Park Bench Chat

Montana: Casting the Ruby River and Beyond

Join The Trust for Public Land’s President Will Rogers on the blue-ribbon trout streams of the Northern Rockies in the heart of the Ruby Springs Valley. From our base at the Ruby Springs Lodge, we are just a cast away from ten miles of riverfront angling on the Ruby River and its tributaries flowing through the property. Or head off the beaten path with fly-fishing maven Craig Mathews to explore the challenging pocket waters and riffles of O’Dell Creek, where a landmark stream restoration project established the prototype for such projects nationwide. Craig Mathews is author of Fly Fishing the Madison, co-owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, and co-founder of 1% for the Planet – and nobody knows these waters better.

Following the evening rise, we’ll be joined by award-winning author, conservationist, and life-long fly fisherman Chris Santella – featuring stories and conversation from Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die. Through in-depth interviews with the sport’s acknowledged gurus, Chris maps out the meccas of the fly-fishing world going beyond standard guides to convey the very essence of the recommended locations. Whether casting mouse patterns to fifty-pound taimen in the wilds of Mongolia, wrangling with wily permit off the Florida Keys, or matching the hatch on Montana’s Armstrong’s Spring Creek, Chris delivers enough travel-and-tackle information to get you started on your next excursion to go fish around the globe.

We enjoy a bar-b-que on the Granger Ranch with long-time rancher Jeff Laszlo, recipient of the Environmental Law Institute’s prestigious National Wetlands Award for Landowner Stewardship. By protecting one of the largest, most ecologically valuable wetland complexes in southwest Montana, Jeff and local partners are protecting and preserving some of the highest quality riparian and wetland habitat in the entire Madison River floodplain.

In addition to honing our angling skills, we will learn about The Trust for Public Land’s long and successful history of conserving the Northern Rockies landscapes in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. We will learn how conservation easements and the purchase of private development rights have safeguarded trout habitat in river valleys under increasing pressure from population growth. Since 1987 we have protected more than 525,223 acres in Montana, and secured public access to hundreds of miles of rivers and streams.

 

   TRIP DETAILS

    Dates: Sept. 2-6, 2012
    Days/Nights: 5/4
    Price (Per Person): $4,285