We guide our fly fishing float trips on the Flathead River above Flathead Lake. The Flathead River begins at the confluence of the Middle Fork and North Fork of the Flathead River. Overall, the South Fork Flathead is a great trout stream, a place where anglers may expect good fishing, some solitude and gorgeous scenery. Fishing Reports, South Fork The river helps the BWO and mahogany dun activity by having a near constant flow ( 6050 cfs at Irwin, 6700 cfs at Heise, 3550 cfs at Lorenzo) of clear, cool water for several days, but it looks like a drop in flow out of Palisades is coming up. South Fork Flathead River Fly Fishing. There are some parts of the Middle, North, and South Fork Flathead River areas, which are part of government lands, so Montana Fishing Guides does not offer trips in those areas. Through the South Fork’s wilderness stretch, anglers are allowed three trout a day, none stretching longer than 12 inches, a limit that ensures good fishing in the future, but not necessarily the fishing of the past. That spring activity forces fish to burn severely limited energy reserves and some of them wither. This 5 or 6-day fishing excursion is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fish the famous South Fork Flathead River drainage. Montana Fly Fishing Experience guides are the some of the most experienced boatmen on this beautiful stretch of river. Since the water is so cold and clear, you have to be a qualified angler to land fish. Chubby chernobyls, PMXs, stimulators, and purple haze mayflies are our best selling flies for this river. Take, for instance, a recent trip I took to the South Fork with a couple friends. Above the lake, the Flathead River flows through the upper Flathead Valley, home to such popular towns as Whitefish and Kalispell. In doing so, those cutthroats exit prime feeding lanes and set up camp in marginal habitat. July Bull Trout Fishing Trip. Youâll never release the memories you catch here. This information is a basic run-down of the hatch schedule for the Flathead River. The South Fork has good numbers of 8”- 16” cutthroat. Our shop is conveniently located just one block from the South River, and we’re open 7 days a week. The wilderness mountain settings, clear waters, campfires, wilderness lakes and streams, and superb fishing will wash away worldly cares. The wilderness mountain settings, clear waters, campfires, wilderness lakes and streams, and superb fishing will wash away worldly cares. Fortunately, anglers atone for that average size in the number of fish landed and they find an overall experience they couldn’t dream of on the big-name streams, such as the Madison, Big Horn, Beaverhead or Yellowstone, where boat-launch lines are common and many fish wear multiple hook scars on their faces. The next cast brought a fish from bedrock to the top. Grizzly and black bears tempt the conscious from their dark, forested lairs, just off the trail and behind camp. This river flows through the Bob Marshall Wilderness and is loaded with native westslope cutthroat trout. Following is a description of that trip, with all the humor and trials thrown in. Stop by and introduce yourself. Every Year is slightly different. When fishing the South Fork, anglers can raise fish to bushy, attractor dry flies, such as the classic Royal Wulff. Fish from those streams drop to Flathead Lake during winter, just like the South Fork’s fish used to do, where they compete with bull trout and non-native fishes, such as Lake Superior whitefish, lake trout (also called mackinaws), northern pike, and rainbow trout. The South Fork, which is located east of Flathead Lake, is one of three major forks of the mainstem Flathead River. Typically, we start fishing both rivers in late June through September using dry flies. And, when you’re camping in the Bob Marshall, take all precautions with your food and camp—bears are numerous. Â 59911 About 20 miles into its journey, after flowing down the gentle, south-sloping gradient of the Flathead Basin floor, the river empties into Flathead Lake. It almost seems like a prerequisite for the fishing trips we take is this: They must be sure-bets so we can strain as much from our time as possible. Bull trout are gorgeous, pale-sided, pink-spotted, orange-finned fish that frequent the South Fork’s deepest pools and they are prone to attack streamers, such as double-bunnies, muddler minnows and woolhead sculpins. River system You can’t just say one day, I’m going to fish the South Fork and race up there. In addition, they find an adequate winter food supply. These days when I propose a fishing trip they are likely to say, “For reasons outside my control, I can’t.” I want them to say, “Where do we meet?” When I hear the former I say, “Who wears the pants in your family?”