This article was recently published in Angling Trade, an industry magazine many of you probably don't see but it's important to share the good news. What this artilce doesn't tell you is that the force trying to restrict access to Mitchell Slough was Huey Lewis (of the News) who owns a large ranch next to the Slough.-BW
Montana Supreme Court Rules Mitchell Slough Open
The Montana Supreme Court recently ruled that Mitchell Slough is open to recreation under the state's stream access law. This decision will have statewide ramifications in the ongoing stream access debate. In a 54 page decision, the court said that the 16 miles of this waterway (between Hamilton and Stevensville, Montana) follows the historical course of a waterway mapped 130 years ago, and therefore is subject to the same public accessand permitting standards as other natural waterways. This ruling overtunred two earlier rulings by state district courts that found the slough was no a "natural, perennial-flowing stream."
1 comment:
Hi Brett,
Dave Hicks here of Tite Line. Not being from the Northwest, I'm unfamiliar with the issues involved with this court decision. Would you mind elaborating a bit on what was at stake and how it affects the fly fishermen in your area. I think it would be interesting for those of us in other parts of the country.
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