! Two Rivers Run Through It Darby, Montana 1
LOCATION This fabulous fishing retreat is located approximately 70 miles south of Missoula, Montana. To get to the property you drive south out of Missoula on Highway 93, approximately 65 miles 4 miles south of Darby. Turn right on West Fork, approximately 2 miles, turn left on Trapper View Road to the property. Missoula International Airport has several major airlines to get you to the ranch: Allegiant, Big Sky, Horizon Air, Northwest, Sky West and United all service the airport. There is also a small airport in Hamilton for private aircraft. http://www.airnav.com/airport/6s5 LOCALE Darby is a small town located south of Hamilton in Southwestern Montana. With a population in 2004 of only 814 people, the town is a quiet one with spectacular scenery and fabulous fishing opportunities. The Painted Rock State Park and reservoir, as well as other streams, rivers and lakes make Darby prime territory for the fishing enthusiast. With Brook Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, and West slope Cutthroat Trout prevalent, Darby and its surrounding areas is the perfect fishing destination. Missoula is located in an old, glacial lakebed, which is now cut by Clark Fork River. The Bitterroot River feeds into the Clark Fork on the Southwest edge of town; the famed Big Blackfoot River meets the Clark Fork just east of town. The University of Montana is here, as is the Northern Region headquarters for the U.S. Forest Service. Retail trade is way up, extractive industries like logging are waning. Just as the university students leave each year, the tourists arrive. Missoula is 3 hours south of Glacier National Park and 3-and-a-half hours west of Yellowstone National Park. It is surrounded by National forests and a handful of wilderness areas. Missoula is dubbed the Garden City for its mild winters relative to the rest of Montana. It's no wonder we're suffering some growing pains: Missoula is a pretty good place to live. Depending on the season, we hike, ski, fish, run rivers and ride mountain bikes. We talk politics and shoot pool. We're also a literate town; it's commonplace to chat with a local author about his or her latest book. (John Updike dubbed Missoula the "Paris of the 90's," a flattering but somewhat gross exaggeration.) 2
Hamilton, Montana is located south of Missoula in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley. This is a wide-open valley traversed by US Highway 93 and the Bitterroot River. Hamilton is both a very popular traveler's destination and great place to live. This is a paradise for people who love the outdoors, nature, gardening and community. Hamilton has both the small-town feel of rural Montana, and quick access to city services in nearby Missoula. The Hamilton area is a great recreation area for fishing, hunting, boating and hiking. Vast areas of wilderness abound just to the west of the Bitterroot valley with miles of pristine forest, wildlife and views. The Bitterroot River runs through the valley, close to town, creating favorite hiking trails and picnic areas for residents. The town of Hamilton boasts numerous hunting, fishing and outfitting businesses who can show travelers the best local spots. The Bitterroot Selway wilderness areas are near the property comprising over 2.5 million acres of public lands. Lake Como located just north of Darby at an elevation of 4,500 feet. It is a large irrigation reservoir, which lies in a beautiful canyon. Swimming, fishing, boating and water skiing are popular sports at the lake. The swimming area has beach access and is roped off from the rest of the lake. There is a hikers' trail, which leads along the north side to an unimproved campground above some falls at the head of the lake. Lake Como dam was constructed in 1905 to provide late season irrigation for the Bitterroot Valley. The lake is typically at full pool from early spring through mid-july. 3
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY The seeker of river frontage and prime fishing property with the added bonus of great horse facilities, spectacular mountain views and a Montana log home needs to look no further than this one-of-a-kind acreage. Just upstream from the convergence of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River and the East Fork of the Bitterroot River, this 60+/- acre property lies along the west side and encompasses both blue ribbon trout streams. ACREAGE Other features combine to further enhance this property. One is the fact that there are eight separate parcels associated with the total acreage; seven of which are tracts two to three acres in size and located on the upper meadow area out of view of the primary residence. This creates a real investment asset by way of allowing for future independent sales while maintaining the integrity of the main 42+/- acre parcel. IMPROVEMENTS 4
