One final trip to the Blackfoot River

On Friday, I made one last trip to the Blackfoot River before winter sets in. If was a pretty slow day for the most part and the bigger fish were absent from my line. I did catch one 19" cutthroat and 5 more in the 12" range. My dad caught 10 - one bigger than 14". The water was icy cold which may have made the fish a little lethargic but it was an average day according to the moon phase calendar so 16 fish wasn't too bad.

Fly of the day: Size 12 bead head prince nymph. Nothing else worked.

Mid September Excellence

My father and I spent Monday fishing the Upper Blackfoot River for probably the last time this year as temperatures begin to dip and my annual elk hunting excursions begin. We fished for 3 hours and caught over 40 fish between the two of us. The majority of the fish were in the 10-14" range but we did catch 10 fish over 17". In one hole my dad landed 10 fish.

But the monster of the day was a 22" 5 pound cutthroat that obliterated a size 8 foam hopper. After a 10 minute fight we landed this beautiful fish but regretfully the camera was having a technical difficulty.

It was a great day and it is amazing to see the Blackfoot returning to its prior glory. Just 10 years ago there was almost no water and the river was full of carp. An outstanding turnaround for one of Eastern Idaho's best fisheries.

The flies of the day were a size 8 gray foam hopper and a size 14 bead head prince nymph. No other fly was necessary.

Three Days of Fishing

This last weekend I spent three days fishing three different locations:

1. Blackfoot River. On Monday I fished on the upper Blackfoot River and had an ok day. I caught 12 fish, three over 17 inches. I lost one big cutthroat that was probably a 24" fish. The fish were a little sluggish because the night before a heavy thunderstorm messed up the water quality. I caught the fish on a medium sized foam hopper (size 8) and a hairs ear nymph (size 16). The 21" trout is in the picture:

2. East Fork Teton River (Bitch Creek - sorry for the name). On Saturday I fished on Bitch Creek which flows into the Teton River. It is a beautiful mountain stream with big boulders and slippery footing. You'll need good shoes and be in good shape to fish this stream. I caught 10-12 fish, one 16 and one 14 incher. All fish were cutthroats. Most of the fish were caught on a size 16 prince nymph and a couple on foam hoppers. Here are some pictures of the creek:

3. McTucker Ponds. On Friday I went with my kids to McTucker Ponds and they caught 20+ bluegill and smallmouth bass each. It was a fun day for them. The fish were caught on prince nymphs and hare's ears. They really like shiny gold colored objects. It is a great place to go to get kids hooked on fishing.

Montana's Yellowstone River: From the Teton Wilderness to the Missouri
Flyfisher's Guide to Idaho (Flyfisher's Guides)
Fly Fishing Idaho: A Quick, Clear Understanding of Where to Fly Fish in Idaho (No Nonsense Fly Fishing Guides)
Fly Fishing Adventure: Idaho's Silver Creek

Finally...Some Fishing

The high water is finally starting to recede from Idaho's non tailwater streams and rivers. I have gone twice to the Blackfoot River and although the water has been exceptionally high and fishing slow, I did catch a few beautiful cutthroat trout. On opening day a caught a total of 2 fish but one was a beautiful 21 incher. Last week I caught 8-10, with four over 17 inches. My dad caught two over 18 inches. So even though fish have been few and far between the overall size of the fish has been excellent.

Oh...the hoppers are starting to come out. Can't wait for a glorious August and September of flyfishing!

All the big fish hit black or brown wooly buggers with bead heads.

The L.L. Bean Ultimate Book of Fly Fishing
Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die
Flyfisher's Guide to Idaho (Flyfisher's Guides)

Water Flow

Pretty much all Eastern Idaho streams and rivers are flowing high and are essentially unfishable. The silver lining...hopper fishing in August will be spectacular as bigger fish hold in the deeper water.

Check out the water flow here: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/current/?type=flow

Wright & McGill Co. Madison Pod Pack Grey/Black/Orange, One Size
Simms G3 Guide Fly Fishing Vest Medium - Gun Metal

Sage Quality Big Game Fly Fishing Package ( 8wt, 4 pc Fly Rod, with Reel & Line)
New Sage Z-axis 590-4 fly fishing rod 5 weight

Fishing Outlook 2011

Southeast Idaho drainages all have at least 100% in snow water equivalency this winter which means good runoff and good fishing late in the summer and fall. The Blackfoot River drainage is over 100% and the Bear River is over 125%. This may delay early fishing in streams until the runoff is done but late June through September should be fabulous.


The Snow Survey information can be found here: http://www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/data/current.html

 Wild Water Fly Fishing Complete 5/6 Starter Package
Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die
Flywater: Fly-Fishing Rivers of the West
Dr. Slick Lanyard - LOADED