organizing dates, guides, lodging, and transportation involves having a lot of stars to be in line to have your vacation planned to perfection. You need to remember that we operate in a destination location which can be quite busy during certain seasons, so the sooner we can get trips on the books, the easier it is on all of us.

Wondering when the best time to come out and fish? That can be one of the most difficult questions we field from potential clients. Snow pack levels and early summer weather patterns have a lot to do with when our freestone streams and rivers are clear and fishable, versus when they will be high and muddy with snow runoff. The most popular guide trip that we conduct is a drift boat trip down the Yellowstone. If that is on your bucket list, just stay away from mid-May through late June which is high water time. This time frame can vary by a couple of weeks, but with normal snowpack levels occurring in the mountains of Montana this winter, the timeframe should be a pretty good estimation. I am in no way trying to steer clients away from that time frame since we do have some great fishing then on several of our lakes and rivers, but the Yellowstone River is quirky enough some days, let alone throwing high water into the equation.

Give us a call anytime you need some help planning your next fishing trip of a lifetime, and thank you for your interest in a guide trip with Long Outfitting.

Until next time.

Matthew Long

owner/outfitter/guide