Wife hit me up with the idea of going to Montana for our aniversery which is memorial day week end.She was looking at taking a week off and road tripping with the fishing poles and camping gear out of the car or posiblly a rented SUV.I have not realy been any where but here and Alaska so am at a loss for planning a trip.I guess I am looking for the some help finding the quiet little zipper lip experiences as I have only a week to explore and am a bit of a recluse.I am not use to asking for this kind of information,it makes me a bit uncomfortable.I am not looking for the good fishing as much as a few spots that I can be alone and do a little exploring with some rewards.Good scenery a little wild life etc...PLEASE!!!

Hey bro, I don't know about the zipperlip (see other releated post) but I do have a montana native working for me that was on a few pro curicuts in that area. If you let me know where you are going and what your looking for I know he will ramble about info (you know the good old boys) about what,where and when. Let me know.

Hey Cleo,

Not sure how much of a zipper it is as I recall reading an STS article on this little creek just the other side of Missoula, it flows into the Clark Fork river. Deer Creek?? Beaver Creek?? I'll get back to you with the name...It's the one with the small red Casino that says "We sell Rocky Mountain Oysters" in giant letters

My girlfriend at the time and I spent two days on that little Creek and had a great time, there were a few fly fisherman about and an RV park that had a few campsites...I'll send you a link when I find it on the map...

stl,2o - that's Rock Creek. It's a good trout flyfishing stream. My Dad used to take my bro and I up that creek and also on the Clarkfork near where it dumps into to it, when we were kids. Like the famous Blackfoot R., it isn't the trophy fishery it used to be, but still good.

CLEO, your biggest challenge the last week in May is going to be high cold water from one of the bigger spring runoffs in years. I suggest calling the Chamber of Commerce in Missoula and Kalispel to get phone numbers for tackle and fly shops that can give you ideas ahead of time, as well as the current conditions and best bets just before your trip. One of the best blue ribbon classed trophy 'bow rivers in the world is the Kootenai River - best fished from below the dam on down for many miles to the confluence with the Yak R. (the Yak is also a good smaller fly fishing river). Good scenery and wildlife in that area - including griz if you know where to look (or to avoid , they can be a little cranky after the winter's hybernation). If the rivers are just too high and cold, there are lots of lakes to fish; with boat rentals common, as are bank fihsing spots. Two of the better lakes are Kookanuska, up the Kootenai R. from the northwest town of Libby. It has 'bows, and has one of the best kokanee fisheries (landlocked sockeye salmon). And the "Big Lake", Flathead Lake, from Kalispel to Bigfork to Poulson is full of good fish. You can rent boats in a number of places. It helps to have downriggers to fish deep for the big 'lakers' (Mackinaw lake trout), as well as the other trout and salmonid species in the lake. But you can fish from the bank for hungry cruising spring trout near shore. A big runoff shouldn't goof that fishery up too much (I think). After checking out the great little tourist trap mod/rustic town of Big Fork, head up to the small towns of West Glacier and Apgar on the west side of Glacier National Park. When the spring weather clears, about every other day (hopefully), you will see unsurpassed scenic mountain beauty! The Nothern Rockies with spring snowcap there is awesome!!! More pristine than the Canadian Rockies and Alaska even. But you won't be able to take the high road over Logan Pass there until it melts off by mid-June or so. IMHO, it's the most awesome natural scenery in the world up that pass! I've been up thru the 'Icefields Parkway' from Banff to Jasper Alberta in the Canadian Rockies and up the AK Hwy, and nowhere do you get as high up in the crags as on that road up to Logan Pass (called 'Going To The Sun' Hwy - 50 miles one way). ...

Guess you can tell I'm a fanatic about that area? I'm a native from NW Montana, and it's easy to get carried away with it. I love it there.

Thanks RT - I bow to your far superior knowledge.

Sorry I didn't get back to you faster cleo, I had some compy probs. last night but I finally got them all squared away, but RT beat me to the punch

I was in Missula(not spelled right) several years ago in June and the rivers were high then. The Clark fork was running brown at that misspelled town. But Rock Creek was running clear.

Boy,now that a mis-namer. RockCreek is bigger that some of our rivers. I bought flies at the local fly shop. Grissly Hackle in that misspelled town. There is also a tackle shop right on the Creek. Would like to go back there and fish but I would wait until later in the year. Jim S.

