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Watch a couple of videos on floating the north fork flathead. It’s truly some of the most amazing scenery in the country. If you can find a guide to take you from the Canadian border launch down. It’s about 2 hours from Columbia falls to the border. If you want a foo foo experience stay in whitefish, the tourist town. Early July is probably the best time for weather and water. Not the best fishing on the planet, but usually decent. Lots of good eats in whitefish, and lots of tourists shops.

If you want a little more grit there is the blue and white in Kalispell

We, my wife and I, just finished day one fishing the Kootenay outside Libby. We are staying in a cabin in Yaak that is owned by the outfitter and making our own meals short of lunch. We floated 10 miles and caught forty or so rainbows. Saw no one else on the river. So far, an excellent experience and clearly solid conservative folks here. Two more days of fishing left. Enjoy your trip.

So any other suggestions maybe?. Definitely not set on Missoula just thought it might work. Looking for a great western fishing experience and also things wife and I could do dinner, shopping etc. Was originally going out west by my lonesome but she can get off work and would like to go and I certainly dont mind as neither one of us has seen the areas mentioned.

For fishing try around Bozeman or Livingston. Gallatin, Madison, Yellowstone , Jefferson and Missouri are all within easy driving distance. Spring creeks too. Bozeman has more amenities but is not cheap. Livingston is more reasonable for both lodging and food but not as many choices. Great guides in both places. Have fun!

As far as "cities" go, Missoula is a small to medium sized college town with 1970's vintage traffic routes/streets in town.

Not a bad place to visit, but its far from being a conservative mecca where most right-minded people would want to live.

I don't think you could have picked a worst place to go in MT. Unless you enjoy being around homeless, hippies, and Liberals. The fishing is pretty much as has already been stated. I am gathering you are looking for the city life first, fishing second.

I think Bozeman would be a much better choice in all regards. If you decided to change it up the Western Cafe, The Oasis, and Dave's Sushi of Main are all great. There are a bunch of very good restaurants in Bozeman or within a reasonable drive. You are close to a bunch of great rivers to fish, and it isn't called Bozangeles for nothing! So plenty of shopping to be had too.

Bozeman is 3x cooler than Missoula in all regards.

If you go late in the year, in the past when we have hot dry summers FG puts restrictions on the hours you can fish on the rivers that get fished hard.

I would not book a flyfishing trip in Missoula.

Shrapnel is on vacation right now but I would PM him about flyfishing around Bozeman.

Yes.

Maybe 5x but didn't want to get Rancho and Shrap all horned up.....

You know better than I but I think 3X was fair.

Missoula is Missoula....

I have yet to talk to anyone in Missoula that was born in Montana.

I met 3 professors from Montana state at a gas station. They wanted to borrow a gas can from me to rescue their other vehicle.
I asked how they knew it was out of gas and got blank stares.
I told them a joke from a 1970 Cheech and Chong record.
The engine turns over fast, "RrRrRrRrRrRrRrRr"
Cheech yells "Cool it man! Any idiot can see the battery is dead!"
The two men proffesors just stared at me, not getting the joke.
The woman professor laughed.
I focused my car troubleshooting aid on her.

I would look at Dillon.

Some great fishing on the Beaverhead and the Big Hole and a cool little town.

You can fly into Helena, Missoula, Bozeman or Butte and only be about 2 hours from Dillon.

You are can also check out Virginia City and drop over the hill into Ennis and fish the Madison. Those are all cool areas and neat stops in between in places like Twin Bridges and Sheridan.

Bannock is also a cool area along with Wise River and some of that area.

Lots of creek fishing and hiking near there too.

The Upper Ruby River valley is gorgeous as well.

Just a thought.

Ps: Missoula isn't that bad and eat at The Pearl if you go. It's worth it.

yep fly fish Montana a lot.

Would not go to Missoula area for a strictly fly fishing trip and I fish Rock Creek and area waters quite a bit.
Kootenay has great unpressured, by Montana standards, fishing.

Id head up north of Missoula and fish Augusta area. sun river and north the flathead

The Yellowstone, Madison, Beaverhead, Bighole and even the N. fk Flathead would be better fishing and more scenic than the Clarks Fork.... and as Ed showed in his pic's the Kootenay can be very good and uncrowded. I personally would avoid the Bighorn, it holds more fish than all the others but they are well fed and can be very fussy, also expect large crowds boat traffic and so so scenery.
Basing in Bozeman is solid advice.

The N Fk. Flathead;

I would say this outfit is some of the best.
I've stayed in these cabins too. The Outfitters are good, as well the guide in the boat. (Sean)
Ed, I hope you're enjoying NW Montana.

Ok . Great advice! Missoula is out. Will look at other options