Montana as it was meant to be, uncrowded, unspoiled and EXCLUSIVE

 We offer the angler a special opportunity to chase the big, strong  trout of the relatively unknown stretch of the river.  The lower river  flows out of Flathead Lake at Polson, Montana. Flathead lake is the  largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River and has the  distinction of being one of the cleanest lakes in the United States. A  few miles downstream is the Salish Kootenai Qlispe dam. Although the  river flows through a dam, it is not a true "tailwater" in the classic  sense.  The south half of Flathead Lake has an average depth of 12', so  the water above the dam doesn't stratify, leaving the temperatures on  the lower river at the mercy of Mother Nature.  For that reason we do  most of our fishing in the spring before water temperatures climb into  the 70 degree range, and again in the fall when the temperatures cool.  This equates to roughly late February-early July except during very high  flows, the duration which varies on snowpack levels and percipitation,  and again from mid-September to sometime in December.  The trout fishery  and aquatic insect population has benefited tremendously from flow  regime restrictions placed on the dam in the early 2000's.  Since then  the lower river has quietly become a premier trout fishery with  populations increasing dramatically and average fish size rivaling many  of the famous trout rivers in Montana, along with the legitimate chance  at the fish of a lifetime.  During one electrofishing survey, a 29"  brown trout was caught, "worked" by the fisheries crew, and gently  released to ensure more world class fish would continue to inhabit these  waters. 

 Here at Native Waters Fly Fishing, we have spent a lot of time  chasing pike on the fly.  If you've never tried it, you owe yourself the  chance!  At certain times of the year, sight fishing to "laid up" pike  on the "flats" can be an adrenaline packed experience not soon  forgotten.  With pike, it's all about the take.  Imagine spotting a 3  foot pike in 12 inches of water, placing the fly in the right spot and  enticing the lightning quick and savage strike of the "water wolf".   While most pike average 5-6 pounds (which, by the way, are still an  absolute blast) pike to 40"+ have been taken.  Our personal best is a  43" female that was 20+ lbs.  She was way back on the flats in about 18"  of water.  We gently released her to ensure these apex predators  continue to offer an exciting experience for the adventurous angler. 

Craig was born and raised in his namesake town of Pablo MT.  He acquired his love of the outdoors, especially fishing, from his grandfather, the world renowned poet and Pearl Harbor survivor Thomas Pablo.  As a youngster he would go on fishing adventures in the numerous small creeks near his home.  After reading endlessly about flyfishing in numerous outdoor publications, he acquired his first fly rod at the age of 9, a hand-me-down Fenwick fiberglass 6 weight and he was "hooked" as the saying goes.  As he grew older, he graduated from the small streams to the bigger rivers of Montana. After high school, he decided to stay close to home and the rivers he loved, graduating from Salish Kootenai College with a degree in Environmental Science and Forest Management.  After a short career in forestry, Craig went to work for his Tribe's fisheries program.  During his time in the fisheries program, he spent most of his days on the river conducting data collection, implanting radio transmitters in various species and tracking tagged fish.  His experience working in the fisheries program and the countless days he's spent chasing the various species in the river has allowed him to gain intimate knowledge of the river that very few, if any other people posess.