Glacier’s Borderlands
The nose-diving U.S. economy has persuaded many families in recent years to put costly and exotic vacation plans on hold, and travel a little closer to home. Visitors to Yellowstone National Park, for example, reached record-breaking levels in 2009.
The northwest corner of Big Sky Country is another one of these close-to-home, family-friendly destinations that has garnered much of my attention in recent years, and for good reason. Kalispell, Flathead Lake, and Glacier National Park are all nearby, and the area is also home to some of the most underrated and unpressured trout fishing in the state, mainly because fly fishers passing through with their families rarely give in to their impulses to wet a line.
The North and Middle forks of the Flathead make up the western and southern borders of Glacier National Park (making them incredibly scenic), are roadside accessible, and are the perfect getaway if you’re already in the area and need to satiate that need to work a dry fly along a seam in a river. The native cutthroat in these unspoiled rivers are eager to please—something to remember if you’re introducing the next generation of fly fishers to the sport.
Middle Fork
The Middle Fork begins in the Great Bear Wilderness at the juncture of Strawberry and Bowl creeks, though few anglers venture this far since access is by foot or horse. Shafer Meadows is a popular starting point for kayakers and rafters riding the early season water downstream, camping along the way.
U.S. 2, Bear Creek, and the Middle Fork of the Flathead all converge at the Bear Creek Trailhead approximately five miles south of Essex, creating the uppermost point anglers can access the river by automobile. From here, the river worms northwest, paralleling U.S. 2 for most of the way. Conveniently, the gradient also relaxes in this area, making it suitable for fly fishing.
While regulations prohibit angling within a 100-yard radius of Bear Creek’s mouth, wading anglers can either work upstream toward the wilderness or meander downstream. Some floating anglers use the trailhead as a put-in, taking out at the Essex (Walton) Bridge. If you have a pontoon boat or small raft, this stretch has terrific scenery and floats past the Goat Lick—a popular natural landmark where salt minerals leach from the ground, attracting wildlife.
From the Essex Bridge to Paola, approximately 10 miles downstream, is a great stretch of river for anglers when flows drop around mid-July. It’s much safer to float and wade, and the fish are more eager to rise to dry flies in lower flows. Floating and wading anglers find easy access at both sites, and since most of the whitewater junkies prefer the runs closer to West Glacier, you’ll encounter slightly less rafting traffic, especially later in the summer.
There is a parking area, restroom, and unimproved beach for unloading or loading a boat on the west side of the Essex Bridge. The Paola access is a large, rocky bar on the west side of the river, and it’s a rough ride if you’re loading or unloading a boat so four-wheel-drive comes in handy.
One reason I enjoy this stretch is the abundance of structure and consecutive riffle-pool-riffle-pool runs. Look for fish near tributary mouths (the tributaries themselves are generally closed to angling) and at the heads of the pools where cooler, oxygenated water washes over the gravel and runs into the head of the pool. I’ve had my best success in these areas drifting dry flies over the transition from shallow to deep water.
The river downstream through the John F. Stevens Canyon to West Glacier intersects the Nyack, Cascadilla Flat, Moccasin, and Ousel access sites, but the whitewater rapids between sites make them more popular with thrill-seekers than fly fishers.
The area from Cascadilla Flat to Moccasin is easier to navigate by boat, but there are a few Class II rapids, so proceed with caution. From Moccasin downstream, the river grade drops an average of 35 feet per mile over five miles and there are some gnarly Class III chutes. It’s rough water, but fishing opportunities are available. Whitewater chutes and obstacles like boulders and uprooted trees make it unsafe for inexperienced oarsmen and hard-sided drift boats, so it’s not a bad idea to hire an outfitter, someone familiar with the character of the lower river, before attempting to fish it on your own.
The river slows considerably outside the canyon just before West Glacier, and floaters have the option of taking out near the West Glacier Golf Course, just downstream of the West Glacier entrance, or at Blankenship Bridge, where the North and Middle forks merge. Aside from the designated access points mentioned above and marked along the road, there are other foot-access areas along U.S. 2, and as long as you’re mindful of private property boundaries, it’s not tough to find pulloffs to access the river.
Another option is to cross the river using the old Glacier Park Bridge (follow Old Bridge Road east before entering the park). Decades ago the bridge was the main crossing for entering Glacier National Park, but now it’s a footbridge, and once on the north side of the river, you can follow a trail upstream for a few miles to find a bounty of solitude and eager cutthroat.
North Fork
The North Fork begins its journey in the Canadian Rockies, and once it crosses the international line, it forms the western boundary for Glacier National Park and becomes a designated Wild and Scenic River. It flows through high mountain meadows with scenic views of the park’s peaks looming in the background, and the opportunity to look up and see the peaks of Glacier National Park glowing at sunset is alone worth the trip.
As on the Middle Fork, few anglers venture into the upper reaches. It’s not because the river begins deep in the heart of wilderness, it’s because it requires the daunting task of driving the North Fork Road (MT 486), a dirt thoroughfare often regarded as the most rugged in northwest Montana.
In my opinion, the scenery and isolation are worth the drive, but bring a spare tire. From the U.S./Canadian border downstream to Polebridge, the river is an intimate piece of water with braids and channels where wading anglers have no problem finding likely fish-holding pools and structure, especially during the low flows of late summer.
While the road veers from the river at long intervals, look for access points at the border (U.S. agents mind the fences so think twice about working too far upstream), Ford, Round Prairie Access, Mud Creek Campground, Whale Creek, and the area just north of Polebridge near the Glacier National Park entrance of the same name. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can pack camping gear in a raft, put in at the international border, and float more than 70 miles downstream to Blankenship Bridge, overnighting on the riverbank along the way. Not many rivers can boast 70 miles of undammed trout water, one of many reasons why this river is so special.
Whatever distance you float, plan to do your own shuttle or pay through the nose. Rafting companies in West Glacier offer shuttle services but they are expensive.
On the other hand, if you prefer to leave the planning and preparation up to professionals, a few fly-fishing outfitters in the area have the proper Forest Service permits and offer overnight packages where they take care of the details, leaving you to simply enjoy the fishing and the backdrop.
If you’re traveling on the North Fork Road, the historic Polebridge area is an oasis of sorts. The Polebridge Mercantile (406-888-5105) offers cabins for rent, refreshments, and a bakery.
A few miles south is Home Ranch Bottoms (406-888-5572), another pit stop complete with accommodations, food, and even a small saloon. The Polebridge Bridge (near the Glacier National Park entrance) is a great place to access the river on foot or to unload rafts.
Farther downstream, the area around Cole Creek, Quartz Creek, Camas Creek Bridge (another park entrance), Big Creek Campground, Great Northern Flats, and Glacier Rim are other areas where reaching the river is unproblematic, though most of these sites are better suited for anglers on foot. The Big Creek Campground is the exception and includes a day-use area and boat ramp, and has sites for both tent and RV campers alike, complete with picnic tables, fire rings, and public outhouses.
If you camp at Big Creek, consider asking someone to drop you off at Camas Creek Bridge, then fish your way downstream back toward camp. Since the canyons of the lower river attract whitewater enthusiasts, the Big Creek Campground is a popular boat launch. Downstream from Glacier Rim the water isn’t as rough, and there are only a few Class I chutes before reaching Blankenship Bridge.
Copyright © 2012 Intermedia Outdoors
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