I have found in my travels in Montana that the rivers "the famous ones anyway" are over rated, crowded, and at the time of year you are going washed out. On the other hand, if you have a float tube you can get into some of the best trout fishing in the world. Why I am telling you this I don't know... If you want a place that is as pretty as any on earth, has fish that will knock your socks off " all wild" and is never very crowded, give Wade lake a try. In that general area, you will find all kinds of things to do. You can take the wife into West Yellowstone for a day, you can go into Idaho and take a look at the Henrys lake/ Island park area. After that head on over to Jackson hole and take a look at the Tetons.. outstanding..

This area of Montana/ Idaho can be really fickle at that time of year. Back in my fly fish or die days I used to haul my wife to places where it was all about fishing regardless of the weather and turned her into a crying mess more than once. She never really minded the trip I have outlined for you however because there was always someplace close by that was "about her"... Good luck whatever you decide !!!

I spent a summer as in intern with Burlington Northern RR in Livingston in 1978. The Yellowstone and the Shield Rivers were excellent and didn't get much traffic at the time. Dan Bailey's Fly Shop is a good reference: http://www.dan-bailey.com/.
Those were the days- work, fish, release all but one 14 incher, cook and eat it, then play five card low stud with the locals till bedtime. Simple is good.

when you get closer to memorial day check out www.grizzlyhackle.com basesd in missoula they post river reports daily. Like RT said, you will be at the mercy of the weather. The runoff should be in full swing by then and most of the good fishing is in the lakes. smaller streams fall into fishing shape earlier and a few good spots have been named above
good luck, have fun, be careful.

Thanks for all the information guys! This is more than I expected.

RT: I forgot you were from montana.I hope I am not making ya home sick.No sheep jokes guys!

I figured the snow melt would be a factor.I tried to move the trip away from memorial day week end,further into summer but Tammy is set on that week end.

She is quite the outdoorsmen herself.She is from PA and her family has always been active in the outdoors.She actually had a couple of her own secret spots when we first got together!

B-run steely: I checked out wade lake briefly on the web.You definately have gem there.How do ya say perfect!

OldMan
; rock creek is a creek like dewatto and tahuya are rivers

The websites are a wealth of information,I know what I am doing to night....

Now if I could just find my atlas...?

THANKS AGAIN
Greg

Greg ----- Forget fishing, just eat oysters.

Actually there are some lakes on the Blackfoot reservation (Glacier Park area) that have awesome fly fishing for huge fish from float tubes, (maybe even gear also). It's something to check out and closer to home than 'Jellystone'. That's a very busy holiday.

Greg ----- Forget fishing, just eat oysters.

Actually there are some lakes on the Blackfoot reservation (Glacier Park area) that have awesome fly fishing for huge fish from float tubes, (maybe even gear also). It's something to check out and closer to home than 'Jellystone'. That's a very busy holiday. (Buffalo Lk I think)

Too bad you can't go in September. That's when they have that Rocky mountain oyster feed at Rock Creek. Bull balls.

I usually head to montana on memorial weekend to visit friends and fish. mostly pike and bass but this year i want to try to find a grayling.

CRUNCH...CRUNCH...CRUNCH..CRUNCH...MMMM

Now I remember, duh, Duck Lake.

I have been to the Blackfoot indian res several times around Browning. Duck, Mitten, Kipps all good lakes. But as I mentioned before, thats where I turned my wife into a blubbering mess. The wind blows so hard up there that the outhouses are staked to the ground so they don't blow over. If it was a guy trip that would be in my top three Montana list. But you gotta stop and smell the roses when its a family thing.. and there are no roses so to speak in that area.

I'll never forget what my wife said to me when we were there " You took me here because you love to fish and you hate me... I am going home, with or without you"...

RT is right about one thing. The going to the sun road is outstanding. Something everyone should see at least once.

Clark Canyon Reservoir at the top of the Beaverhead in the SW corner and Henry's Lake, more towards West Yellowstone would be good bets. To get away from the crowds, try Cliff and Wade Lakes off the Madison, below Ennis (spectacular scenary) The Anaconda settling ponds just off I-90 near Anaconda of course have had monster fish in them.
Pick up Steve Probasco's or Greg Thomas' books on Montana...pretty helpful. Or, just send RT a plane ticket and he can meet you in Missoula!