Friends moved to Montana?
- Thread starter lestrout
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Acristickid
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Covid prompted many to move since the remote work is becoming more acceptable. Many will think it’s great until the that cold rolls in. But no question a beautiful state. I have visited Jayl a few times , he lives in Livingston and has a drift boat and works out of Bozeman. Nice be able to fish the several options in Paradise valley nearby.
It’s to far for me to move to ( or should I say I used say that ). Now it’s totally off the table with a family. But I did dip my toe in- 2009 I drove out to MT and beyond for several months living out of a tent. It’s was a great trip fished dozens of waters.
In 2015, I had enough of PNC bank , quit and took a maintenance job at Harriman State Park on the Henry’s Fork for the season. Which was a way to cover my bills while I went on a fishing trip each week on my days off. Lived in the Jones house at the state park, pretty cool. 3 park employees could stay in it in the bedroom areas. Les, you would love it. Jones was the CEO of Atlantic Richfield decades ago , since then the property was transferred to the state in the 1970’s. Harriman was a railroad Barron. Anyways Jones was a big fly fisher and was a very tall guy. There is a fly fishing display in the house open to the public. His old waders from the 50’s-60’s were something, huge. Lots of Herters receipts. Pretty neat. There was a bamboo conclave of western bamboo nuts there that summer. I thought of you immediately. Last note on Henry’s Fork- these houses overlook “Millionares pool” which I would watch fly anglers trying their luck. Which was to no avail, I don’t recall ever seeing an angler land a fish in that pool all season.
My wife’s sister just was out in MT to visit MSU, the kid was checking it out. Got accepted there and PSU main. Anyways he a very good and infatuated fly Angler. Seems fine by me!! How about a one day lift ticket at Big Sky ski resort was $160. Ugh.
Montana certainly getting more developed each year but there are still long stretches of spartan areas. I wouldn’t want to live in Bozeman but that’s were most people would find more opportunities. But I also wouldn’t want to live say in Ennis , not enough “stuff” there for me. Seems like it’s for the young to make their way or the retired with money. PA for me with couple months in Ft Meyers is the goal.
This is acristickid, couldn’t get my password and email to workout. Hah.
It’s to far for me to move to ( or should I say I used say that ). Now it’s totally off the table with a family. But I did dip my toe in- 2009 I drove out to MT and beyond for several months living out of a tent. It’s was a great trip fished dozens of waters.
In 2015, I had enough of PNC bank , quit and took a maintenance job at Harriman State Park on the Henry’s Fork for the season. Which was a way to cover my bills while I went on a fishing trip each week on my days off. Lived in the Jones house at the state park, pretty cool. 3 park employees could stay in it in the bedroom areas. Les, you would love it. Jones was the CEO of Atlantic Richfield decades ago , since then the property was transferred to the state in the 1970’s. Harriman was a railroad Barron. Anyways Jones was a big fly fisher and was a very tall guy. There is a fly fishing display in the house open to the public. His old waders from the 50’s-60’s were something, huge. Lots of Herters receipts. Pretty neat. There was a bamboo conclave of western bamboo nuts there that summer. I thought of you immediately. Last note on Henry’s Fork- these houses overlook “Millionares pool” which I would watch fly anglers trying their luck. Which was to no avail, I don’t recall ever seeing an angler land a fish in that pool all season.
My wife’s sister just was out in MT to visit MSU, the kid was checking it out. Got accepted there and PSU main. Anyways he a very good and infatuated fly Angler. Seems fine by me!! How about a one day lift ticket at Big Sky ski resort was $160. Ugh.
Montana certainly getting more developed each year but there are still long stretches of spartan areas. I wouldn’t want to live in Bozeman but that’s were most people would find more opportunities. But I also wouldn’t want to live say in Ennis , not enough “stuff” there for me. Seems like it’s for the young to make their way or the retired with money. PA for me with couple months in Ft Meyers is the goal.
This is acristickid, couldn’t get my password and email to workout. Hah.
raftman
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Actually, I've heard something different from the folks I know who have lived there for many years. The people moving to MT aren't the "liberals" or the people who have supposedly "ruined the left coast" but rather the incredibly wealthy individuals that tend to be more conservative which are swaying the politics further to the right - at least from the perspective from the people I know who live there. And I don't think this is entirely anecdotal. If you look at the recent elections in MT, the state has shifted further right. How much of that is due to all the move-ins, who knows, just sharing the perspective from the people I know out there (and please don't let this be a commentary on politics, but sharing what I've heard).
Bruno
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Paul I am reading this going wtf this guy is kid doppelganger. Good job bibby
Bruno
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People Migrate towards opportunity. The world has changed and now people are looking for work opportunities as well as lifestyle opportunities. I don't think I will ever accept a job that requires me to be in an office full-time again. I like vacationing out west but PA is where I like it best. IMO there a just too many outdoorsies in the West. Everyone fishes, everyone skis, everyone camps. Several years ago on the Madison, I sat on the deck of our rental and counted at least 80 drift boats go by me. It was like rush hour on the parkway. The outdoorsie also always try to convince me that the west is better. I smile and know that they will probably never see the ANF, Potter County or West Virginia, cause you know the West is better 🙂
raftman
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Spot on dude. I agree with you. Having lived in and visited many places throughout the West, I'm pretty content staying here in PA and enjoying the unheralded public lands and wildness that exist right out our back door. Also, much lower risk of drought and wildfires here...
