by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 23, 2008 | Conservation/benefits/organizations, iii Fall
This is an invitation to attend the 29th annual Bitterroot Trout Unlimited Banquet. The banquet will start at 5:00 PM on Friday, September 26 at the Bitterroot River Inn in Hamilton. Tickets are $45.00 per person – same as last year-, and can be reserved or purchased now at Fishaus Tackle. Click the hotlinks (names) for addresses and/or maps.
Click this link to see the BRTU blog with a list of auction items – Bitterroot Trout Unlimited Banquet.
There will be a gourmet dinner prepared from local ingredients and catered by Riversong Catering. Silver Coin is in charge of the beverage table and we will again be featuring premium microbrews from Bitter Root Brewing! We will have special awards, drawings, door prizes, live and silent auctions. Premiums will include gourmet dinners, fine wines, elegant jewelry, fishing trips on the fabled Middle Fork of the Flathead, the Kootenai, the Madison, Big Hole and Bitterroot River, tackle, and artwork by local artists and craftspersons.
Here are a couple sneak previews! Tom Morgan of Tom Morgan Rodsmiths, also know as the “Rodfather”, is donating one of his exclusive new fiberglass rod blanks. We have also secured a stay in a flyfishing lodge in New Zealand. Other special items include #2 of the Monte Dolack print that our chapter commissioned last year, and a special outing to Lake Como with dinner for 8 at the Hikers Lodge.
Why should you come? Besides having a great time, swapping fishing stories, meeting people and visiting with your friends, here are just a couple of other reasons. We continue to work hard on the conservation and education side of things. Chapter representatives are deeply engaged in youth education, water quality monitoring, stream setback efforts, native trout restoration, habitat restoration, and a host of other issues designed to make sure that the quality of our streams and fisheries will be in good shape for future generations.
This banquet is our only fundraiser, and we are strictly a volunteer organization. Importantly, all of the money we raise stays in Montana, most of it here in the Bitterroot. Your support is what makes it happen! So, please plan on attending now.
The doors open at 5:00 PM, so there will be plenty of time to visit with friends, buy raffle tickets, view the items and bid on the silent auction. Dinner will be at 6:30 PM and will be followed by the live and silent auctions, door prize and other drawings.
Tickets are on sale at Fishaus Tackle (363-6158, fishaus@montana.com). The $45 ticket price is a real bargain. VISA and MasterCard are accepted. Please remember that the last five years’ banquets were totally sold out at least a week before the event and seating will be limited, so reserve your tickets early. And of course, you don’t have to be a TU member to share in the fun.
If you would like to participate in our Sponsor Program, please contact Marshall
Bloom (363-3485, drtrout@mtbloom.net) or Bill Bean (363-6158, fishaus@montana.com)
For more information, to make a donation, or help out, contact Marshall Bloom (363-3485, drtrout@mtbloom.net), Bill Bean (363-6158, fishaus@montana.com) or Doug Nation (363-3127).
By September 26, summer will be over and everyone will be ready to have some fun. So, come help us celebrate. Hope to see you there!
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 19, 2008 | Bitterroot, iii Fall
Yesterday, Jack fished the Blackfoot again. Well, I cleaned my desk in the afternoon and found the camera card. No photos on that beautiful day with Jerry and Debra O’Connell.
The day before, he and John Hickman floated the Bitterroot River on the stretch from Bell Crossing to Stevensville. The sun was bright and the trout are very well educated because it is a popular piece of water – easy access and not too long a float. During a trico hatch they caught some beautiful fish. Here is a photo of John Hickman with a brown trout.
Today is a day of rest for Jack. Now that this is posted, we are off for a fitness hike to the south of Sweathouse Canyon. Maybe I will take some photos there!
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 18, 2008 | Conservation/benefits/organizations, Friends, iii Fall
When: Tuesday 09/29 and 9/30/2008 at 7:30
Who: Smuin Ballet
What: Art : Dance – Ballet
Where: University of Montana
Description:
Debuting in March 1994, Smuin Ballet has quickly established itself as “one of this country’s most entertaining, original ballet troupes,” (Dance Magazine). Indeed, few names in dance are as widely known and recognized as that of Michael Smuin: at the heart of the company is Mr. Smuin’s singular ability to create pieces which merge the diverse vocabularies of classical ballet and contemporary dance forms.
Monday 09/29: Dancin’ with Gershwin and other selections. In the Montana Theatre across from the Adams Center. The Monday Gala ticket includes the reception.
Tuesday 09/30: Dancin’ with Gershwin and other selections. In the Montana Theatre across from the Adams Center.
Age Group: All Ages
To purchase tickets:
- call the Adams Center Box Office at 1.406.243.4051
- call 1.888.MONTANA
- visit Griztix.com
Where is the University Theatre?
The University Theatre is located on the Missoula campus of the The University of Montana. Driving directions, maps, parking, and much more can be found here. Also, the following PDF map includes the highlighted location of the University Theatre on campus.
We are very fortunate to have this company perform in Missoula and even more fortunate that Michael Smuin was born in Missoula and continued to cherish his home town. Sadly, he passed away last year. Come see the ballet and know that Missoula and Montana creates the people who can change our world as we know it.
You will also be supporting an important world changing institution, the McLaughlin Research Institute with another Montana native as Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee, Dr. Irving L. Weissman. Irv is orignally from Great Falls, MT and is now at Stanford University.
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 15, 2008 | Bitterroot, iii Fall
Today Jack is on the Blackfoot. Fishing can become a chore when you do it every day, all day, but the Blackfoot with its faster flows, boulders, and intricate runs still gets Jack excited. More on the Blackfoot in a day or two after his trips with clients.
About this blog, the lower Bitterroot. In contrast with the Blackfoot, it is a big wide section of river, but slower and in many places much shallower. That makes for flat water, more rowing and during a full moon, very picky trout!
Jack had yesterday off and in a generous gesture, he took me on a float fairly close to home. One of the reasons he wanted to do this stretch was to research the northern pike that thrive there. 
Pike are a predatory fish and a highly prized game fish. They are not native to the Bitterroot and prey on all other species of invertebrates. That being said, they can get very big and very fun to catch and we are interested in catching them. Let me tell you, we found them, but didn’t do so well in the catching of them. We have much to learn in that area, but are willing. When we catch them, we will not be putting them back. Click this northern pike hotlink to see why.
I took quite a few photos in between catching a few finicky trout. Hold your cursor over the arrow and click to speed it up. See the slide show or “view album” to see all the photos. To see the rising trout and details on other photos, it is best to view the slide show in full screen in a speed that will load the photos, but move along fairly quickly – a speed of at somewhere around 4 seconds per photo.
If the links don’t open when you click them, right click and choose “open in new window.”
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 13, 2008 | Big Hole, iii Fall
The Big Hole is a wonderful river. It is quite a bit higher in elevation than the other rivers we fish with much of the Big Hole valley floor above 6000 feet. Today Jack is using his raft because the water levels are also lower than the Bitterroot, Clark Fork and Blackfoot. A raft doesn’t make much noise when it hits the rocks, etc.
Bob and Peggy are heading back to Ohio next week and we are having this years last fishing fling on this amazing river.
View Bob and Peggy’s Album on my Picasa website
Click the link to see a closer view of Bob’s Trout.
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 10, 2008 | ii Summer, Other, Take Your Kids Fishing
Jessa is using the X2S, Scott saltwater rod in a 9 weight.
We were fishing for trout, pike and small mouth bass. The photo was taken south of Buffalo Bridge (south of Polson, Montana). The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes manage this wonderful fishery.
To see more Scott Rods visit their site at http://www.scottflyrod.com/
