FLY FISHERS’ INN
Cascade, Montana

Historical Landmark

The Fly Fishers’ Inn, formerly known as the Mountain Palace Tavern, is a log structure built in 1936 across the Missouri River from Mountain Palace Rock.  During the time period when U.S. Highway 91 served as the main travel way along the Missouri River, Mountain Palace Tavern provided rest, food, and a break for the travelers between Great Falls and Helena.

The Missouri River along this stretch of the highway has beautiful scenery, clear water, rocky, mountainous terrain and an abundance of wildlife.  Progress came when the new highway, I-15 was completed in 1973.  As do most interstate freeways, it moved away from the Mountain Palace and left it far below the highway’s lofty bypass.  Highway planners did place Interstate exits close in either direction making access easy.  Fly Fishers’ Inn is blessed with quiet and serenity along the banks of the beautiful Missouri River and is located 14 miles south of Cascade.

Hollywood came to the Mountain Palace area just after completion of Interstate 15.  Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges starred in their classic shoot ‘em up comedy, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.  This movie was filmed mostly in Great Falls, but parts of it were shot along Interstate Highway 15 not far from the Fly Fishers’ Inn.  In fact, the end scene takes place at a “scenic overlook” on Interstate 15 looking straight down on the Missouri River and the Fly Fisher’s Inn!

Then, in 1987, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, and Kevin Costner were part of the star-studded cast of The Untouchables, which used a bridge just down the road from the tavern in a great get-away scene.  It’s rumored that Sean Connery, who won an Oscar for his performance in The Untouchables, was especially fond of walking down the road during his off camera times to visit the Mountain Palace Tavern.  And, it’s further rumored that there were three of his dollar bills attached to the ceiling of the tavern, as was the habit of celebrities and local visitors during that time.  The present owners have photographs and stories about the dollar bills covering the ceiling and walls of the tavern at time of purchase. 

Fly Fishers’ Inn

In 1991 the present owners bought the building and surrounding four plus acres with a dream to turn it into a premier fishing retreat.  After months of cleanup, renovation, planning, and constructing new buildings, the Fly Fishers’ Inn blooms in its pristine spot along the banks of the Missouri River straight across from a documented encampment area of Lewis and Clark on their Voyage of Discovery 200 years ago.  In fact, their exact date of camping in this beautiful spot was July 16, 1805. 

Visitors to Fly Fishers’ Inn are comfortably nestled in the curve of steep granite rocks, which border the river on the Inn’s side.  The 3+ acres have 557 feet of frontage along old Highway 91 that runs beside the beautiful Missouri River.  Its here that guests are accommodated with the best Montana has to offer, a fishing area considered to be Blue Ribbon – “the best of the best”.   

The Blue Ribbon stretch of the Missouri River from Holter Dam to Cascade is 35 fishing miles of the best part of the Missouri.  The Fly Fishers’ Inn has all three of the degrees necessary for spectacular fly-fishing … location, location, and location!  Good hatches and rising trout are the Missouri's claim to fame. There are consistent hatches from March to November.  Good fishing never runs out! 

The Missouri River at Fly Fishers’ Inn is 300 feet wide and notably the best dry fly fishing on the River.  Though wide, much of the Missouri is shallow enough to be ideal for float and wade fishing.  And, the Fly Fishers’ Inn hires fishing guides who have been on the Missouri for 25 years plus and provide visiting fishermen a rewarding and gratifying experience. 

The goal of Fly Fishers’ Inn provides all accouterments and logistical planning necessary so fishermen can put their entire focus on fly fishing and the “catch and release” philosophy famous at this Missouri River establishment.  Shuttle rides, delicious boxed lunches carefully guarded by the outfitter guides, breakfasts to individual likings are part of the day’s fare so fishermen can settle down to serious fun in their quest for fish.  All this is available in a secluded and quiet location with comfortable accommodations, wonderful meals, and only the beautiful Missouri River for a neighbor.

The fishing parties’ menu is carefully planned around guests’ allergies, likes, and dislikes.  Lots of returning fishermen ask for special menus they remember from past trips, and there is always effort to provide those requests.  A favorite breakfast specialty is the chef’s signature scones. 

The owners have dedicated their business philosophy to offering a completely work and worry free fun time to their fishing guests.  Every day of the fishing vacation is carefully tended and planned to optimize fishing success.  Most of their business is obtained by word-of-mouth and by fishermen who return year-after-year because they know that time spent at the Fly Fishers’ Inn is the best there is. 

For Resting

A new building in the complex is the motel.  This is a tidy, thoughtfully designed bedroom and rest area for fishermen who come for extended fishing trips.  There are eight rooms, six with twin beds, one with a king, and one that has been converted into a lounge.  All rooms have the sink separate from the bath to make it easy for two people preparing for a busy day of fishing.  Each has its own air conditioning unit which is more economical than a central system given the fact that not all the time are all of the rooms occupied.  And, each room, instead of a number, is named after a fly … Caddis, Hares Ear, Trico, Pale Morning Dun … the names dear to a fly fisherman’s heart. 

At one end of the motel building is a common room for watching television, relaxing on the sofa, making telephone calls, visiting, or the ever important – tying flies!  This room has been converted from one of the bedrooms. 

At the other end of the building are three smaller rooms, each with a special purpose.  The “wader room” is set up to hang wet fishing gear and with shelving for storage of fishing items and equipment needed on the river.  This room also serves as a lending library with several shelves full of books for added adventures “after the river”.  Then, around back there’s another convenient room for storage of bed and bath linens and supplies and maintenance items for room cleaning.  Another small utility room houses the motel’s hot water system that provides hot water on-demand.  This is efficient and a good system for a building that uses hot water only in the mornings and evenings. 

