January 2015 Volume 1, Issue 2

January Volume 1 Issue 2

Publishers Notes By Raf Viniard

Happy New Year to all my fellow hunters, fishermen and trappers and to those that call Montana home…the “Last Best Place on Earth!” I want to thank all those that helped Montana Woods N Water get off the ground in 2014. It was a year filled full of challenges and excitement. Trapping season is in full swing and lion hunters are still prowling about looking for that big Tom to tree. It may be snowy and cold but that has not dampened the dogs or the cat hunter’s spirits. If you are ice fishing or thinking about it…just

remember to use caution…a dunk in the lake or river this time of the year may be the last bath you take. Here at Montana Woods N Water we are undergoing some exciting changes and looking forward to moving Montana Woods N Water in a new direction in 2015. We will no longer be printing a hard copy and there are many reasons for this decision but it boils down to the cost of printing, distributing and meeting some grueling deadlines. Starting with this issue we will be sending out story links via Facebook, Twitter, etc. every Tuesday and Thursday. We will still be covering all the same fantastic stuff we did in hard print but better and faster. Our writers were very limited as to what they could write because of our print budget. By going 100% digital we will be full color and can now include active links to other news and information sources. Starting in February we will be adding video links to some of our content and advertising. If you want a copy of any issue, all you have to do is download it and print it from your home computer or take it to your nearest print shop.

This new format will allow you the reader to better pick and choose what articles you find interesting and follow our writers more in-depth. Yes, we will still have advertisers and by going digital we can cut their advertising cost by 50% or more each month and reach thousands more potential customers than print alone.

Montana Woods N Water has teamed up with Big Bull Sports and the Sanders County Search and Rescue and will be holding a “Five Months of Fun” fundraising event. We will be raffling off some really nice firearms and other prizes. Go to www.montanawoodsnwater.com and hit the “SAR” tab for more information. While you are on our website you might want to swing over to our “Store” tab and see what we have on tap. Keep sending us your pictures and stories. We thank you for your continued support and we wish each and every one of you a healthy and prosperous new year.

Publisher & Editor: Raf Viniard

406-407-0612

Field Editor: Mitzi Stonehocker

406-544-1868

Sales & Marketing Director:

Kori Erickson

406-293-1478

Flathead Valley Sales Rep:

Misty Loveless

406-250-4191

Missoula Sales Rep: Vacant

Pro Staff Writers & Photographers:

Angela Gerych Pastor Jim Sinclair

Dan Helterline Zach Butcher

Paul Fielder Montana Mitzi

Toby Bridges Sam Martin

Toby Walrath Jason Badger

Tony Rebo

Editorial Policy: Montana Woods N Water (MWW) reserves the right to

refuse to publish in any form of content that does not include the author’s name, complete mailing address, and/or valid

phone number or e-mail address. Anonymous submissions will not be

addressed or published. MWW reserves the right not to publish anything we feel

is not in good taste or appropriate.

Front Cover Photo Provided By:

Raf Viniard

Location: Finley Flats, MT

Contact Us

Montana Woods N Water

171 Clark Creek Loop

Plains, Montana 59859

406-08-0576

www.montanawoodsnwater.com

Email:

raf@montanawoodsnwater.com

TRAPPING

November Muskrats by Paul C. Fielder

November first found me setting muskrat and beaver traps in a favorite marsh where the landowners wanted these

critters controlled because of the problems they cause. The muskrats and beaver under-mined banks and a water

storage dam and the beaver were also chewing up ornamental and fruit trees. November trapping is always tough

for me because there are still deer and elk tags to fill and early freezes often ice me out of the marshes. But I like to

trap the problems for the land owners that allow me to trap their land.

I set out 10 float sets and 9 colony traps for muskrats, a 1 ½ coil spring blind set for mink, and three 330 conibears

for beaver the first day. My float sets (described in this magazine’s August issue) are narrow enough to just hold a 1

½ longspring trap on each end of the float. So, each float set contained two traps. I position the float along shore-

lines, often in protected coves in water deep enough to drown a muskrat. A fake feed bed is placed on each float

with slices of potato and muskrat lure and mint toothpaste used to entice muskrats to climb aboard.

The mink set was a blind set where I know mink cross a tree root

at water level. I attached the trap with a one-way slide onto a

slide wire fastened to the root and a stake in deeper water. The

330 conibears were set where beavers were crawling under a

woven wire fence at water level to get to some trees in the land-

owner’s yard. I placed the traps in the bottom of the runs the

beavers were using and propped them upright with braces...

