by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 11, 2009 | Associates - we recommend..., Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Other
John Corrigan took a working/vacation trip to the northwest US in late August. He attended a conference in Portland, Oregon, and after taking care of business, rented a car and headed east. When he reached western Montana he met and fished with Wapiti Waters on the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers.
Wanting to see even more country and catch more fish he drove north through the Seeley-Swan valley to Glacier National Park and the Going to the Sun Highway. The fishing part was when he hooked up with Tim Linehan in northwestern Montana.
It was his first trip to the northern Rockies and I think he did it justice. He said, “After leaving Missoula, Glacier National Park turned out to be the most beautiful place I have ever seen. …and I had a productive day fishing with Tim Linehan.”
John writes for the Concord Monitor, New Hampshire – an online newspaper edition. Writing a Trout Unlimited chapter newsletter for many years helped get him the newspaper column. Having also served as chapter president and chair of the NH Trout Unlimited Council, John often works a conservation angle into his writing.
See some of his writing at the Concord Monitor in NH
Below are snippets of his three most recent articles. Click the links to read more.
A hop, skip & jump
Sun Sep 13, 2009
Effective cutthroat and rainbow trout fishing in late August means a hop, skip and a jump. No analogy is perfect. Rainbow trout in Montana give much more of a jump than their cousins, but the tacti… more…
Finding inspiration in Montana
Sun Sep 6, 2009
A rental car motored through it. William Least Heat-Moon’s book, Blue Highways, chronicled his travels along the back roads once marked on maps with blue lines. more…
Making connections out west
Sun Aug 30, 2009
Anticipation leads to the memories. Fishing comes in between. As you read this, my second western fishing trip of the season has become a memory. I was scheduled to arrive back home from Montana la… more…
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 1, 2009 | Associates - we recommend..., Bitterroot, i Spring, ii Summer, iii Fall, iiii Winter/Snow, Lodging
This place is absolutely wonderful. It is fresh, clean, beautiful, centrally located for fishing the Bitterroot River, yet in a country setting near Forest Service hiking trails in the Bitterroot Mountains. It is 35 miles from Missoula, less than 5 miles west of Victor (Victor is on Highway 93). Amy is fantastic to work with! Read on…
Description by Amy Sage:
SweetSage Guest House, built in 1996, combines the elements of a historic Bitterroot ranch with a quiet, private setting, and all of the modern comforts of home.
The Guest House sits on an 80-acre homestead ranch just a few miles west of the town of Victor and Highway 93, and less than a mile from an infrequently traveled hiking trail in Sweathouse Creek Canyon. Sweathouse Creek was named for the Salish Indian sweat lodges that dotted its banks up until the late 1880s. The ranch is certified organic, and home to a variety of farm animals: horses, sheep, cashmere goats, chickens and cattle.
At SweetSage Guest House you will find a fully equipped kitchen, barbecue grill, nice laundry facility, satellite TV, and phone. The kitchen, dining and living rooms are all one open room with high ceilings and a large stone fireplace. From the deck, visitors can view the majestic peaks of the Bitterroot Mountain range and a variety of wildlife, including deer, elk, bear, coyotes, eagles, owls, hawks and numerous other birds.
The 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home can sleep up to six people comfortably. Two bedrooms have king size beds; the remaining bedroom has two twin beds, all complete with down comforters! There is also a queen size futon for one or two extra people. Central heating keeps the house warm and cozy in all seasons.
SweetSage Guest House is located on an historic Bitterroot ranch dating back to the 1880s. The barn outbuildings are still in use today and we invite you to tour our heritage. The spacious rooms and huge decks at SweetSage Guest House promise to provide the perfect backdrop for entertaining, wildlife viewing or just relaxing.
Click here to see the SweetSage Guest House listing on Vacation Rental by Owner in Victor
Ask Amy about her “Sweet Heart Special” of $975/week for up to two people
Phone: (406) 642-6400
Email: sweetsage@bitterroot.com
Inquire/Contact the owner for more info
SweetSage Guest House Rates:
Peak Season: May 1 – Oct 31
Rate per night/$275, per week/$1450, per month/$2200
Minimum stay is 3 nights
Off Peak Season: Nov 1 – April 30
Rate per night/$250, per week/$1250, per month/$2200
Minimum stay is 3 nights
The SweetSage Guest House is Pet Friendly – Please Check!
