An unusually warm winter is reshaping the season across Montana, and for some businesses, it's been a welcome surprise. Instead of deep snow and frozen rivers, much of February has brought above-average temperatures, minimal snow accumulation, and open water across parts of the state.
While that may raise long-term concerns about snow pack and drought, it's creating short-term gains for warm-weather recreation industries, like fishing.
Brianna Juneau reports - watch the video here:
In the small Missouri river community of Craig, traffic has stayed afloat. Fred Telleen, sales manager for the Trout Shop says this winter has been one of the busiest stretches he's ever seen. “This is, I think my 19th or 20th winter in Montana now, and nothing close to this,” Telleen said.
Typically, winter offers a slower pace. Telleen says summer is when he hosts fishermen from around the world, often working long days to keep up with demand. The colder months usually provide a break.
“I’m very, very busy in the summer hosting people from all over the world,” he said. “And so, the winter is kind of my time since we’re typically not so busy, but this year’s been a little different.”
Instead of winter lull traffic, fishermen have been walking through the doors daily to book guided trips, stock up on flies, and take advantage of the mild conditions that feel more like spring than winter.
“That’s basically our main driver. If it’s above freezing and especially if it’s 40s, 50s and we’ve even seen some 60 and even cracked 70 degrees one day, that’s going to get people interested in going fishing,” Telleen said. “People that normally would be skiing have been coming here, on the weekends and even during the week to go fishing just to take advantage of the conditions,” he said.
The increase in foot traffic has provided an economic boost not only to the fly shop but also to other businesses and outdoor recreation who are benefiting from the uptick in visitors and extending what is normally considered the off-season.
Still, some anglers remain cautiously optimistic. Montana’s snowpack plays a critical role in sustaining rivers through the summer months, and prolonged warm, dry conditions could present challenges later in the year if mountain snowfall doesn’t rebound.
For now, though, the lines are tight, the boats are launching, and winter in Montana looks a little different this year.
“It’s been fantastic,” Telleen said. “I feel like I’ve gotten my time in. And when I get really busy in June and work 14 to 15 hour days to service other people coming to Montana, I’ll be able to remember this time.”