Continued on next page

2

criss-crossed between the top corners of the trap. I drive a stick over the top of the traps and extra

“fencing” along each side forced any beaver to have to swim through the trap to get to the yard.

I invited this magazine’s publisher, Raf, to check my traps with me November 2nd. We checked some on foot and

the rest by canoe. First we checked the property where I set the three 330’s. One held a small beaver and the other

two were unmolested. I got two muskrats in a colony trap and a third on one of my floats. The landowners happily

followed us from trap to trap.

At the next ranch, we didn’t see a trap on either end of the first float we

checked. But after wading out there, we pulled a muskrat up out of the

water at the end of the trap chain wired to each end of the float. The

next float had anoth-

er muskrat and a

snapped trap. Next we came to a

wide underwater run were I had set

two colony traps side by side to fill

the whole run. One of these traps

held a drowned muskrat. We started off in the canoe and the first float we checked was messed up and not like I left

it. Luckily that good old 1 ½ longspring held a small beaver long enough for it to get tangled up and drown. I’d ra-

ther be lucky than good! The mink blind-set held a muskrat. The next colony trap, set in a run through the cattails,

held 3 muskrats. Raf was starting to believe that I knew what I was talking about. We picked up another double on

muskrats at one of the floats and a single muskrat at the last float we checked. For the first trap check of the season

we got 14 muskrats and 2 beaver in the 33 traps that were set.

The next day I checked traps myself and picked up another 8 muskrats and another beaver in one of the 330’s. I

added a tenth colony trap and 6 more traps in likely looking muskrat runs and feed beds. Two days later I pulled all

my traps. That last check yielded another beaver in a 330 and 10 more muskrats. Four beaver and 32 muskrats was

pretty fair for the limited area I had to set traps.

On November 8th I set 13 colony traps (I had just made 3 new ones) and five 110 conibear traps on another ranch at

some small ponds and dikes that were being undermined by muskrats. The owner had requested that I “get rid of

the muskrats”. I set a trap in every bank den that looked active. On my walk back to the truck, I noticed I had al-

ready caught a muskrat in one of the colony traps. A little further on, another colony trap held 2 more muskrats.

Three muskrats while walking back to the truck after setting traps? Lucky again! The next day it was raining hard

when I checked traps. The first colony trap held two muskrats. The next colony trap had 2 more muskrats in it, with

3 in the next one. A 120 conibear took a muskrat from an overland run in the vegetation. Another colony trap pro-

duced another triple and another one a double. A 110 conibear guarding a den entrance caught another muskrat. I

ended up carrying 16 muskrats up the hill to my truck that rainy afternoon after I had re-set all my traps.

TRAPPING Continued

Muskrat Colony Trap

Muskrat Habitat

Continued on page 13

3

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FISHING BY SAM

Don’t Forget the Nuts and Bolts By Sam Martin

There are many travesties which can befall the intrepid

ice fisherman. Slipping, falling and frostbite are just a

couple of the terrifying hazards humans face when they

step out onto a frozen lake. I can happily say, however,

that none of these occurrences have ever befallen me.

The mishaps that do plague me are, in painful hindsight,

to funny not to share.

It was on a cold January morning some years back that

my father and I strode out across the frozen surface of

the Helena Regulating Reservoir. My hopes were high,

having heard that the salmon were biting well along the

water outlet. And the prospect of eating something other

than my father’s notorious stir-fry that winter break was

too much of an opportunity to pass up.

After some skating and trudging Dad and I found a good

spot amongst the bivwacks of our fellow anglers. Like a

good military officer, my father got himself set up with a

chair and a hot cup of coffee while I spread out to drill

holes.

After a brief inquiry to a passing fisherman I discovered

that the ice was unseasonably thick, five to six inches.

Now while most people would scoff at such ice and fire

up their motorized auger, I could only sigh and begin

cranking with my manual drill.

This auger, mind you, was no piece of craftsmanship. It

consisted of three simple components; a handle con-

structed of bent copper tubing and an eight inch diame-

ter bit which was just rugged enough for my purposes.

Both of these pieces were held precariously in place by a

rattling steel bolt which, inexplicably, never came with a

nut to fasten it with.

And so it was that I began the mindless routine of drilling

holes and erecting tip-ups. Continued Next Page...

5

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Eventually I fell into a pattern and let my mind wander. I listened to the mysterious song of the ice, that sporadic pop

and hum that fills so many people with a dread of treading upon frozen water.

