→There was lots of excitement around the Madison Valley during March. The big news early in the month was the defeat of the proposed Resort Tax in Ennis, by a landslide vote of 300 to 75. The tax would have been a 3% tax on luxuries sold within the town limits, from July 1 to Sept. 30 each year. So Ennis visitors and locals alike will continue enjoying the freedom from taxation – at least in one area of their lives.
→ The old Claim Jumper Bar is now a thing of the past. Scott and Amy Kelley are the proud new owners and have changed the name to The Gravel Bar. The Kelleys will continue to operate Banditos in Virginia City seasonally while the grill at the Gravel Bar will be open year-around. The new sign is up and the establishment is a welcomed change.
→ A new stream gauge is up and running at the Varney Bridge, thanks to the USGS, PPL MT, the Madison River Foundation, Madison Conservation District, the MT Bureau of Mines and Geology – and the Granger Ranch. The Varney stream gauge was first set up in 1952 but has not run since 1970. This gauge will be better able to track how flows out of Hebgen Dam affect the Madison River. Stream gauge information provides an historic record of stream flows and temperatures, which can provide important data about floods, droughts and the relationship between water levels and river health. Access to the information generated by the gauge will be posted online at http://www.mt.water.usgs.gov/.
→ On March 17th, The Madison Valley History Association celebrated William Ennis, the founder of Ennis, who was born in County Down, Ireland on March 17, 1828. Mr. Ennis arrived in the U.S. in 1863 and chose the current location as headquarters for his freighting business. Mr. Ennis was shot by a neighbor and died in 1889. You can read his fascinating story in The Progressive Men of the State of Montana.
→ Some of you may be anxiously awaiting the Mother’s Day Hatch before you head for the Madison River. But a few local diehards have been very successful even in this “iffy” weather. Kim Montag of McAllister is very proud of this monster fish she landed recently and claims it is the biggest fish she has ever caught on the Madison. And she says she wasn’t even cold while catching this fish! (She didn’t say what she was using.) But the Madison River Fishing Company says that “most folks have still been throwing the more usual winter-time fare like San Juans, eggs, Princes, copper Johns and such.” They say the rainbows are still hanging out in the holes and haven’t gotten themselves up into the riffles quite yet. Fisherpeople have to be very flexible this time of year, as you can experience a blizzard, rain, sun, 50 degrees and wind – all in one day on the Madison. You can check out the full report at http://www.mrfc.com/MadisonRiverMontanaFishing/MadisonRiverReport.aspx.
Check out more about Ennis, Montana at http://www.arrowreal.com/.
