Spring Creeks on the Madison Is Situated Within the Lower Madison River Valley, Near the Community of Three Forks, Montana

Spring THREECreek FORKS, s on MONTANA the Madison

Hunting | Ranching | Fly Fishing | Conservation THREESpring FORKS, Creek MONTANA s on the Madison

Introduction: The Spring Creeks on the Madison is situated within the Lower Madison River valley, near the community of Three Forks, Montana. A stunning backdrop surrounds the ranch with the Spanish Peaks to the south, Tobacco Roots to the west and Bridger Mountains to the northeast. This 112- acre ranch offers exceptional fly fishing on three unique fisheries. This includes over a ½ mile of the Madison River, over a ½ mile of the restored Darlington Ditch Creek and just under a ½ mile of the enhanced Rey Creek. Sporting enthusiasts will enjoy the spring-fed ponds; the largest is stocked with native trout that attracts abundant waterfowl. In addition to the waterfowl hunting, there is tremendous deer and upland bird hunting on the ranch. The ranch is within 30 minutes of Bozeman and commercial air service at the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport providing convenient access. With exceptional hunting and fishing, this Montana ranch for sale is a unique offering. Jack McInerney, Sales Associate Craig Janssen, Associate Broker Toll Free: 866.734.6100 Office: 406.586.6010

www.LiveWaterProperties.com Location: Set within the Lower Madison River’s broad valley, Spring Creeks on the Madison offers the incredible opportunity of fishing three completely separate and unique live water fisheries without leaving the ranch. There are additional spring-fed ponds and wetlands. The largest pond is stocked with native trout, offering more challenges for fish or fowl. Tremendous deer, waterfowl, and upland bird hunting are present on the property. Local mountain ranges provide a stunning backdrop with the Spanish Peaks to the south, Tobacco Roots to the west, and Bridger Mountains to the northeast. The ranch is close to Three Forks and within 30 minutes of Bozeman and Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, which provides convenient access to the area’s varied activities.

Acreage: The ranch encompasses a total of 112 acres of pasture and river frontage enhanced by the meandering of two spring creeks and spring-fed ponds. The property is nestled away from the county road on the eastern boundary, which allows for excellent privacy, while surrounded by the Madison River on the western side. With excellent water features and native habitat, the property offers a unique combination of all-season activities.

www.LiveWaterProperties.com Improvements: The apartment, built by a local craftsman builder, is a 1½ story building and three-car garage with utility and storage rooms. The one-bedroom, one-bath living area and apartment is on the second floor The building appears as a 1920s barn from the county road and is finished to match the era. Painted lap siding and rustic wood floors and trim enhance the living area. Additionally, there are two small primitive buildings that offer additional storage.

www.LiveWaterProperties.com Area: The small, historic town of Three Forks, Montana, is located 8 minutes from the ranch. With a friendly population of approximately 1,900 people, Three Forks offers a variety of amenities for the culturally-minded visitor and the sporting enthusiast. The historic Sacajawea Hotel, constructed in 1910, has been recently renovated, offering fine dining and accommodations in an elegant atmosphere. The Headwaters Public Golf Course features a 9-hole course adjacent to town. Three Forks provides medical facilities, a library, grocery store, coffee shop, museum, florist, tackle shop and numerous places to dine or swap stories over a cold beverage. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is located 25 minutes east and offers commercial air service. The airport serves the Bozeman area and southwest Montana, offering direct flights from major hubs and airlines.

Bozeman is nestled in the midst of the Gallatin Valley, the heart of Yellowstone Country and is known for being sophisticated, yet down to earth. A vibrant upbeat community, Bozeman is home to Montana State University, Museum of the Rockies and the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra. The Bozeman Symphony Orchestra is considered to be the finest in the world for cities this size. The Bozeman area is the center for culture, commerce, tourism and the arts. Visitors and residents enjoy easy access to commercial air travel, four golf courses, shopping and fine dining. The Museum of the Rockies is home to one of the largest dinosaur fossil collections in the world and is also home to renowned paleontologist Jack Horner. The Museum has several historical exhibits that trace the origins of the area’s native people and the white trappers and settlers that came west. The world-class Taylor Planetarium and constantly changing art exhibits are found at the Museum of the Rockies as well. This area, where the Madison and Gallatin Valleys meet, was known to the Indians as the “Valley of Flowers” and boasts some of the most fertile land in the nation.

www.LiveWaterProperties.com Live Water: The ranch has over a½ mile of the Madison River frontage, a ½ mile of the restored Darlington Ditch Creek and just under a ½ mile of the enhanced Rey Creek.

Only a handful of locals and a few outsiders know the secret that Darlington Ditch Creek is home to gigantic trout. The creek enjoys an exceptional trout habitat and genetics that anglers dream about, despite the size of the fishery. Dry fly fishermen can expect baetis, PMDs, tricos, caddis and midge hatches. Grasshopper and beetle fishing in the summer can be amazing. When taking a break from dry flies, anglers will have luck with small nymphs like a pheasant tail, midge larva, and scuds. Try to swing a bugger or zonker through deeper holes and undercut banks.

Darlington Ditch Creek is one of Montana’s few year round spring creek fisheries. The Cobblestone access point off the Madison River gets little fishing pressure because there is not a boat ramp or camping offered. In 1972, and then again 1988, Trout Unlimited sponsored trout habitat restoration projects on this section of Darlington Ditch, which has become a superb technical fishery holding exceptionally large trout. Darlington experiences all of the classic spring creek hatches and will challenge even the most experienced anglers.