The original owner and builder was owner of the renowned log home company Neville Log Homes, and is currently owned by the estate of a Hollywood stunt man (John Wayne s stunt double, among other projects) who resided here for 20 years. Built circa 1980, the home is in good structural condition but could benefit greatly from modern updating. There are approximately 5,600 square feet over two levels. The main level has four bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a powder room, a spacious great room with massive river rock fireplace, a nice kitchen and many entertainments decks overlooking the rivers. The lower level daylight basement could easily be completed to gain another two to three bedrooms and already has one full bathroom in service. The placement of the home on the bank above the rivers, while fully utilizing the fabulous views of both the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountain ranges, was superb planning. Outbuildings are plentiful and include a three bay garage with shop constructed of log; a log barn featuring two large stalls, hay and tack storage, and with electricity and water service; a round pen with loading chutes; and corrals and cross-fenced pastures set up for grazing rotation. The property has irrigation rights from the Bitterroot River. 5
TOPOGRAPHY This excellent fishing and horse property is level and gently slopes down to the rivers with beautiful mountain views. 6
CLIMATE Month Avg. High Avg. Low Mean Avg. Precip Record High Record Low Jan 34 F 17 F 26 F 1.11 in. 63 F (1989) -36 F (1937) Feb 41 F 20 F 31 F 0.86 in. 71 F (1995) -39 F (1899) Mar 50 F 26 F 38 F 0.91 in. 82 F (1941) -14 F (1955) Apr 58 F 32 F 45 F 1.05 in. 90 F (1936) 1 F (1936) May 66 F 39 F 53 F 1.75 in. 102 F (1936) 0 F (1901) Jun 74 F 45 F 60 F 1.62 in. 100 F (1933) 24 F (1924) Jul 83 F 49 F 66 F 1.00 in. 105 F (1895) 31 F (1971) Aug 82 F 48 F 65 F 1.14 in. 103 F (1969) 19 F (1895) Sep 71 F 40 F 56 F 1.07 in. 98 F (1998) 10 F (1895) Oct 59 F 31 F 45 F 0.78 in. 90 F (1901) -1 F (1935) Nov 42 F 23 F 33 F 1.11 in. 76 F (1999) -24 F (1955) Dec 34 F 17 F 25 F 1.14 in. 66 F (1957) -31 F (1972) Hamilton, MT Weather Facts On average, the warmest month is July. The highest recorded temperature was 105 F in 1895. December is the average coolest month. The lowest recorded temperature was -39 F in 1899. The most precipitation on average occurs in May. 7
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES Another truly great feature that cannot be overlooked is the location. All of this remarkable setting described herein is very easily accessed and only five miles from the community of Darby; 23 miles from Hamilton. Yet, for outdoor enthusiast the trailheads leading into the Bitterroot National Forest are numerous and nearby for hiking, ATV exploration, big game hunting and horseback riding. And don t forget about snowmobiling in the winter and downhill skiing at Lost Trail Powder Mountain just 20 miles away. WILDLIFE AND FISHERY Located in Southwestern Montana, The Bitterroot is an excellent river consisting of diverse water and quality hatches. Cutthroat, brown, rainbow, and brook trout can all be found in its waters. The Bitterroot is approximately 75 miles long from the junction of the East and West Fork just below Conner to where it meets the Clark Fork near Missoula. The Bitterroot is well known as one of the finest dry fly fishing rivers in the state. The dry fly fishing season begins sometime in March, depending on the weather, and ends in late November. Spring is always blessed with high water that lasts for two to three weeks in late May and early June. This time of year is always good for the trout because of the abundance of food available when rocks are washed along and nymphs uprooted. Once this is over the river returns to its meandering nature and settles in for the summer fun. The first major hatch is the Skwala (stonefly) in March. If the conditions are right the fish will key on the imitation pattern for a full 6 weeks. One pattern to use for the Skwala is a bullet head fly tied with a black egg sack and dark body. The underwing is dark brown or black and the overwing is tied in bullet head style with dark brown premo-deer hair. The fish seem to look for this hatch to begin their yearly feeding habits and with the size of this stonefly they can build bulk fast. The late fishing, which continues into November, includes patterns such as the October Caddis and Midges. The October Caddis is large and can be fished with an imitator that is size #8 or #10. The Midges on the other hand are from #20 - #24. In between the major hatches include Pale Morning Dun, Blue Winged Olive, Green Drake, Salmon Fly, Golden Stone and several varieties of Caddis. The mayflies are typically sizes 14-18 with the exception of the Green Drake. TAXES $2,754 IN 2009 8
WATER AND WELL RIGHTS Water Right WR Type Status Purpose Src Src Name Means of Diversion Flow Rate Volume Acres 76H 15732 00 GROUND WATER CERTIFICATE 76H 25724 00 STATEMENT OF CLAIM ACTV IRRIGATION S 76H 25725 00 STATEMENT OF CLAIM ACTV STOCK S ACTV DOMESTIC G GROUNDWATER WELL 15.00 GPM 1.50 BITTERROOT RIVER, WEST FORK BITTERROOT RIVER, WEST FORK HEADGATE 2.50 CFS 25 HEADGATE SURVEY MAP 9
TOPO MAP 10
AERIAL PHOTO/MAP 11
BROKER COMMENTS In addition to this being an excellent fishing and horse property, another interesting facet is the potential for the creation of a private airstrip. Imagine landing right on your property and mere minutes later touching your line to the water. What more can be said when you have complete access to two stretches of river out your front door literally? Your Montana dream awaits you. PRICE Offered At $1,600,000.!!"#$%"#&$'()"#*+,'"($-"(,+-,.$ "#!$%&'()*!(+!,-./012/0-.,!3)!45(%6!(+!"#78'4$(9&':)3;4)<=&35!!!! 12