Page 60 - Flathead Beacon // 6.4.14

60 | JUNE 4, 2014
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FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Save on Taxes! • Lower Utility Bills! • Increase Home Value!
OUT OF BOUNDS
Rob Breeding

NOW IS A GREAT TIME Whitecaps on the Water
TO INVEST IN A GRID-TIE
PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM!

Why?
T
HE GREAT CONTROVERSY IS and let it act like a sail pulling the boat The cost of modules has been sliced
Medical marijuana card whether wade ishing or drifting
across the water as I pushed on the oars
renewals and new in half and tax incentives are high!
to get us to the far shore, quick.
Call today for a free estimate.
is the path to ly ishing nirvana.
patient appointments.
A couple of dudes ighting the waves At least that’s the way they see it in the
in an aluminum motor boat looked at us world of Duckboy. I’ve long been on the
June 13, Kalispell like we were crazy, which probably was a fence with that one.
thfair assessment. But we rode it out, and Licensed, Much depends on the season. I loat
$125
once the wind let up, we hightailed it insured & spring, summer and fall. During the win-
back across before the wind had second certiied
ter I usually park the boats and do most

(406) 589-5516
thoughts.
of my ishing from shore. The fear of get-
When it comes to boats everything 406.219.1119 • www.thirstylakesolar.com ting under way just as the weather turns
is a tradeof. A keel or V-shaped hull like Serving the Flathead Valley since 2003
bad – with ive hours of river between me
the aluminum putt-putt those dudes and my rig – is usually enough to quash
were in certainly would have helped are You Ready to go
fantasies of Christmas break loats.
keep the boat steady in the wind, but it CaMPing & boating?
7TH
Speaking of unfortunate weather
would render it useless for its intended NE timing, I picked possibly the worst mo-
purpose: drifting rivers. The bottom of bretz RV & Marine has hundreds of RVs JUment to launch my drift boat on the usu-
and boats to choose from. Shop
a drift boat is lat, but it curve up at the www.bretzRV.com
ally placid surface of Rogers Lake the
ends. That curve, or rocker, allows the other day. A drift boat is far from the
boat to readily spin on the river, which Springdale 189Fl
perfect craft for still waters, but small
is a desirable trait when you’re trying to Power Awning, MSRP: $21,348
and sheltered Rogers is usually calm
dodge rocks and logs and other things K 50
Front Diamond Sale: $13,995 enough that a lat-bottomed boat works
you’d rather avoid. Too much rocker, TOCPlate, Spare Tire, + Rebate: $1,000*
Stereo, TV,
just ine. But on this trip, my irst to Rog-
however, results in a boat unstable for BY S& More! $12,995
$97/mo*
Only
ers this season, the wind kicked up just
HOB* Financing required through Bretz RV & Marine preferred lenders. **$3,600 Dn, 35mo, 7.99%
standup ly ishers.
APR, OAC Final Payment $8,176.28 $97/mo program applies with a cash price of $12,995. Plus applicable sales tax, title & license.
moments after we launched from the
That nimble handling makes hard MotorhoMeS
state lands on the southwest shore of the
boats the sports cars of the river. Rafts Coachmen MSRP: $49,995 lake.
n K
n K
spin too, but not as readily. The tubes y
Freelander Sale: $43,995
It’s usually an easy 10-minute trip DoDoish
sh
push too much water around and even OnlFord V10, Great Floorplan,Awning, $379/dn $
back rowing across the lake to the mouth iteftefick
ck
379/mo
with a good rowing frame, a greater de- Onan Generator
of the creek on the east shore of Rogers. WhWhiStoSto180 Mo, 6.85%,
gree of your efort puling on the oars is The stream is fun to visit in the spring bby bby APR, OAC
lost as the boat lexes in response to your when the pools ill with spawning gray- HoHoOil
il
2014 aCe evo 29.2.
cas as Os
s
Class A Amenities Class C Size
eforts.
y
ling. Out on the lake just beyond the LuLucockockMSRP: $79,995
You push on your oar in a hard boat Onlcreek mouth is where we ish. But things r Str StSale: $69,995
and that energy is transmitted directly didn’t go so easy that day as a gust caught upeupeuto
uto
toward steering the boat.
that high bow pointed in the direction of SSes As APM
M
Cougar 5th WheelS
That’s not to say rafts don’t have the wind and quickly spun us around. I hithiteNWNWP3 Slideouts,
their place. Inlatables are more forgiv- tried to point the bow back in the direc- WWorx rx Island Kitchen, 0° Rated, 4 Seasons
ing in whitewater. If you ever ind your- tion of the wind so I could back row in WWoets
ts
or
haste to get us across, and the wind spun rnrne333MKS 331MKS or 323MKS Your Choice
self in the unfortunate circumstance of HoHo$39,995
loating sideways just as some unavoid- us around a second time.
able nasty stuf approaches, you’ll be In a moment the wind whipped the 2014 F21 toMCat by MB Sports
QUALIFYING AT 6 • RACING AT 7
thankful you’re surrounded by 20-inch usually calm lake into a froth of foot- Surfing • Skiing • Boarding
tubes of trapped air technology.
high whitecaps. I took a second to size Tower, Cruise Control,
I went back to Rogers a couple days things up. We were about halfway across Ballast, Bimini Cover, Premium Stereo
after the storm and this time was greet- the lake so rowing back into the wind to StaRting at: $59,995
ed by a glassy, calm surface. On an eve- where we started seemed improbable.
406.257.RACE
ning like that row beats wade every time.
Instead, I just left that bow pointing in
3790 HIGHWAY 93 NORTH
the direction of the spawning stream
www.BretzRV.com
I-90 & Reserve Exit 101 Missoula
MONTANARACEWAYPARK.COM
Rob Breeding writes and teaches when he’s not ishing or hunting.
1-406-541-4800

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