Hebgen Dam 932cfs

Old Kirby Place 1030cfs

Varney Bridge 1150cfs

Lower Madison 1280cfs

This is not an April Fools joke. Seriously, it seems as though it should be but it is not unfortunately.

Montana was recently issued Stay at Home (click link for more info) orders until April 10th and this means Guiding and Outfitting have become non essential business. So we are officially shut down until April 10th. This doesn’t change much in the near term as everything through April has cancelled anyhow. My gut tells me that we will see similar guidance to what the Fed is doing and will likely be shut down through the end of April. That is just a guess and I will revisit this around April 10th when we know more. Are we allowed to fish? Yes. Are we allowed to guide? No. Outdoor activities are not closed or off limits to people but the outfitting industry is deemed non essential and is closed for now because of this.

The Governors office has also directed travelers coming from other states to self quarantine (Self Quarantine Directive) for 14 days. This is no surprise as many people view Montana as a safe place to be right now and so we will continue to see an influx from areas that are more affected by COVID-19. It seems many are already practicing this and some well before any directive was given. People looking out for other people. What an interesting concept. I want to take this time to thank our non-resident and out of state visitors as many of you are why we are here in the first place. Why we get to do what we do. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

During this time of uncertainty I am being very flexible with deposits, cancellations, refunds and rebooking. Cancellation policy has pretty much gone out the window for now. I will refund any of those that wish it up till the days before the trip over the coming months. Anyone that can rebook for a later date is encouraged to do so. I am also acutely aware that how this impacts individuals across the nation will vary dramatically. Some folks will need to make last minute changes for various reasons over the next 4-6 months and I understand this completely. Being fluid, flexible and understanding in times like these is all we can do.

What does all this mean? More uncertainty, that is for certain.

What I do know for certain is that the Montana Outfitting industry is being proactive and has been sharing strategies to help us and our clients stay safe when we get to resume life as normal-ish. Some may prove difficult, some not needed and others critical to the new normal for guiding fishing as we move forward. We will continue to make adjustments to help keep our clients, our community and ourselves safe.

Thanks to MOGA, FOAM and the fly shops in Ennis for helping get good information out to those of us that need it.

Please do not hesitate to call or email with any questions.

Be well, be safe and as always Keep your tip up!

Brian Rosenberg