After several tiresome minutes I was five holes down with one left to go. It was a fact which gave my weary arms

some great relief. They may be twigs of steel, but the twigs of steel can only take so much sustained punishment.

As I started on the last hole, still lost in the siren song of the ice, I didn’t notice the odd rattling emitting from my

auger. With the prospect of my task soon coming to a close I pushed harder, forcing the bit to eat through the ice

with greater ferocity.

At last I felt the ice give way and the auger became weightless in my hands. Initially, I thought that the sudden loss of

sensation coming from my hands was just endorphins flooding my tired muscles. But no sooner had I imagined that

scenario did I look down to see that I was only holding the auger handle. Just below my wide eyes was the bright red

drill, disappearing into the murky depths of the Helena Regulating Reservoir. And lying next to the recently opened

hole was a small rod of steel, glinting with sunlight in silent mockery.

Think Before You Skate By Sam Martin

The temperature is below freezing, the wind is howling and the dog is frozen to the hydrant; sounds like it’s about

the perfect time to go ice fishing.

Whoa now, hold your horses. Just because you got a bucket, rod and auger doesn’t mean that you’re ready to go out

there. How thick is the ice? What are the fish biting on? What kind of hole spread are you going to drill? Did you do

any prep work? Alright, well just slow down and I’ll walk you through it.

As with any fishing scenario, the work you do beforehand is just as important as the effort you put into your hunt.

This is all the more true when it comes to ice fishing. Without the ability to freely hunt for spots on a boat ones’ time

becomes precious. You must pick and choose your battles without losing focus on the world around you as danger

abounds on the unpredictable surface of our frozen bodies of water.

So to the meat of it, as always I find breaking these concepts of mine into chunks makes the idea more manageable.

In the case of ice fishing prep, I find there are four major points to address: Understanding the Environment,

Personal Equipment, Fishing Gear, and the Fish. Continued on next page

“Whoa now, hold your horses. Just because you got a bucket, rod and auger doesn’t mean that you’re ready to go out there.”

6

FISHING BY SAM CONTINUED

FISHING BY SAM CONTINUED

Understanding the Environment:

We all know this land and its

weather. Wind and cold mean

nothing to us. However, this isn’t just

any day out on the prairie. When

venturing out onto the ice both cold

and wind become exacerbated, not to

mention the very nature of the lakes

surface itself. In order to have a safe

and profitable venture every angler

must have keen knowledge of their

environment.

Let’s focus on the ice for a minute.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard

two inches of ice is recommended to

support the weight of the average

human male, roughly 91 Kilograms or

200 Pounds. That is, of course,

assuming that the ice is that thick

around the whole lake. And not

everyone is 91 kgs.

It is for this reason that any person

wanting to go out on the ice needs an

intimate knowledge of their local

lake’s conditions. Just drilling a hole

at the edge of the water is not

enough. Water freezes first at the

shore and works its way in. What if

the rim ice is good but the main lake

isn’t? And what about pressure

ridges? Current and wind can heave

ice, clumping it into areas of

instability. Sometimes these little

doosies can be hiding under the

surface, invisible to the casual glance.

I know this sounds like a scare tactic

but what I’m trying to encourage is

for you all to get information before

you go out to fish. Ask your local FWP

agents about ice conditions and

consult the internet and television for

weather reports, a day may not be

that cold but sitting around cold ice

can make those things into a

problem. As I’ve always said, be

smart. There’s no reason to endanger

your life over some silly fish. It’s not

like they’re going anywhere.

Personal Equipment:

This section is pretty simple. Dress

warm and in layers, don’t skimp on

the waterproofing. Make sure you’ve

got a spare set of skivvies and a towel

just in case, God forbid, you fall in.

Carry ice spikes around your wrist to

help pull yourself out of the water.

These simple things along with hand-

warmers, plenty of water and a snack

are the commonsense basics. It

always helps to set all your gear up

the night before so that, in the case

you forgot something then, you might

remember it later. Just use your

noggin. It’s there to help.

Fishing Gear:

This section is really open to

interpretation as every ice fisherman

has their own style and preference.

For example, I like to carry a pair of

rods and a backpack of lures where as

my father prefers to get a set of tip-

ups and a bucket of maggots. To each

his own I say, but each style requires

some pre-excursion contemplation.

