We keep it extremely simple. We do not tell you when to come and go; in effect, this is your home while you are with us. When you go out for a day of fishing, you return on your time, there is no diner bell but when you return a great meal will be waiting for you and a great relaxing atmosphere will be the perfect end to a perfect day.
We are in operation from April - June for lake fishing and then July - October for river fishing.
Most customers bring their own fishing gear, but if a customer needs to be outfitted we can supply them with rod, reel, and waders providing we know ahead of time the proper sizing etc. and there is no extra charge. We do supply all flies needed for your fishing trip.
A single fly-fishing trip to Falcon's can be filled with many different angling experiences. One day you might sight cast to big wary The elevation is 3,200 ft. We have 2 major rivers, the St. Mary and the Elk, that we float. We do walk and wades on two smaller rivers, the Bull and the Skookumchuck, which are in the Rocky Mountain and Purcell Mountain range; both a short drive from the lodge.
The average temperature for the summer months is around 22C - 28C. We typically do not receive too much rainfall during the summer months, and have about 15 hours of daylight. The water temperature of the river varies from mid-50 F - mid-60 F in the St. Mary and Elk River and from 45 F - 55 F in the Bull and Skookumchuck rivers.
A typical day would be to start out having a nice hot breakfast around 8am. You will leave the lodge around 9 – 9:30am and, depending where you are fishing that day, you may jump in the boat right from the lodge or drive with your guide anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour up the road to your put-in location. You will be provided a healthy lunch that you can enjoy along the banks of the river and will return to the lodge around 6pm. You can enjoy the evening sitting out on the deck listening to the river, telling stories about your day, all while having a beautiful prepared dinner.
Our main species are cutthroat and rainbow and we typically always dry-fly fish for them. We do not wait for a specific hatch unless it is obvious, but we primarily fish dry flies and the choice depends on what the guide feels is working that day. We have a good population of bull trout that we target if the client so desires to fish for them, and this is usually done by stripping streamers.
Besides the fishing gear, customers may want to bring along bug repellant, sunscreen, camera, walking stick, and clothing that can be layered. Depending on the time of the year, the mornings can be a little cool but then lighter clothes are needed for the afternoon.
Q. Where is the closest airport?
A. The closest airport is the Cranbrook airport which is a 5-minute drive from the lodge, but most customers fly into Spokane, WA (3½ hour drive), Kalispell, MT (2½ hour drive) or Calgary, AB (a 4 hr drive).
Q. How do we get from the airport and do you offer a shuttle service?
A. Most customers rent a car and drive to Cranbrook, but we do off a shuttle to and from the airport for a fee.
Q. Do we get our licensing before our arrival at the lodge?
A. We do all your licensing here at the lodge, as the licensing is river specific. It works well to do it here so you are sure to have the right license for the specific river you are fishing on any particular day.