The west is great to visit, but not a place I'd particularly want to move to for a very long period of time.
tomgamber
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I experienced all those places before I moved out west. They are, however, why this is the only place I would and did leave the west for. (well, and a redhead) 😉
dryflyguy
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The winters would be very long out west too.
We've only had about a month now of real winter weather here this season so far
And I'm sick of it already.
6 months of this would be pretty depressing IMO.
Unless you're a skier I guess
We've only had about a month now of real winter weather here this season so far
And I'm sick of it already.
6 months of this would be pretty depressing IMO.
Unless you're a skier I guess
tomgamber
Well-known member
This was not the case. Southern Idaho was basically a desert. 40 degree afternoons in the "winter" months were common. Snow never lasted in the valley and if you wanted to find snow in fall or spring or relief from the 100 degree heat in July , you just drove about 45 minutes UP. I had skied in the morning and then fished from the float tube in the afternoon on many days. Even up in Sun Valley or McCall you might be surrounded by snow but that sun makes it no jacket if not short sleeve weather in no time. Not sure where that "months of winter" comes from. As for the fishing, its pretty hard to find a body of water where you can say, "no fish in there". Can't say that here. Can you name me city in PA with walk to Class A trout water running through downtown?
of course you'll want to head out of Dodge when the bikini hatch comes off in that 100 degree time anyway.
Its not better its just different. A lot of things are better there. A lot of things are better here.
dryflyguy
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What about all those big rivers that are unfishable until July because of snowmelt?
I'll gladly take PA winters over that.
I'll prolly be fishing BWO's here in a few weeks
I'll gladly take PA winters over that.
I'll prolly be fishing BWO's here in a few weeks
tomgamber
Well-known member
What about them? Last time I went I fished the south fork of the Boise river in June. Its a tailwater. Can fish the Boise River down town all year. Its a tailwater. There is SO much fishable water. Catching Steelhead in the Boise right now I'll bet ya. 40 and sunny for the next week with 0-5% chance of precip. Point is you don't know but it doesn't stop you from making those incorrect generalizations. Lots of people out there have some wild and completely incorrect ideas about what its like here too. No problem.
BTW nearly everything about 5000ft is dry fly fishing. and when that sun hits the water its mostly dry fly fishing. You should visit. Downside is no one can afford to live there right now. Real estate is stupid expensive.
Bamboozle
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Bethlehem, Allentown, Carlisle but who's counting... 😉
tomgamber
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thanks, I was having trouble thinking of any. good answers. Mom lives in Allentown and My kid went to ****inson. Have fished both. Both are car rides from where they lived but still good. Should have thought of those. I live in western pa. Whattya ya got? the Loyalhanna? Sewickly creek? Its funny though. I would drive hours to fish places out of choice in the west. If I have to drive more than 30 minutes here it seems like a pain. Age has a lot to do with that. 20's and 50's are big leap.
PennKev
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You mean the ones that usually fish well all summer and into the fall and also have good pre-runoff fishing?
Droughts aside, the fishing in MT during July and August is much better than what we deal with every year during the same time in PA.
tomgamber
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tomgamber
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like I said several posts back, "Its not better its just different. A lot of things are better there. A lot of things are better here."
PennKev
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There's a lot of good fishing in PA, and near civilization at that, but....
I've said it before, you could take the best river or creek in PA, put it in Montana, and no one would care about it except maybe a handful of locals. I've fished quite a few "under the radar" waters in MT now and only a few PA waters compare by any measure. A couple of these streams are disregarded by the guide books as "polluted" or "full of smallish" fish. By PA standards they remarkable fisheries.
SmoothOperator
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Your absolutely right.... Then you throw the "dog days of summer" into the equation and out west water is much more fishable during the year/season....
Millsertime
Active member
I'm originally from out west. What my family and I have seen over the years....
Californians started moving to Colorado...Colorado is now really expensive.
Californians started moving to Montana...Montana is now really expensive.
Californians are now moving to Black Hills South Dakota....Will likely become expensive. Great non-famous trout fishing BTW. Also, since it's in the Colorado banana belt, it has great sunny winters.
Californians won't move to Wyoming because it's too windy.
Obviously some general statements and pigeon holing there....But some or part of those statements are facts.
Californians started moving to Colorado...Colorado is now really expensive.
Californians started moving to Montana...Montana is now really expensive.
Californians are now moving to Black Hills South Dakota....Will likely become expensive. Great non-famous trout fishing BTW. Also, since it's in the Colorado banana belt, it has great sunny winters.
Californians won't move to Wyoming because it's too windy.
Obviously some general statements and pigeon holing there....But some or part of those statements are facts.
