Martin City, Mont. Can you point to it on a map? Yeah, when Mark Fuller’s Wild Montana Anglers first joined as a TU Business member, I couldn’t either. It’s north of Kalispell and east of Columbia Falls, on the west slope of the Rockies. And it’s a wonderful place for the fly angler.
Mark Fuller is the owner and outfitter of Wild Montana Anglers. Mark came to the West to earn a biology degree with an emphasis in wildlife management at Western Colorado University. He began his guiding career in Gunnison, Colo., and never looked back. Guiding has taken him to Alaska, Colorado, Montana and Chile in search of the best trout fishing in the world. Always searching for that one river system to not just guide on, but grow old on, he found it in the Flathead Valley of Montana.
The Flathead River probably doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Everyone knows about the Missouri and its tributaries. Norman Maclean brought fame to the Clark Fork and the Blackfoot. But the Flathead is tucked away in the far northwest corner of the state, and it’s not one of the destination waters. It’s a is a large free flowing river that is generally fished from a boat. However, as the water recedes throughout the summer, the high elevation snow melt diminishes, and this large and broad river lends itself to great walk-and-wade fishing.
This is west slope cutthroat country, one of the last remaining strongholds for black-spotted west slopes. These gorgeous fish provide some of the most consistent dry fly fishing in Montana. From early spring until the snow starts to fall an angler can cast dry flies on the Flathead or its forks. Hatches on the river can be impressive, with good numbers of stoneflies, mayflies and caddis, along with a large variety of terrestrials. It’s trout fishing at its finest.
But fishing with Mark or the other guides at WMA isn’t just about catching beautiful fish. It’s about becoming connected to their home water. You’ll learn about the big, wild country known as the “Crown of the Continent” and the wild things and wild places of the land they love. Mark is an active member of Trout Unlimited, Back Country Hunters and Anglers, and many other outdoor organizations whose goals are to keep wild, pristine areas intact for future generations.
We’re proud to call Wild Montana Anglers a great TU Business member.
Wild Montana Anglers
Mark Fuller
Martin City, MT 59926
(406) 261-4343