Title: A River Recovered.

In the late 1980s, the Blackfoot River—the backdrop for Norman McLean’s A River Runs Through It—was on the ropes. The fisheries were in severe decline, and there seemed to be few resources available to save it.  But for the commitment of an unlikely alliance of anglers, ranchers, and government biologists, that might have been the end of the story—another once great river condemned to mediocrity by myriad insults over the course of several decades. Today, it has recovered much of its old reputation, even in the face of prolonged drought, and is now a much sought-after destination. Stan Bradshaw tells the incredible story of this amazing transformation in both words and pictures, and, with just a little prodding, can be nudged into providing valuable insight into the major hatches, best seasons to fish, and key patterns.

Stan is currently a staff attorney for Trout Unlimited’s Western Water Project. In that position, he works on a variety of instream flow initiatives, from negotiating with irrigators to lease water to instream flows, to working on emergency drought response efforts, to participating in watershed groups to find cooperative solutions to streamflow problems.

Previous to working for TU as counsel for the Montana Water Project, Stan was the Resource Director for Montana Trout Unlimited, where he was responsible for working with various state agencies on resource issues related to cold-water fisheries, with a heavy emphasis on instream flows. In addition, while a lobbyist for TU in 1989, he represented TU in promoting the passage of the bill that permits Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to lease water rights for instream flows.  He continued to lobby for TU through 1993.

From 1976 to 1979 he worked for the Montana Department of Health and Environmental Sciences on subdivision and water quality issues.  From 1981 through 1986, he worked for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, where he was chief counsel.

In 1997, while in private practice, he secured the first private instream flow lease in Montana on behalf of the Westslope chapter of Trout Unlimited. In his current position with Trout Unlimited, he negotiates instream leases, assist water users with instream conversions, and works on other instream projects. He has been involved in the groundbreaking watershed efforts in the Blackfoot River basin for over a decade. He has been involved in other watershed restoration efforts throughout Western Montana.

In addition to his conservation work, Stan was a principal in Greycliff Publishing with his wife Glenda and the late Gary LaFontaine. When he’s not talking water with ranchers or anyone else who will listen, he spends as much time as he can on water, in one form or other--he’s an accomplished whitewater canoeist, enthusiastic fly fisherman, and avid skier.

See you there.