Montana Covid 19 Update Early May 2020
The caddis are hatching on all of the usual rivers like the Yellowstone, Madison, Gallatin and a few others I’ve just forgotten the names of (wink wink). The fishing is good and runoff has eased into spring without too big of a blast with just enough coordination with some warm days and cool days. The summer season is getting really close and I’ve been tying flies to fill some desperately gaping holes of some of my favorite patterns. The boats are cleaned up and ready get after it. Montana’s water outlook for the summer is looking good..
Even with that said, these pandemic times are weird. Montana has been fortunate to have relatively few Covid 19 cases and while we’ve undergone the typical social distancing directives, the state has opened up its doors for business.
Sort of. Montana, which I feel has done a great job in dealing with the pandemic, has opened with a three phased approach where each phase has its own particular guidelines. We’re in phase 1 right now-today is May 8. This means that all recreation in Montana is possible, and encouraged, and that most business types are ok to operate with special considerations (for example-6 feet between patrons, limited numbers of people in a space, etc). While this is great news there is one sticky regulation with the phased opening that affects Montana’s tourism industry, including outfitters and guides. The sticky point is a mandatory 14 day quarantine for all travelers to Montana. This means that anyone visiting Montana to come fishing during phases 1 and 2 is expected to quarantine for 14 days prior to going fishing. Ouch.
At this time, there are multiple organizations, including the MT Chamber of Commerce and Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana, that are petitioning the governor to amend the 14 day quarantine directive. Amendment proposals include changing the 14 day quarantine from a blanket “all visitors” quarantine to one that directs only those traveling to Montana from current Covid 19 hotspots having to quarantine. They also are proposing that the 14 day quarantine be lifted after phase 1. Needless to say, for Montana the tourism industry is huge and the constantly evolving Covid-19 stipulations are being followed daily.
As an outfitter and guide, it is my responsibility to pass this information on to people that have made reservations and who are potentially going to make reservations. It’s really tricky and without anyone having experience with this type of situation before, it’s a situation where we’re just waiting and seeing what’s going to happen next. For me, that means that everything is ready to go-flies, tackle, boats, (don’t forget the net and, oh yeah the anchor too), permits, other gear, cooler (good food and cold drinks), and some major excitement to go fish. I can’t wait. Give me a call or send an email (riverflyoutfitters@gmail.com) if you’d like to know the current situation. I’ll keep you posted.
