[Guest]

Not looking for GPS coordinates or anything but some direction and conditions would be helpful. My niece is getting married September 11 in Kalispell so my local knowlege fellow (her fiance) will, shall we say, be otherwise occupied.

I should have most of the day on Friday the 10th.

Thanks.

 

[Builder]

You could head down south to the Swan. I spent 20 years there and while the brush is tough there can be some decent fishing and you will have seclusion. Standard attractors along the undercut banks, nymph the riffles. There aren't a lot of bugs in the river. I fish it quick, finding the fishy water , hitting it and move on. Access is great as the river flows mostly through Forest Service land and Plum Creek Timber land , which is open. There are also numerous small creeks all along the valley floor . This is protected Bulltrout country in the moving water but Swan Lake may be open for them still. Watch for Grizzlies and enjoy the some of the nicest folks on earth.

 

[Rick Sharp]

You can bank/wade fish the south fork flathead in between Columbia Falls and Hungry Horse, parking is all along the highway and easy fishing. Look for the boat ramps, FAS as they call it along that area, cutties on dry's right now, probably be a nymph feeding fest if it gets cold enough (two nymph setup under a bobber) by mid September and if you want to take a drive and get away from everyone you can take the east side access road along hungry horse reservoir for 48 miles back to fish the Spotted Bear River as well. West Slope Cutthroat and they are not to picky on what you present just get it in the right spot and you'll have fun. C&R only in that area but it's isolated and pristine waters.

 

[Alexander]

I used to live in Whitefish. Hit the Flat Head the northfork and hit 'em with hoppers and droppers. The waters there are cold, glacier fed, not many bugs in the water so the fish are willing. They will take dries all day long. If you want to get into some bigger fish, go leech patterns, olive or black. Like I said, there are plenty of fish and they are plenty hungry, the water is clear and whether there are hoppers or not, they will work. Take my word for it, orange, yellow, brown foam hopper patterns, if you want to go single. if you wanna toss a double rig drop a nymph below it.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Guys for the VERY good info, I love that part of the world and tell my wife all the time it's a good thing she didn't take me there before we moved to Vancouver or that's where we would be living. She is pretty smart that way.

 

[J Wood]

Hmmm....lots of options here. It would benefit you if you had any means of getting a pontoon. I think the fly shop in Columbia Falls might rent them. If you had that and some experience floating, I would float and fish the Middle Fork of the Flathead from Paola Creek access to the Cascadia access. It is an amazingly beautiful float as well as usually having good quality fishing for native Cutts. Flows are low this time of year but you should have some experience floating to do it and it would be much safer to have another boater with you. The float is also a pretty long one, probably 6 hours depending on how long you stop along the way.

All the other options here are solid, the SF of the Flathead would be #1 but it takes about 2 hours or more to get there from Kalispell.

 

[rknewt]

Another option, upper end of the Thompson (in the meadows). I just fished this Sunday evening. Easy access, skinny water (you need to be stealthy), not huge fish but alot of them.
A 1-1/2 to 2 hr drive and you can float the Koot.

 

[J Wood]

The Thompson is a good river but sometimes it is closed in August due to high water temps. Check on that before you head out if that is your choice. The guys at Snappy's on the east end of Kalispell are helpful. It's a sporting goods store but they do have a big fly section of the store and you can get your license there.

 

[rknewt]

J, good point.

Also if needed, check here for any closures:

http://fwp.mt.gov/fishing/guide/waterClosure.html

 

[Bitter Rocklark]

Consider Rogers Lake if you want to try something different. Its full of artic grayling

 

[Be Jofus G]

A new fly shop just opend up in kalispell. Montana Mystique Fly shop. I don't know if they have rafts for rent or not, but they do have a guide. They're on airport road about 1/4 mile past the end of main street. Right hand side, don't blink or you'll miss it.

 

[Dave Hartman]

If it was any other weekend, you could jump in my boat. But I'll be in Vegas for my anniversary. . .
PM me as the time gets closer, and I should have a spot or two for you to check out.