This section of the Madison River is famous for its braids, channels and low angling pressure. A float from the Grey Cliffs boat ramp to the Black Bird boat ramp near Three Forks is approximately 17 miles. Most anglers will find this float too far for a comfortable day trip; there is not enough time to enjoy a leisurely float with stops for wade fishing. Alternatively, a float from Grey Cliffs to the ranch is only 6 miles. A second float option is from the ranch to Black Bird boat ramp, just under 11 miles in length. Each of these trips are ideal fishing or drifting floats. Serious anglers will know to anchor the boat near the best holding water between Grey Cliffs and the ranch. Here, anglers will catch trout that most fishermen only dream about. Fishermen mark their calendar for the Mother’s Day caddis, salmonfly, and baetis hatches in the spring, terrestrials in summer, baetis in the fall and midges in the winter.

“When floating the river during spring or fall, keep one rod rigged with a Woolly Bugger and another with light tippet and a baetis imitation. You or your partner can pitch that bugger to the banks as you float. When a riser or pod of risers is sighted, grab that dry fly rod and throw it.” From Fly Fisher’s Bible Montana, by Greg Thomas.

www.LiveWaterProperties.com Nearby Live Water: According to many knowledgeable trout fishermen, Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley are the center of angling activity in Montana. Residents and visiting anglers know the importance of having the Madison, Gallatin, Jefferson and Missouri less than ten minutes from the property. Within an hour, the list of great fisheries grows to include much of the greatest trout water in the world. Highlights on this list of area rivers and creeks include the Beaverhead, Big Hole, East Gallatin, Yellowstone, Ruby, Shields and all of the smaller creeks that feed these rivers. Don’t forget about the fee fishing spring creeks in Gallatin Valley and Paradise Valley when in the mood for an angling challenge.

www.LiveWaterProperties.com Wildlife and Hunting: The Darlington Spring Creek Ranch offers great opportunities to hunt pheasants, Hungarian partridge, ducks, geese and deer. This part of the Lower Madison Valley is well known as a major flyway for waterfowl because of the springs and creeks that stay ice-free year round. Drive almost any direction from the property and upland bird hunters will find opportunities to chase pheasants, Hungarian partridge, sharp-tailed grouse, as well as blue and ruffed grouse in the area mountains.

Elk, deer, black bear, and mountain lion can all be found and hunted in the nearby mountains and forest. Moose, bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goat are also found in the area. These animals require a specific tag from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to harvest. Yellowstone National Park and the Gallatin National Forest are some of the nation’s best places to find protected animals like grizzly bears, lynx, wolverines and wolves. This is truly a wild area with an incredibly diverse list of wildlife.

www.LiveWaterProperties.com Recreation: This area is brimming with adventure and an abundance of outdoor recreational activities. Travelers come from around the world to experience what this part of southwest Montana offers. Skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing are popular winter activities. Bridger Bowl is one of the nation’s best community downhill ski areas and is less than an hour from the property. The ski resorts of Big Sky and Moonlight Basin can be found just over an hour up the Gallatin Canyon.

The Madison Buffalo Jump State Park is less than two miles from the ranch. This park offers diagrams and descriptions that show Native American life and locations of the lanes the Buffalo were driven out onto cliffs and fell to be processed by the Indian women. This area offers extensive hiking trails where visitors will see tepee rings and the unmistakable record of the way buffalo hunting was utilized as early as 2,000 years ago and as recently as 200 years ago. Missouri River Headwaters State Park lies approximately 10 miles away from the ranch at the Three Forks of the Missouri. It is a wonderful place for all types of outdoor activities, such as hiking, fishing, boating, camping and wildlife viewing. In summertime, there are numerous lakes, streams and rivers in the area to enjoy boating, fishing and swimming. Exploring the wilderness, mountains and prairie in the area on horseback or hiking will provide days of family fun and adventure each year.

Gallatin Valley recreation is summed up in the Ultimate Montana Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia. “Over 2,000 miles of ‘blue-ribbon’ trout streams weave through this sportsman’s paradise, while golf courses, first class tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools and hot springs make Bozeman a city of diverse recreational opportunities. Minutes away is the Bridger Bowl Ski Area featuring over 1,200 acres inside the Gallatin National Forest.”

www.LiveWaterProperties.com Summary

• 112 acres, ideal for a horse or cattle operation • Over ½ mile of restored Darlington Ditch Creek • Over ½ mile of Madison River frontage • Nearly a ½ mile of enhanced Rey Creek • Modern 3-car garage with 1-BR apartment • 15 minutes to Three Forks and 40 minutes to Bozeman • Views of the Spanish Peaks • Nearby Bridger Bowl, Big Sky and Moonlight Basin • Upland bird, waterfowl and deer hunting

PRICE: $1,875,000 TAXES: $557 in 2014

CONTACT: Jack McInerney, Sales Associate Craig Janssen, Associate Broker Toll Free: 866.734.6100 Office: 406.586.6010

Notes: 1) This is an exclusive listing of Live Water Properties LLC; an agent of Live Water Properties must be present to conduct a showing. The owners respectfully request that other agents and/or prospective buyers contact Live Water Properties in advance to schedule a proper showing and do not attempt to tour or trespass the property on their own. Thank you. 2) Offering subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change or withdrawal without notice, and approval of purchase by owner. Information provided herein is intended as a general guideline and has been provided by sources deemed reliable, but the accuracy of which we cannot guarantee. 3) Live Water Properties LLC represents the Seller as a Seller’s Agent.

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