Montana Fly Fishing on the Blackfoot River
September 17, 2009
Montana Fly Fishing on the Blackfoot River
Montana’s Blackfoot River was an inspiration for Norman McLean’s A River Run’s Through It. This video from Blackfoot River Outfitters gives a little bit of insight about why this amazing river is so inspiring.
Float Trip on the Blackfoot River Near Missoula Montana
August 7, 2009
Float Trips on the Blackfoot River Near Missoula Montana
We spent yesterday afternoon on inner tubes floating down the Blackfoot River near Johnsrud Park, approximately 16 miles Northeast of Missoula MT.
The Blackfoot River is the river that was made famous by the movie made from Norman McLeans’s novel about fly fishing called A River Runs Through It. From the book and movie:
“On the Big Blackfoot River above the mouth of Belmont Creek the banks are fringed by large Ponderosa pines. In the slanting sun of late afternoon the shadows of great branches reached from across the river, and the trees took the river in their arms. The shadows continued up the bank, until they included us.
Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.”
We rented our inner tubes from Blackfoot River Rentals which is located at McNamara’s Landing off Highway 200.
Blackfoot River Rentals provides inner tube rentals and a free shuttle service that takes you six miles up the river. They also rent a variety of sizes of rafts, life jackets, and river equipment for reasonable rates.
It was a beautiful day to be on the river and we had a lot of fun. This section of the Blackfoot has a few Class 2 and Class 3 rapids however which were challenging for us as beginners. We got through them however, and made it back to McNamara’s Landing about two and a half hours later.
McNamara’s Landing also has cabins for rent and a lodge-style restaurant which had live music from a local band. Their menu has everything from burgers and sandwiches to steaks, seafood and prime rib. After a long day on the river, it’s a great place to relax and enjoy some great food and drinks.
McNamara’s Landing is located at:
878 Highway 200 East
Bonner, MT 59823
Phone: 406-244-2015
www.McNamarasLanding.com
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Search Blackfoot River Homes and Land For Sale
Kevin and Monica Ray are Missoula Real Estate sales and marketing professionals for Access Realty in beautiful Western Montana. We provide services in, but not limited to: Missoula, Superior, Alberton, Saint Regis, Lolo, Clinton, Turah, Potomac, Florence, Corvallis, and Hamilton.
For more information on Missoula Real Estate or surrounding areas, they can be reached at 406-207-1185 or online at www.AccessRealty.net.
Missoula Montana…A River Runs Through It
February 20, 2009
Missoula Montana is one of the most beautiful cities in the Northwest. And yes, a river does run through it.
Missoula is located near the three rivers to be exact, The Clark Fork River, The Blackfoot River, and The Bitterroot River. Missoula’s amazing location draws fly fisherman from all over the world, has inspired artists and writers, and even filmmakers. The city is frequently mentioned in novels of Ernest Hemingway, Stephen Frey, Chuck Palahniuk, James Lee Burke, James Crumley, and Norman Maclean.
One of the most famous portrayals of Missoula was by Norman Maclean in his 1976 novel, A River Runs Through It which was made into a film directed by Robert Redford in 1992. “The story is a semi-autobiographical novella about Macleans Presbyterian family in early 20th century Montana whose views on life are filtered through their passion for fly-fishing.”
Some of Macleans classic lines about Missoula include:
“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.”
“The world is full of bastards, the number increasing rapidly the further one gets from Missoula, Montana.”
“In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing. We lived at the junction of great trout rivers in western Montana, and our father was a Presbyterian minister and a fly fisherman who tied his own flies and taught others. He told us about Christ’s disciples being fishermen, and we were to assume, as my brother and I did, that all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman.”
“On the Big Blackfoot River above the mouth of Belmont Creek the banks are fringed by large Ponderosa pines. In the slanting sun of late afternoon the shadows of great branches reached across the river, and the trees took the river in their arms.”
For more information on fly fishing in Montana or where to find fly fishing properties, contact Kevin & Monica Ray at Access Realty at 406-207-1185 or visit us online at www.YourMT.com.