John Sampson of Ruby Springs Lodge Montana discussed the history of the ranch and how it has become one of the top Montana fly fishing resorts today for travelers from the Santa Clarita Valley and beyond during a recent interview with KHTS AM-1220.

Sampson spent his early years in Seattle and later moved to Southern California to attend college, but the idea for the lodge didn’t come to him until he moved to Alaska and became a guide in the early 1990s.

“(I) thought that that would be a wonderful way to make a living,” said Sampson, who attributed the success of the lodge partly to luck, and partly to having the “right idea at the right time.”

Related: Santa Clarita Residents Invited To Experience One Of Top Montana Fly Fishing Resorts, Ruby Springs Lodge

Around the same time, the 1992 Robert Redford film A River Runs Through It was released, which tells the story of a pair of brothers from Montana who spend their time fly fishing, according to IMDb.

“The movie A River Runs Through It hadn’t quite come out yet (when we started planning), and we started our lodge up here in 1993,” explained Sampson regarding the timing. “It just seemed like a wonderful way to make a living.”

As for how Ruby Springs Lodge remains an ultimate destination for Montana fly fishing trips over two decades later, Sampson emphasized the ideal location, first-classing dining and relaxed and tranquil environment compared to that of busy Los Angeles County cities like Santa Clarita.

“Traffic is a word we don’t have in our vocabulary up here,” Sampson joked. “We are the fourth largest state up here geographically (in) Montana, and we’ve got less than a million citizens still.”

Of the lodge’s ideal location for fly fishing, Sampson noted that Ruby Springs Lodge not only sits on the edge of the Ruby River, but is surrounded by several other rivers guests can choose from, including the Madison River, the Beaverhead River and the Big Hole River in Jefferson.

“It’s a very high end, semi-luxurious fishing experience in the middle of Montana,” Sampson said. “Turning the clock back, (I) don’t think I would change a darn thing about it.”

Ruby Springs Lodge in Montana is one of the top Montana fly fishing resorts in the state, and has been redefining the experience of Montana fly fishing lodges for close to two decades. Located on a private stretch of the Ruby River, guests enjoying their Montana vacations can not only take advantage of superb fishing opportunities, but also the best Montana fly fishing guides and first-class dining in an area that couldn’t feel farther from the big city. Relax and discover one of the ultimate Montana fly fishing ranches.Ruby Springs Lodge Montana is the ultimate travel destination for all your future Montana fly fishing trips.

Ruby Springs Lodge Montana

P.O. Box 119

Alder, Montana 59710

(406) 842-5250