Glacier Raft Company — Local services in West Glacier

I recently returned from what I would refer to as an “OTHER WORLDLY FANTASTIC” fly fishing trip guided by the “Glacier Anglers & Outfitters” into Montana’s Great Bear Wilderness on the Upper Middle Fork of the Flathead River.

Glacier Anglers & Outfitters is a branch of the “Glacier Raft Company,” which is itself a member of the “Pursuit Collection” of companies.

When I say the experience was “otherworldly fantastic” from a fly fishing perspective, that doesn’t do justice to the quality of the fly fishing you will encounter on this trip. If you are any kind of an experienced fly fisherman, you won’t have any problem at all in catching 50-100 fish—-PER DAY. You read that right. The fly fishing is like nothing you have ever experienced…and that is just the beginning.

I was privileged to get to know and be guided by four young men who worked tirelessly (and I mean tirelessly) and exceptionally hard to ensure that my experience was not just good, but EXCELLENT. Cam, Trevor, Elijah and Matt (who comically refer to themselves as “River Carnies”) were nothing short of exceptional in the performance of their guiding, hosting & caretaking duties. My safety, comfort and enjoyment ALWAYS came first. They prepared exceptional meals: pork tenderloin, fresh salmon, grilled steak, bisquits & gravy, and fresh baked cinnamon rolls (to name but a few of the delicious meals/items they prepared). All of this IN THE MIDDLE OF A NATIONAL WILDERNESS AREA WITH A COOKSTOVE, PORTABLE FIRE-PIT / GRILL AND A DUTCH OVEN, and ensured my comfort morning, noon and night. Their service to me as their client was nothing short of outstanding.

If you ever have the chance to treat yourself to what any fly fisherman would call “the fly fishing experience of a lifetime,” I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you do yourself the favor of booking a trip with Glacier Anglers & Outfitters, and even more highly recommend you request Cam, Trevor, Elijah & Matt as your guides. All are outstanding young men, exceptionally competent, and exemplary in their individual and collective commitment to the conservation and preservation of the fishery of the Upper Middle Fork of the Flathead River and Great Bear...

I wish I could post separate reviews, because we've had a few incredible dinner trips and most recently a not so great one. Every time the dinner is a highlight of the trip; perfectly cooked steak and all the fixins you could ask for, with an amazing riverside view. The past trips have been amazing with experienced guides who are attentive and focused on safety (never felt worried, never got stuck, never went through rapids backwards, never had a guide change positions and abandon safety gear). Unfortunately our most recent guide had been working 12 days straight without a break and we were constantly spinning, losing control of the raft, and getting stuck on rocks (it was windy, but we've experienced similar wind in the past with no issues, and the other 2 rafts in our group were fine). The most exhilarating part of the journey was when our guide sent us "full forward" into a rock wall at the base of a rapid and the impact sent my wife and I for a swim. Unfortunately the guide forgot about the "throw bag" they had spent so much time talking about, and we were forced to try and catch up with the raft which was floating downstream with no commands to paddle backwards from the guide (according to our relatives still on the raft). Eventually we caught up in still water about a minute downstream and were back on board with minimal injuries, and had a great laugh about it. Minus 2 stars because of the lack of immediate response from the guide in a somewhat scary situation (raft was over 10 yards away at one point in fast deep water, no throw rope deployed) but the steak was perfect as usual. We did also land about 30 yards ahead of the dinner area this time, so be prepared to possibly hike through the river a ways. We fully understand the risks of rafting, but felt this incident could and should have been avoided. We will definitely be back, although hopefully with a well rested and...

This is a review for Glacier Anglers and Outfitters which is a company affiliated with Glacier Raft Company. We took a four day float trip down the Middle Fork last week and it was magical, epic and wonderful. Glacier Angler’s customer service team was extremely helpful in setting up the trip and answering all questions that arose to plan for four days and three nights on the river. All terrific things in life start with great human beings and our two guides and trip team lead we’re truly magnificent humans who made our trip memorable. Our guides Hilary Hutchenson and Matt Talbird were exceptional guides that taught us many things about the river, reading water, techniques to catch more fish and more. They shared their experiences and helped us catch an amazing amount of beautiful cutthroat trout and other species during our four days on the river and made us better anglers. Ella Luepke was the trip leader and was efficient, organized and valuable in handling all of the gear, provisions and camp set up, tear down, transport to the next day’s camp and set up again. Hilary, Matt and Ella worked incredibly hard on our trip and exceeded expectations for the high quality and varied meals each day, hospitality, fun, sharing their insights, camp location and set up and having a magnificent time. Coffee early in the morning in the Montana wilderness next to the Middle and North Fork is an extraordinary experience. Our trip had many eventful moments from the fishing, meals, scenery and togetherness we all shared. We even experienced the Milky Way for the first time and it was thrilling. We have fished all over the west and Glacier Anglers is at the top and I highly recommend this group. We cannot wait to return and soak in more of this beautiful backdrop to world class trout fishing and hospitality. Thanks for a...