Max Baucus: “in ``A River Runs Through It,'' Norman Maclean wrote, ``in our family, there was no clear line between religion and…”

“in ``A River Runs Through It,'' Norman Maclean wrote, ``in our family, there was no clear line between religion and flyfishing.'' These words sum up the way we Montanans feel about our blue ribbon trout streams. Great flyfishermen--men like Bud Lily and Dan Bailey-- are legends in Montana. And Montana rivers--the Madison, Yellowstone, Missouri, Bighorn, and Bighole--are the heart and soul of our State. We mark our calendars and plan our weekends around caddis and stone fly hatches or peak grasshopper season. These outstanding trout streams are in large part what makes Montana ``the last best place.'' But these rivers hold more that recreational value for Montanans. Fishing is big business. It is the engine that drives the economies of many communities throughout Montana. In fact, the net economic value of fishing in Montana is estimated to be nearly $300 million a year. The discovery of whirling disease on the Madison River in late 1994 puts Montana's wild trout fishery at great risk. Whirling disease is a parasite that attacks the cartilage of young trout, particularly rainbow trout. Its impact has been devastating to rainbow trout populations on the Madison River, where whirling disease has caused a 90-percent decline in the last 3 years.”