A Trout Safari LodgeBy Joyce DaltonDéjà vu moments filled my days and nights at Healing Waters Lodge – flashbacks to some of the very best of travel memories. If southwestern Montana isn’t kin to Kenya, Namibia or Zimbabwe, it sure fooled me at times.
Then, too, there’s the silence, broken only by the swishing of tree branches or the otherworldly cry of a bird. And the pond, shimmering in early morning or evening light like an African waterhole inviting animals down for a cooling bath or drink.
From early morning wake-ups to evening gatherings for drinks and sharing of the day’s adventures to finely prepared and presented multi-course dinners around a communal table to early turn-ins, lulled to sleep by gentle wilderness sounds, the safari similarity was nearly complete. Conversations proved an intriguing combination of the easily recognizable and (for me) the totally unknown. Travel in general and the day’s adventures in particular dominated, the latter a reliable topic when folks find themselves together for a common purpose. While I can hold my own when it comes to destinations, I was a veritable fish out of water re the main theme --- fly fishing. Here déjà vu ended and a whole new learning experience began, for these guests came seeking not mammals, as in elephants, lions and cheetahs, but trout, as in cutthroat, brown and rainbow. Yes, Healing Waters is a fishing lodge, a place where camera equipment takes a back seat to fly rods. I may have contributed zilch to fishing tales, but I was happy to listen, absorb and appreciate the passion dedicated fishermen bring to the sport.
At the lodge’s hefty rates, even well-heeled guests and confirmed fishermen (those I met seemed to fit both categories) expect more from their accommodations than great views and the lure of fish. As confirmed by Healing Waters’ 75% tally of repeat guests (during my stay, a Massachusetts couple was back for the sixth year), the lodge satisfies on other counts, as well. Each of the nine themed guest rooms bears the name of a western notable (Chief Joseph), a famed figure of the fishing world (Franz Pott, an early 20th century manufacturer of woven hair flies), or a homesteader. My room’s namesake, Granny Yates, was a pioneer who organized and guided wagon trains between Missouri and Montana. One of her descendants started the lodge.
All rooms come equipped with binoculars, a bird list of area species, pre-stamped postcards, a basket of snacks, terry robes, quilts and a “buckie,” or small pillow filled with buckwheat hulls. Although the latter is said to provide a perfect night’s sleep, it seemed rather crunchy and I gave it a pass. As the guest booklet phrased it, “Your room is … a quiet retreat in preparation for a fine meal, companionship, perhaps some wildlife viewing and of course, a day of fishing.” Actually, the entire property could be considered a “quiet retreat.” Not a single ringing cell phone disrupted its peacefulness.
The main building houses the office, a lounge, a media room and five guest rooms including two suites with wood-burning stoves and in the case of The Rookery, a claw-foot tub, a glass-enclosed shower and a sauna. This building dates to 1891 when it served as a hospital for the nearby town of Sheridan. Several other structures stand on the spacious and well-groomed grounds. Four guest rooms occupy one, while others house a small exercise room, a gathering area for drinks and conversation, and the dining room. A hot tub waits in a gazebo-like setting. Mention of the dining room brings up a major plus for Healing Waters --- food quality. Chef Peter Robertson is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, NY and his menus and presentation do his alma mater proud. Two entrees are offered each evening. During my stay, choices included pan-seared halibut, roast New Zealand venison, grilled beef tenderloin and seared sea scallops. Hors d’oeuvres, appetizers, side dishes and desserts were consistently tasty. Chocolate truffle torte with Chantilly cream and lemon tart with raspberry sauce are two memorable sweet treats. Dinner, wine, beer, breakfast and a mammoth picnic lunch are included in the room rate. As for Healing Waters’ raison d’etre, fishing, a private guide is assigned to each couple or single guest. After dinner, guide and guest plan the next day’s outing. If a couple likes to fish separately (during my stay, one man preferred wading while his wife favored floating), a guide is provided for each. Sywassink doubles as outfitter for the lodge and employs 12 guides. Eighty to 90% of guests come for fishing, he said. Even avid fishermen sometimes like a break and a naturalist can be booked for day excursions which focus on such topics as wildflowers or following the footsteps of the explorers, Lewis & Clark. Two couples I met had only rave reviews after their day with the naturalist. If guests opt for a day of sight-seeing, choices abound. Yellowstone National Park lies less than a two-hour drive from the lodge (“a hop, skip and jump in Montana terms,” as the guest booklet claims). Easy day trips include the ghost towns of Virginia City and Nevada City (the former, a sort of western Williamsburg), Big Hole Battlefield National Park, Lewis & Clark Caverns and Ennis, a small town with a goodly number of upscale boutiques. Horseback riding or cooking classes with Chef Peter are other options. For the latter, choose a topic-specific class or a formal three-day program covering a variety of foods.
Healing Waters’ rather poetic brochure sums up the lodge experience: Very nicely put. And very true. If you go …. Getting there: Nearest airports are Butte or Bozeman, MT. Driving time is approximately one hour from Butte and 90 minutes from Bozeman. Season: April to December. Rates: Three-night all-inclusive package runs $580 per person per night, double. Single occupancy is $715 per night. Rate includes breakfast, dinner and picnic lunch; beer and wine; fishing guide, float boat, transportation to fishing site, flies, leaders and tipper; roundtrip airport shuttle from Butte or Bozeman, and choice of gift. Hunting packages are also available. Dress: Causal, even jeans. As the guest booklet puts it, “This is Montana.” Images: Joyce Dalton |
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Partly, it’s the vastness, the openness of land unimpaired by human structures, stretching forever toward mountains and crowned by a huge invariably cumulus-filled sky.
The screened sides of buildings seemed familiar, as did the casual chic furnishings and decorative touches which could have been lifted from an upscale game park lodge.
“Location, location, location” is a familiar refrain in the accommodations industry and Healing Waters claims an enviable position within 60 miles of six blue ribbon trout streams. Chris Sywassink, co-general manager with his wife, Julie, termed it “the mecca of the world for trout.” With the Missouri, Big Hole, Madison, Jefferson, Ruby and Beaverhead Rivers, plus numerous streams within an easy drive, guests could stay a week or more and never fish the same area twice. And for those who prefer mountain views, the Tobacco Root, Ruby, Snowcrest, Sweet Water and Pioneer ranges vie for attention. 
Decorative touches, including pictures, stay true to both fishing and the room’s namesake. My room, for example, featured of homesteaders as well as a wall shelf arrayed with such items as a tin filled with colorful flies and an old fly reel. Magazines were limited to fishing, Forbes and The Economist, which speaks volumes about the guests.
Little fish touches are everywhere. Fly designs border the lounge walls, fish are pictured on sofa upholstery, light switch covers and a clock. Fishermen are featured on mugs and coasters, while tied flies adorn sugar bowls and cream pitchers.
In 1960, it was purchased by a South Carolina family, transferred to the current site, named Healing Waters Estate and became the family’s summer home. Its life as a lodge began in 1997.
