At a Montana ranch resort, cattle drives and fly fishing are followed by fine dining

After four hours of fly fishing on the Blackfoot River, I was emotionally preparing myself to admit defeat.

I couldn’t really complain, considering that my four fish-less hours had been spent floating down the river in a little boat, admiring western Montana’s fall scenery with my boyfriend and travel companion, Sky, and our guide, Calvin. Not a bad Saturday afternoon.

Still, Calvin was determined to see me triumph, so he repeatedly paddled back to the spot where Sky had been catching trout all afternoon. Those extra 30 minutes made all the difference. I felt a faint tug on my line and delightedly reeled in a small mountain whitefish, then a cutthroat trout, posing for the obligatory photo with my catch.

Fly fishing on the Blackfoot was just one of many adventures we experienced at Paws Up, a 37,000-acre ranch resort with two Michelin Keys. Wanting to experience the ranch-style stays popularized by the “Yellowstone” series, Sky and I scheduled our Montana trip for late September.
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