Thinking of Warmer Weather and Rising Trout
January has brought real winter weather to Southwest Montana. Cold temperatures along with some snow have made it seem like a more normal winter. Our snowpack is inconsistent at this point and ranges from about ~70% of median to >150% of median, but definitely better than last year at this time. With another 3.5 months for potential snow at elevation, we are cautiously optimistic.
We recently attended both the Dallas Safari Club (DSC) annual convention and the Edison, New Jersey Fly Fishing Show. DSC was moved to Atlanta this year and unfortunately a severe winter storm wreaked havoc on show attendance as airports in both Texas and Atlanta were closed. Our show team of Marketing Director Ben La Londe, Guide Tristan Connell as well as Sheila and I made the most out of the opportunity. I had a “small world” moment at one of the banquets. We randomly sat at a table with available seats and met a gentleman and his wife from Illinois and were talking with them about the Lodge when he asked for my card; 10 minutes later he realized that he had fished at the Lodge 10+ years ago. We look forward to welcoming them back to the lodge this coming September.
The New Jersey Fly Fishing show was the exact opposite of DSC with a very strong attendance and our team had the opportunity to have great conversations with over 200 fly fishing enthusiasts. We were represented by our Fishing Director, Tim Flynn, Guide Todd Throckmorton and Sales Manager Alex Illig. This was the first show for this crew and by all accounts they did a fantastic job and had fun doing it. It was also Tim and Todd’s first time in New York City and while they appreciated what it had to offer, I don’t think we have any concern about them departing Montana for the Big Apple any time soon.
We will be attending one more event this month in the Dallas, Texas area. Please join us at the Orvis store in Plano, TX on February 8th, or at the Fort Worth, TX Orvis store on February 9th for the Orvis Marshes to Mountains event. Tim Flynn and Blaine Johansen will be there to present a seminar on the lodge both days. Also in attendance will be a couple other outfitters, guides, and lodges partnered with Orvis.
As we are preparing for the 2025 season I want to provide an update on our hospitality team. To further enhance our customer experience, we have created two new positions and have been fortunate to move two of our outstanding team members into these positions.
I am pleased to announce Amanda Morley as our Maitre d’. Amanda has been a stalwart at the Lodge for many years. In this new position she will be responsible for our quality of service in the dining room and training and supervision of the dining room team. Amanda will work closely with our Director of Lodge Operations Sara Cheuvront, Executive Chef Jayson Reynolds and Sommelier Natasha Nepveu.
I am also pleased to announce Blaine Johansen as our Concierge and Director of Guest Relations. Blaine joined our hospitality team last year and made an immediate positive impression on our guests. His focus on meeting all the needs of our customers was outstanding. Blaine also brings great technical skills to his new role, and we will be using those to enhance and automate all our customer communications. Blaine will work very closely with Director of Lodge Operations Sara Cheuvront and myself.
Amanda Morley: Maitre d'
Blaine Johansen: Concierge
Coming soon – We are hard at work on two exciting projects for 2025. Keep you eye out for our refreshed HWL – Healing Waters Lodge logo and a completely new website. We hope to be able to share both of these with you by the end of the first quarter.
In closing, we are committed to the development of our next generation of fly-fishing anglers. So, we are modifying our Healing Waters Lodge Youth Program. For 2025 a youth angler 16 and under can join a paying adult for our youth program August 1st - 5th for free. We will have the same team that teaches our fishing schools work with the youth program anglers. Stay tuned for more details to come.
Until The Next Rise
2025 Availability & Upcoming Events
We currently have Lodge availability in June and July, but it won't last long! We also have Smith River Expedition dates available in May and early July.
Hot off the press! - Due to a cancellation, we have a prime Smith River Expedition date open, June 11-15
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April 13-19,
April 27-May 3,
September 28-October 4
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August 1-5
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May 16-20
August 10-14
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Date TBD