There is one overriding concept to

remember for ice fishing. Quality is

king. I don’t say this because I’ve got

sponsors breathing down my neck

(not that I’d be opposed to

sponsorship offers ). I say this

because the climate of ice fishing is

hard. Gear freezes, thaws and

refreezes over and over again in a

brutal cycle. Crappy gear and

components will shatter and break

after such stress, typically in an

inopportune moment. You want to

know that what your using won’t give

out on you when you need it most.

But what is the best gear to buy? Well

there is no real answer there. Every

angler has their own preferences. All I

can say is do your research. Every

model of rod and every tip-up has its

own plusses and minuses, ask around

and find what works best for you.

Continued on next page

7

In regards to lure and bait choices, it is much the same as it would be during the warmer months, but I

will focus on a strictly the vertical presentation. As always matching the hatch is a good rule of thumb to go by. If

perch are the primary forage species Firetiger spoons and lipless crank baits tend to be effective choices. In other

cases white and silver works well to imitate regular minnows.

A key factor to remember though is size. Smaller baits which can be worked

with a subtle presentation are more effective than their big and brawny

cousins. But, as always, ask around at the local tackle shops as local

knowledge in the troubling cold waters of winter can often tip the scales in

fortuitous ways.

The Fish:

During the winter months water can

drop below freezing and still remain a liquid. With all fish being cold blooded

animals this drop in temperature can play heck with their motor functions

making them lazy. Any angler wishing to catch these creatures must keep

this fact in mind.

It helps to do research into the specific species your hunting for as each

variety has its own preferable haunts to call home. For instance, some trout

species move shallow in winter so that they are ready for a spring spawning

run while walleyes prefer to hang around local forage to be close to the food. It takes a lot of time and effort to find

out the specific movements of your intended quarry, but, as with all preparatory work, the results will pay dividends.

FISHING BY SAM CONTINUED

Lipless Crankbaits

Firetiger Spoons

It’s Not If But When!

When it’s time to go...go in style!

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8

FISHING BY TONY

The Next Generation ...just about then a truck comes

plowing through the snow into the

parking area and out jump “The

Next Generation”.

~ By Tony Rebo~ As I took that first step from my truck and onto the fresh

snow, I noticed that I was all alone. A well-planned day

of ice fishing in western Montana was ahead of me. My

wife, and fishing partner, decided to sleep in as the

temperature was well below the threshold of what she

will tolerate. My truck read the temperature to be -18

degrees.

The air was brisk, and my nose hairs started to freeze

right away. The silence was unreal. There were no

sounds whatsoever. The birds were snuggled in their

nests and there was no sign of any activity. I gathered

my gear into one sled and more supplies into the other. I

pulled the two sleds onto the ice about half an hour

before daylight. I worked to set up my small camp, and

chose not to set up the icehouse. I wouldn’t be there

long, as I anticipated on catching my limit right away.

Once everything was in place, I was ready to drill a hole

in the ice. I gathered up my gas-powered ice auger for

which I refer to as Bob. Bob was a Christmas gift from my

son two years earlier. In the past, I had always used a

hand auger. Going from a hand auger to a gas-powered

auger, well let’s just say, it’s so great you give your

deluxe gas-powered 10” Frabil auger a name.

Now Bob stays in the house when not on the ice. I like to

keep him warm and safe. Bob has never let me down, he

has always started on the first pull, and I can drill holes

all day without any problems.

Bob and I drill plenty of holes, just in case I need to move

around a bit. We settle in and we begin to fish for pike

by jigging with smelt.

After an hour of jigging, I have only one fish on the ice - a

small pike that we call a hammer handle. The sun is

rising in the sky, and its warmth somewhat makes the

cold temperature bearable. I am very thankful for the

solitude, but because the fishing is slow I wouldn’t mind

the company of another dimwitted fisherman in these

cold conditions. Well, I got my wish because just about

then a truck comes plowing through the snow into the

parking area and out jump “The Next Generation”.

The four young men that bailed from the truck were

laughing, hooting and hollering. I thought that one of

them must have told the joke of the century.

They gathered up their gear, all of which they

could place in one five gallon bucket and

carried their poles. They also carried to the

ice what looked like a spud bar, axe, and the

dreaded hand auger. They picked a spot close

to me, and dropped off their stuff. They then

returned to the truck and proceeded to

gather a large amount of fire wood that they

carried to their new residence on the ice.

Continued on next page

9

These four young men went to work trying to get a hole in the

ice with all of their various tools. One had the pry bar and pro-

ceeded to pound the 14” of ice, hoping it would eventually

lead him to water. Another had the axe and was swinging the

tool about in a manner that would make Paul Bunyan proud.