There are several high school youth who work at the Inn as maid service and in the kitchen and dining room.  The owners like to hire these students from nearby Cascade when they first enter high school.  Most will continue to work until graduation.  Several have even come back to work in the summer between college semesters.  It’s a wonderful summer job opportunity for these rural youth.

For Eating and Entertaining

Fly Fishers’ Inn has become famous for gourmet food.  The original tavern has been turned into a country dining room and bar with cuisine sought after for miles.  Town and Country and Sunset Magazines and numerous newspaper articles have been written to brag about this wonderful place and its delicious cuisine. 

The Inn is open on weekends for dining reservations from Dinner Club members only.  The $25 membership fee is paid only once and allows members to come for gourmet dinners prepared in the

 modern, commercial kitchen hidden away in the back of the rustic dining room.   Dining Club members receive an emailed list of upcoming menus every six weeks. The dining room will accommodate 30 people.  Every weekend diners from Great Falls and Helena come to eat delicious food prepared by a published chef.  The inn is famous for formal dining in a relaxed atmosphere.  

The original tavern underwent a great deal of renovation to bring it to present day.  The building’s walls are a foot thick and this integrity has been maintained, although the inside of the building is now light, airy and comfortable.  It maintains the western ambience that makes it so popular for diners seeking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for an evening or for a week of fishing. 

The Inn has become a favorite place for company gatherings and meetings.  The menu and prices are fixed and the inn is open only on weekend evenings or for fishing parties.  Because of the serene and secluded location along one of the most beautiful places on the Missouri River, the Inn has become a renowned spot to bring prospective doctors and businessmen contemplating a move to the Great Falls or Helena area to lure them to the beauty and fine dining available in this Montana spot.

The dining room has a gas fireplace and an old antique Universal kitchen range which serves now as the coffee bar.  The beautiful exposed wood beams in the painted ceiling overlook a mixture of antique and new custom-built oak dining tables and chairs, tweed carpet, knotty pine walls, and country charm. There’s a built-in niche that was constructed originally to hold beer kegs, and at the end of the bar is an almost wall-to-wall wine rack to add to the guests’ fine dining experience. An extensive art collection hangs on the walls in the dining room and bar area but this collection is not part of the sale of the property. 

The rustic wood bar and back bar is original to the building and contains the variety of tavern liquors that the inn makes available to customers and fishermen.  Since 2002, the Montana Department of Revenue and the Montana Department of Justice have combined the liquor and gambling licenses into one form making it a significantly more simple application for transfer process.  Liquor licenses are issued only as they become available and only as a lottery drawing.  The last lottery held in October 2004 had only four all beverage licenses available in the state.  With The Fly Fishers’ Inn’s all beverage license being transferable with the sale of the property, new owners wishing to continue with the bar and perhaps adding a gambling faction and/or video gaming machines to the business can do so without application and waiting for the available licenses lottery.

The Montana Department of Revenue also has the Liquor Education Project "Let's Control It" campaign which is designed to help retailers sell and serve alcohol responsibly.  The project helps business owners operate within the constraints of the law, as well as protect their liabilities.  The Department of Revenue also maintains a liquor warehouse for distribution of alcoholic beverages to businesses throughout the state.

The owner chef has written two cookbooks, There’s a Fly in my Soup and Recipes from the Fly Fishers’ Inn.  There is a large library of cookbooks included in the sale of the Inn.  In fact, there are 700 books and magazines in the collection, including Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Saveur, Fine Cooking, Cuisine at Home, to name a few.  The library also has a complete collection of the owner’s personal recipes and all the menus served at the Inn from the beginning.

The main kitchen located behind the dining room is large, convenient, and a great working space for any happy cook.  The end of the room is almost completely taken up by a

 commercial gas convection oven and stove.  There’s also a commercial dishwasher and a large walk-in cooler.  The floor has been raised and is heavily matted to eliminate leg and feet stress. 

The main kitchen has two refrigerators, three upright freezers, ample shelving and storage, and wall-to-ceiling shelved area for dish and glassware storage for the dining room.  There is also a new hot water heater.  All of this is cooled by a large swamp cooler which accommodates both rooms of the kitchen area. 

For dining, there are services in silverware, glassware, and china for 30 people and a large collection of miscellaneous dessert plates and special glassware that has been collected over the years at antique shops and auctions.  Some of these items include depression glass plates in pink and green, assorted hand-painted china plates and bowls and antique hobnail stem glasses used at all meals for water service and valued at about $15 each.  There is also an enclosed china cabinet in the dining room housing an assortment of wine, aperitif, and liquor glasses.

Thoughts for new Owners

The potential for use of Fly Fishers’ Inn are numerous.  Of course it could be run status quo with the restaurant and gourmet dining experience along with the premier fly-fishing as a turnkey operation. 

Or, it could become an every-day restaurant and bar with overnight motel accommodation for weekenders looking for a spot to stay over while they fish the Missouri.

But, it would also be a wonderful spot for a much-needed convenience store for the many recreational users on this part of the Missouri River.  What better place to pick up fishing and picnic supplies, or maybe have a burger and a cold beer before heading out for an afternoon of fishing or floating the river.  Across the highway from the Inn Complex is a public access Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks boat dock and day parking area, which would lend itself well to a grocery and grill use of the Fly Fishers’ Inn. 

Then, there’s the prospect of the Inn becoming a private fishing club with memberships purchased on an annual or one-time basis and maintained by a board of fishermen who are also dedicated to the best blue ribbon fishing on the Missouri River. 

A fishing consortium maintained on a rental basis to members is also a possibility since the river is ready for fly-fishing from April to November.  Guests could avail themselves of the motel and restaurant facilities on a time-use week or two-week basis for specific periods every year.  

The possibilities are endless …   Many inventory items included with sale. 
$1,500,000