This is a non-smoking property.
by Merle Ann Loman | Aug 27, 2009 | Associates - we recommend...
Jacob shared these photos with us and if you frequent this blog, you know I can’t resist sharing fishing photos people send in. These are great. Thanks, Jacob.
To the left is a photo of Dan and Jacob Shemper sharing a brotherly moment with a very nice Bitterroot rainbow trout in Montana.
Below is one of Jacob’s fishing clients in the LA Marsh near New Orleans.
Our connections with Jacob are fly fishing and music. Jacob attended the University of Montana, was a guide in western Montana, and currently is a fly fishing guide in Florida and Louisiana. His next event – his wedding in Montana and Jack will be playing music for it.
Jacob is a Captain with Key West On The Fly. You can see their website at http://www.keywestonfly.com.
About Jacob: If Shaun White can be nicknamed ‘the flying tomato,’ then surely Jacob may be known as ‘the fly fishing tomato,’ a quote by Captain John O’Hearn…. Click Jacob Shemper’s Guide Profile and scroll down (there are 4 captains listed) to read more about him.
by Merle Ann Loman | Aug 3, 2009 | Associates - we recommend..., Big Hole, Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Clark Fork, i Spring, ii Summer, iii Fall, Missouri, Shore lunch
Wapiti Waters is all about fly fishing and all about great lunches on the water. We shop at many stores in the Bitterroot Valley and the Good Food Store in Missoula. Our newest favorite is Farm to Market in Hamilton, MT. If we can’t pick from our garden, Farm to Market is the next best thing.
Terry and Roxane Hunt have operated Farmers Produce in Hamilton for the last eight years, and in that time they have noticed that customers were interested in products that are local, from Montana or at least regional. The Hunts decided to give the people what they want: a place to buy local and Montana-made products that saves the consumer money by minimizing transportation costs and bolsters local agriculture.
They opened their new store, Farm to Market, in the old Loonies and Toonies building in Hamilton and feature local and regional produce, a Montana meat market, a fresh fish market, a bakery featuring Missoula-baked goods, a deli and a gift shop.
With their styling of each department, the store is fun, economical, full of choices and is all-the-buzz with shoppers these days, even the young professionals. My young dinner guest last night was asked to bring corn. He arrived with Farm to Market corn spouting his appreciation of the market and its great produce as his favorite Hamilton food store.
All the beef in the meat and fish market section comes directly from actual ranches in the Bitterroot Valley. And they carry pork, chicken and eggs, all of which will come from within the state, much of it from nearby Hutterite colonies.
The store’s fish market features only fish shipped fresh from the Oregon and Washington coasts and the produce shop carries what fruits and vegetables are seasonally available locally like spinach, garlic and apples. Other produce comes from Washington’s Yakima Valley. In the dairy section, they carry local milk from Lifeline Farm Creamery in Victor.
The store’s deli offers sandwiches and a large salad bar. The gift shop carries only products made in the USA, including southwestern tribal jewelry, and features Made in Montana products.
We do our best to provide great fishing and great food. Farm to Market is a key ingredient for the great food!
You can find them at: Montana Farm To Market 302 N 1st St, Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 363-3854 1-click directions See more photos of Farm to Market and some of our lunches in the slideshow below.
by Merle Ann Loman | Mar 19, 2009 | Associates - we recommend...
Yesterday, Jack and I planned to go fishing. It was cold and windy so we opted to do some work on gear and vehicles. We have been working with Parts Unlimited for years and they provide such great service, we decided to let you all know about them.
Parts Unlimited
http://www.truckparts-unlimited.com/
1829 US Highway 93 N
Victor, MT 59875
(406) 642-3403
Toll Free: 800-642-3405
Get directions
In these days of recycling and economic crunch, this business makes sense. They recycle parts, provide a cost savings and excellent professional service, and stimulate our local economy! Check them out, you will be glad you did.
John Corrigan took a working/vacation trip to the northwest US in late August. He attended a conference in Portland, Oregon, and after taking care of business, rented a car and headed east. When he reached western Montana he met and fished with Wapiti Waters on the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers.