. The South Fork of the Flathead River is a major river in Northwestern Montana. Large streamers are typically in order when targeting the bull trout. By July (usually by the Fourth of July), most of the South Fork’s cutthroat have spawned and they return to the main river just as high water recedes. Areas suitable to camping with horses, such as the Big Salmon Lake area, endure serious angling pressure. The South Fork is a cutthroat-trout laden stream that flows through the pristine, densely forested Bob Marshall Wilderness, a one-million acre chunk of protected turf that offers a quintessential western fly-fishing experience—a level of solitude in wild country with naïve trout taken on nothing more representative than bushy attractor dry flies. This is when life gets good for the South Fork’s cutthroats and its fly-fishers. Placid, trusting mule deer wander into camp, feeding on meadow grass and wildflowers. —GT, My forest of fly-fishing friends is thinning. The bull trout in the South Fork of the Flathead River are primarily meat eaters. We set up camp in a grove of aspens just 30 yards from the stream. The river also offers bull trout, which can range past 30 inches, and you can legally fish them in this river, if you have a special bull trout permit, which you can buy over the counter. Donât forget your camera on this adventure. BWOs â #16-20 (pale olive body grey wing) Dry Fly â Para Adams, Para Haze, Sparkle, Dun, Marabou Cripple Fly fishing the South Fork of the Flathead River should remain a favorite for the explorer type of angler for a long time. The South Fork of the Flathead River is one of the few places in the Lower 48 where it is legal to target bull trout. Discharge The Flathead River flows through the broad and beautiful Flathead Valley near Glacier National Park, Whitefish, MT, and Bigfork, MT. Snow-pack, run-off, and weather conditions can alter the hatch times considerably. Recall, brown trout came from Europe in the late 1880s and rainbows arrived from California. The Flathead is unique because it remains one of the few primarily native Westslope Cutthroat Trout fisheries left. These aren’t the largest trout you’ll ever see, but they average about 10 inches and stretch up to 17 or 18 inches on the large end. Access is via horseback, backpacking, or day hiking into the watershed. They’re not stupid. The Flathead River system is comprised of the North Fork, Middle Fork, South Fork and the main Flathead River which is formed when the Middle Fork and South Fork come together just South West of Hungry Horse, MT. The South Fork of the Flathead is known in the fly fishing world as the mecca for dry-fly cutthroat trout fishing. But, critics add, those fish are “stupid” and offer little challenge to the advanced angler. Until 2004 bull trout were totally protected in the South Fork drainage and directed fishing for them was deemed illegal. You will flip too, over the remarkable fly fishing here in Montana and the restful solitude found at this Orvis endorsed fly fishing lodge. South Fork Flathead River. Today, fishing for South Fork bull trout, which range to 10 pounds or more, is allowed between the third Saturday in May and August 15. Challenge is a perfect description for the life that South Fork cutthroats lead. The South Fork is a cutthroat-trout laden stream that flows through the pristine, densely forested Bob Marshall Wilderness, a one-million acre chunk of protected turf that offers a quintessential western fly-fishing experience—a level of solitude in wild country with naïve trout taken on nothing more representative than bushy attractor dry flies. This river begins in the Bob Marshall Wilderness south of Glacier National Park, at the confluence of two streams, Danaher Creek and Young’s Creek, between the Flathead Mountain Range and the Swan Mountain Range. However, much of the South Fork sees little pressure. The South Fork of the Flathead River is a truly remote stream. Columbia River, Outfitted by Chris McCreedy Bull elk, with antlers rubbed chocolate brown on massive cedars and spruce, slip through brushy, huckleberry-bush laden forests. Here the Flathead River flows through the upper Flathead Valley, home to such popular towns as Whitefish, Columbia Falls, and Kalispell, MT. Wilderness is wilderness and enforcement of that regulation is nearly impossible. The east side road (through Martin City) is straighter but gets more traffic. The reservoir trends north then northwest, and the river then passes through the arched Hungry Horse Dam, just a few miles above the mouth. These hatches move up the stream and last until late July. If I remember correctly, the first cast rose a fish, but I was too startled to set the hook. Remember, cutthroats are the only native trout found in Montana, minus a few smallish rainbows living in the northwest corner of the state. For some 40 miles (64Â km), the river flows freely north-northwest, meandering through a forested and undeveloped valley. Required fields are marked *, You may use these HTML tags and attributes:
, All Time 10 Best Fly-Fishing Nymphs for the Rocky Mountains. Hike-in anglers are free to fish anywhere they please, however far away from the main trails their feet and mindset are willing to take them. This 5 or 6-day fishing excursion is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fish the famous South Fork Flathead River drainage. The fishing in the South Fork of the Flathead River is, quite simply, excellent above Hungry Horse Reservoir for cutthroat trout, especially the portion of the river that lies in the wilderness area. The three forks converge near Columbia Falls, Montana and become the main stem of the Flathead River. ... South Fork Flathead: ... 8:53. The South Fork of the Flathead, located in the heart of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, is a horsepack in/float out trip of 5-7 days, putting you over feisty Cutthroats to 22â³ and âBull Troutâ to 15 pounds. 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