Hey Jeff
I did something similar last summer. I would suggest the middle fork (where I was) or the south fork. We were technically in the great bear wilderness, not the national park. These are truly wilderness streams, and I haven't been able to find many other areas like that. If there are other areas like that in the states, please let me know. I?ve been looking, and am going up to AK in a few months to re-create the solitude.

I think you could easily do the trip for no more than 500 on top of the plane tickets. It all depends on how long, what you eat, and what gear you would need to pull something like this off. I think you can probably pull a 7 day menu off for less than 150. You could eat ramen for 7 days and only spend about $20. You don't have to pay to stay in national parks. You'll need a fishing license (40ish). You are going to need a set up to bear bag (>30), and will need a can of bear spray ($50)(for the love of god do not go out there without these two things...grizz's in glacier are the real deal). You will need maps ($15 a piece from mytopo). I can't think of anything else, but if you already have the right gear you will not need more than food and maps.

You will not even need that many flies. A friend brought about 20 dozen flies out with us. He probably used 12 flies the entire trip, and I know he used only two flies (of the same pattern) to catch about 30 trout one day. The cutts on the MF will hit almost anything that floats...including an orange balloon indicator that was inflated to the size of a golf ball (by mistake).

One thing I would question is the free ride to glacier. Is there public transportation, do you have a friend, or are you hitch hiking. Its a solid drive from Kalispell. You will also need transportation from the airport. That shouldn't be too terrible though.

For everyone else. 750 for plan tickets doesn't shock me at all. I paid 650 last summer. I ordered the tickets in Feb., we weren't in a gas crisis, and the economy was doing great. Not that many people fly in the Kalispell, and northwest just skirted bankruptcy about two months ago.