How will I keep my phone/camera/other valuable items safe from the elements? Casual, comfortable athletic clothing, hiking shoes, hat and light jacket. Aug 15, 2019. We recommend the most convenient lodging, which is usually where orientation is held and where group transportation will pick up and drop off guests before and after the trip. Each fishing boat will carry one or two fishermen with a professional fishing guide and a fishing-specific standing frame. If there is an odd number in your group we will not make you share a tent with a stranger. We do not have a packer or wrangler fee and do not charge for any animals that the packers or wranglers are riding or any pack animals we need to pack in our gear for staying over night. What if there is a family emergency back home? A safe time frame to fish the river is between July 15 and October 15. This remote valley deep in the Bob Marshall Wilderness is home to extraordinary wildlife, including elk, moose, wolf, eagles, mountain goats, grizzly and black bear. If possible, long duffle bags are preferred for packing gear in. The South Fork is formed from the junction of Danaher Creek and Young's Creek and runs for 45 miles due north, fed by dozens of small tributaries, where it exits the wilderness near Spotted Bear Ranger Station. It's a river offering a return to our fly-fishing infancies when camping and camaraderie, incredible scenery and seclusion, and catching nave trout on bushy dry flies was more paramount than the opportunity for a 20-incher. If you park at the trailhead for an extended foray into the wilderness, pop your vehicle's hood and leave it up. Learn to tie the versatile Hare's Ear with master tier Charlie Craven. We like to maintain a flexible schedule. Let our professional fishing guides show you one of the most remote, trout-filled rivers in Montana on a fishing specific South Fork Flathead trip in the heart of Montanas backcountry. *This story was originally titled "Glacier's Borderlands: Do-it-yourself adventures on the North and Middle forks of the Flathead.". The South Fork is formed from the junction of Danaher Creek and Young's Creek and runs for 45 miles due north, fed by dozens of small tributaries, where it exits the wilderness near Spotted Bear Ranger Station. Copyright 2023 Wilderness River Outfitters. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. In years of heavy precipitation it may not fall into shape until after the July 4 holiday. If you are interested for a drop camp trip for hiking and fishing, the cost would be doubled for pickup and return. Almost everyone walks out the 3 miles from mid creek to meadow creek trailhead. South Fork Flathead River packrafting. The Flathead River represents the combined flow of hundreds of headwater creeks funneled from the glacial cirques of Glacier National Park and other wild places within the U.S. and Canada. For most trips you will need two pairs of shoes, one to wear in the boats and one to wear hiking and around camp. Site identification number Each site in the USGS data base has a unique 8- to 15-digit identification number. And how will any future camping cuisine compare to the food we experienced on this journey? Wonderful, gourmet backcountry cooking! A lack of preparedness can get you lost, injured, or killed. The reservoir is more than 50 miles long, created by the 460-foot Hungry Horse Dam. The put in and pack in are trip dependent, as different outfitters have different preferences. All Fly Fisherman subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. What size and type of sleeping pad does WRO provide? This trip includes a two-day, 25-mile horseback ride (or hike) to access the remote South Fork Flathead. If horseback riding, you should not wear a backpack, but keep water bottles, rain jacket and packed lunch loose to be placed in saddle bags. Use as your home location. Seth has worked hard to make the trip work for ALL of us. The river also runs through a deep, nearly impassable gorge for several miles (called Meadow Creek Gorge) just upstream of the pack bridge, thus forcing anglers to go further upstream to fish. Bull trout hang near the bottom of deep pools, especially if there's a tributary nearby depositing fresh, cold, clean water. I believe those reports, but today fish average between 8 and 14 inches with an occasional 17- to 20-inch fish. That's what I've learned during my forays to northwest Montana's South Fork of the Flathead Rivera wild cutthroat fishery that flows through the largest chunk of designated wilderness in the Lower 48. Nighttime temperatures, even during the short summer months, frequently plummet below freezing. Old running sneakers can also work well as river shoes. If you are bringing a large, expensive camera, we recommend you bring a hard waterproof case in which to store it and accessories. Once in the interior, a person can spend months traversing the 2000 miles of trails that criss-cross this vast wilderness area. Contact us to ask about your child age and river dates. The rest of your gear will be packed up the afternoon before the trip. Meanwhile, clients will ride in from the Lodgepole trailhead, which is a 23 mile ride to the confluence. Yes, there are usually outdoor stores located fairly close to all the hotels we recommend or on the way to the river. Lazy J Bar O Outfitters, Big Timber, MT 59011, United States. We can provide an empty dry bag to store your sleep kit in. Regardless of where you enter the Bob, the South Fork is a wade fishermans dream. In addition to guided fly fishing, we offer drop float trips on the South Fork of the Flathead River. You are welcome to stay wherever youd like as long as you are at 1) orientation the evening before your trip and 2) your trips designated pickup location ready for departure the morning your trip begins. As a family, we spend a fair share of time enjoying the outdoors of Montana. Groups of 4 or more will average 1.5 pack animals per person when using traditional rafts with frames and regular food. Operating under permit with the Custer Gallatin National Forest. Unlike trout in fertile tailwater and meadow streams, they