The third had the hand

auger and began to drill a

hole amongst the other

two. Now the fourth guy,

he was the fire builder. He

picked a spot in the center of all this activity and started build-

ing his bonfire. The Next Generation went about this task for

nearly an hour. This is what they had accomplished: the man

with the spud bar had chiseled through the ice about 6 inches

in about 20 different spots. He also managed to hit their 5 gal-

lon bucket and punch a hole in the side of it, which for some

reason caused the group to go into another uncontrollable

laughing frenzy. The kid with the axe, well my best guess is

that he was trying to spell something on the ice so that he

could be spotted from a passing search plane. The other kid

who had the auger had it stuck sideways in the ice. The only

one who was successful, was the fire builder. Now he had his

act together and in no time was able to create a bonfire equal

to that of a Libby Loggers homecoming celebration.

Somehow the large fire managed to have a calming effect on

The Next Generation. They started to laugh once again and

tell new stories about the whole fishing adventure that was

currently taking place. One member of the group ran to the

truck and returned with what looked like a large refrigerator

box, which I later found out to be a speaker. Another young

man hooked his phone into this giant box and before long the

lake was vibrating from the bellowing noise that came from

the large box. Life was apparently good, and that was when

they finally noticed me.

They walked the 20 yards to my personal space marked out by

my gear and Bob. They introduced themselves and started to

ask about the fishing. Of course they brought up the fact that

fishing wasn’t normally any good on this lake, and that the

lake was only full of these small pike or so they had been told.

I reminded The Next Generation that it would help to have a

line in the water if the expectation was indeed to catch fish.

Once again they broke out into a never ending laughter, which

at this point I had grown to dislike. They inspected my gear

and the few fish that I now had on the ice. I offered to help

them with drilling holes; of course, it was over by their spot

that I offered this service. One of the young men then realized

that there were several holes around me that were not being

used. I tried to explain to them that the holes were mine and

that Bob had made the holes for me. Now I wouldn’t consider

myself to be selfish, but Hey! Bob and I worked hard on these

holes and they were mine. I soon gave up on the idea of keep-

ing the holes as the boys were filling the holes with line.

For the next hour I was in the middle of four young men fish-

ing for pike. Between the sounds coming from the large box,

(that they dragged over next to me) and the constant laughter

from things I couldn’t come to understand, they were making

me question what The Next Generation was all about.

These guys were not following the rules. Fish won’t bite when

they are listening to some heavy version of AC/DC. I have no

idea what they were using for bait, part of the time they had

just a plain hook. I actually watched one of them place a

hotdog on the hook and then proclaim, “This will get ‘em,

boys.”

I shared my

smelt and ex-

plained the finer

points in catching

pike. I even

shared the type

of jig I was using.

They seemed in-

terested, but not

enough to try any

of my ideas. I was

very concerned a

few years ago

that there would

not be enough

fish for The Next Generation, but after spending two hours

with these guys I realized that there was no way that the fish

population could ever be harmed from this crew; unless, of

course, they killed the fish by choking them with a hotdog.

FISHING CONTINUED BY TONY

“The kid with the axe, well my best guess is that he was trying to spell something on the ice so that he could be spotted from a

passing search plane.”

Despite the odds I was able to

catch some supper!

10

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FISHING BY TONY CONTINUED...The Next Generation

was fun, but my patience was tested to the end and I had

to move. Not to mention my jaw was froze in the wide

open position from holding it there all day while watching

what was going on with this group. I kindly excused my-

self and moved my gear and Bob to the far end of the

lake. I regrouped and soon caught the remaining fish al-

lowed. I loaded my gear and Bob into my truck and decid-

ed to check on the boys one final time. I stopped over,

walked out to the bonfire and announced, “Well, I have

my limit and I am heading home. You boys going to be OK

out here?”

“Oh heck yeah! What a day. We had a great day of fish-

ing,” came from one of the crew.

“Great,” I said. “Did you boys ever catch any?”

“No, but I swear that Pete had one on once with that

hotdog, but it got off right before he could pull it up

through the hole.”

“OK then, well you fellas have fun and be safe.” On my

ride home I was reflecting back on the day and my crazy

experience with The Next Generation. At first, I was criti-

cizing the day and then came to the conclusion that a bad

day of fishing is better than a good day of working. The

Next Generation didn’t have a clue as to what was going

on, but it didn’t matter. They were there for the fun, the

adventure and the memories.

Take the time to get out this winter and try ice fishing.