endure the nuances of high and low flows. We provide transportation back to Kalispell from either the Meadow Creek trailhead after a three mile hike if not running the gorge (1 hour hike, 3 hour drive plus mule packing gear unload), or from the Spotted Bear Bridge takeout (3 hour drive) if rafting the gorge. We love our trips with this company! Our sleep kits consist of a "Therm-a-rest" pad, a 20 degree sleeping bag, a pack-able pillow, and a ground cloth. The South Fork of the Flathead River begins deep in the heart of Bob Marshall Wilderness complex, one of the nations largest designated wilderness areas. Several guide services located around the Bob provide packing services, and can pack in gear for the floaters without a horse. Feel the exhilaration of puckering whitewater rushing through a narrow gorge. A third access begins on the North Fork of the Blackfoot drainage on the southern end of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. How does the bathroom system work during the trip? For example a group of 10 going in and they will only be using 2 pack animals for all 10. The South Fork of the Flathead River is Montanas crown jewel in terms of remote rivers. Guests will need to arrange to meet us the day before their scheduled trip to drop off the gear by 2:00pm. Seth Tonsmeire is the licensed fishing outfitter in the State of Montana number #40842. If I listened to the pessimists about how angling pressure on that stream is unbearable and that the fish aren't what they used to be, I would have missed one of the most quintessential camping and fly-fishing experiences an angler can find in Montana. This has important implications. Backpack or let the horses carry your gear and wear only a light daypack. Rain is always possible, but trips earlier in the season are more likely to see precipitation and/or cooler temperatures than mid to late summer trips. This section of wilderness is absolutely remote, but with WRO I felt completely safe and in good hands. Day 8:If we run the gorge, the final day we will have lunch on the river and take-out by mid-day at Spotted Bear Bridge. Each trip is tailored to the desires of the guests, but generally we will be on the water a total of 5 or so hours each day (give or take a couple of hours), broken by a lunch stop and any other side adventures. While most anglers wade-fish the South Fork, floating is an option. Weather is highly changeable, with summer snows not uncommon. The rapids are rated class 2 and 3, making for a fun and . Most people credit the river's decline to increased pressure, and they are probably correct. The fishing is frosting on an already tasty cake. The experience is authentic wilderness with delicious meals cooked over a fire (most outfitters use propane) - and the team knows the story of the geology, the flora and fauna and the people that lived along these great rivers. We pack you, your gear and your float equipment to the confluence of Youngs and Danaher Creeks where the South Fork of the Flathead River begins. Pretty much any caddis fly or mayfly imitation in size 10-14 works just fine. You will need IGBC Approved coolers for food storage. We generally suggest 12 years old as a minimum for this particular trip due to the length of the hike/ trail ride and the possibility of running Meadow Creek Gorge. The drive back to Kalispell is about 3 hours. They will not pamper you but will instead tease out your best self to feel as if you belong in the wilderness. WRO operates under special use permits on the Salmon-Challis and Flathead National Forests. There will be plenty of time to fish at lunch or at camp, but your on-river fishing will be more limited. The South Fork of the Flathead is known in the fly fishing world as the mecca for dry-fly cutthroat trout fishing. From the Rich Ranch, well get an early start for our drive to the Pyramid or Holland Lake trailhead. Wildlife, Whitewater Rafting, Fishing, Hiking, Backpacking, Horseback Riding, Rafting, 8 Days, 43 miles of river, 22-29 miles of trail, Hike/ trail ride through Bob Marshall Wilderness, High adventure whitewater (Meadow Creek Gorge section). With these trips being in the middle of the summer, the temperatures are very pleasant and walk-and-wade fishing from the bank and on side streams can be done without waders. The South Fork Flathead above the Meadow Creek gorge is mostly scenic, with small sections of mellow class II whitewater, so you will not be getting wet that often on this trip versus some of our more whitewater-oriented trips. We do not provide soda or alcohol, except for one night which is a fiesta night in which we provide drinks. From the take out point, it is a three-mile walk to the Meadow Creek Trailhead. We will need to have our gear ready that evening or very early the next morning (especially if youve chosen to use horse support). Check out the full of story of Sage Indendi Johnson's journey from a path towards professional basketball to guiding in Alaska. S F Flathead R ab Twin C nr Hungry Horse MT. You'll be delighted by the river's gentle currents and scenic views and you can even bring a beverage or two to enjoy as you float down the waterway. Due to the remote setting and the difficulty and expense of bringing in rafts, the river is relatively free of floaters, allowing for a peaceful, scenic float. What shoes will I wear in the boat? River in Flathead NF, Bob Marshall Wilderness, Rocky Mountains in Hungry Horse, MT. Face and body wipes also work well for helping stay clean. You will be responsible for the cost of lodging and dinner here that is not included in the WRO trip cost. You will be responsible for the cost of lodging and dinner here that is not included in the WRO trip cost. You can usually reduce pack animals by 1 or sometimes2 for the takeout due to eating all of the food and being able to fill the empty coolers with other gear. Generally we will either pack 25 miles into Gordon Pass, in which you hike in from Holland Lake, or around 23 miles to Youngs Creek from Pyramid or Lodgepole Pass.

The True Francine, Redshift Special Characters, Axial Scx10 Iii Gladiator Accessories, Articles S