There isn’t anything better, and whether you catch any

fish or not, remember it’s about living the dream.

My hot tip for pike is this: Lynch Lake, Island Lake and Bull

Lake are all hot right now. Jigging a silver spoon with

smelt is very effective. In deeper water use a whole smelt

with a double hook harness. Be sure to open your bail

and let the pike run with the bait. They will always hit it

twice. Set the hook on the second strike. Have fun and

live the dream.

FISHING CONTINUED BY TONY

12

TRAPPING continued...The following day I was going to pull my traps before a big freeze hit which

would have locked all my traps under ice. I only caught 2 muskrats in those second 24 hours. I figured that if I got

19 muskrats in the first 24 hours and only 2 muskrats in the second 24 hours out of those ponds, I think I did what

the land owner wanted me to do.

I caught muskrats on float sets using 1 ½ longsprings, dry runs through vegetation using 120 conibears, in

underwater runs and bank dens using colony traps and 110 conibears, and in a blind set for a mink. A trapper uses

the tools and methods that best fits the situation at the time.

Marsh Rabbit aka Muskrat Recipe ~By Raf Viniard~

Being an old southern boy, muskrat dinners rated up there with BBQ coon and

Mountain Oysters. It was a treat to have such fine table fair. When I mention

eating muskrat to Paul our muskrat trapping guru he looked at me like I had

finally lost it. Keep in mind these little destructive critters are mostly vegetarians

and pretty much eat what a rabbit eats except their dinner table comes from the water and marshy areas. They

might eat a crawfish, clam or a mussel but so do fish. Paul “used” to keep all his muskrat carcasses for trapping bait

until I came along. Its always good to know a muskrat trapper. Here is how you prepare the tasty little critters.

Skin the muskrat all the way to his nose , gut and clip his feet off. Rinse the muskrat in cold water and then place in

a plastic bowl. Do not cut up the muskrat into pieces, leave whole.

Mix 1 Tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Mix as much as needed to fully cover the muskrats

Pour salt water mixture over the muskrats until covered. Place in cool dark area or a refrigerator overnight. Repeat

this cycle daily (2-3) until the water is clear and free of blood.

Get a big pot and place muskrats inside and add enough salt water mixture to

cover the muskrats. Add the following ingredients to the pot:

Sage (Key ingredient) - 1 Teaspoon per muskrat

Dash of Black Pepper— per muskrat

Red Pepper Flakes - 1/8 Teaspoon per muskrat (adjusted to desire heat level )

Salt—1/8 Teaspoon per muskrat

Dice up one large onion

Bacon Grease - (there is no substitute) Two Large Tablespoons

Cover and let simmer until fall off bone tender. You may have to add some more water as it cooks down. Slowly lift

the little carcasses out of the pan and place on a platter, yes heads and all. Some of the best meat is on the head

(cheek meat). Salt and Pepper to taste.

My favorite side dishes served with muskrat are , collard greens, black eyed peas, slice of tomato and/or onion and

skillet fried cornbread. Now that is eating.

On the east coast (Maryland, Delaware & Virginia) a muskrat dinner can cost as much as $20.00 a plate with all the

trimmings. It is even sold during trapping season in the local grocery stores in the meat department...yep right next

to the Black Angus beef steaks. Go get em, but I have already spoke for all of Paul’s muskrats...back off!

TRAPPING CONTINUED

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Wild Coyote Saloon

Bar Restaurant Casino

Good Montana Folks, Food & Fun

713 Prospect Creek Road

Thompson Falls, MT

406-827-7867

Our Businesses Partners

Our Businesses Partners

From Mema’s Kitchen

The absolute best coffee cake ever!

1- yellow cake mix

1- small box butterscotch instant pudding

1- small box vanilla instant pudding

4- eggs

1/4 cup flour

1 cup oil

1 cup water

Topping

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together topping and set aside. Mix batter ingredients together in order they are listed. Spray Pam in bottom and sides of a spring form pan, layer half batter, half dry mixture, remaining half batter, sprinkle remaining dry mixture on top. Bake 350 degree for 50 minutes. Cool and turn onto a serving plate. Drizzle mixture of 1/4 cup butter melted, 1 teaspoon maple flavor, 1 cup powder sugar and enough real cream to make a thin drizzle. Slice and enjoy with coffee or tea.

http://www.nwmre.com/

Arnie Richards of Plains, Montana with a nice pike pulled from the Clark

Fork River near Thompson Falls. What time is supper Arnie?

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