Fishing Report - Blackfoot River

This last Friday, after being rained out of a float trip on Wyoming's Green River, I fished on Idaho's Blackfoot River with my dad. The fishing was amazing and we caught around 30 fish with an average size of 18". I landed the biggest cutthroat that I have ever caught - a 25" - 5lb cutthroat. I was by myself when I landed this fish so the picture doesn't really show the size of this fish. The second picture is of a 22" cutthroat that I caught right before the big one. Here are the pictures for comparison:

25" Cutthroat Trout

22" Cutthroat Trout

Fishing was so good that we were catching multiple trout in the + 20" size in the same run which is pretty rare on the Blackfoot River.

We also lost 15+ fish in the 18-24" range. The trout were really aggressive and when hooked they would take off downstream, jump out of the water, and fight like crazy.

The hot flies for the day were woolly buggers. Black woolly buggers with a peacock hearl, green body or orange body, with some crystal flash in the tail and bead heads were the best flies. Fly sizes ranged from 4-12. There was a huge BWO hatch on so I also caught some smaller fish on a BWO pattern. The bigger fish didn't even look at the BWO's.

Surprisingly we also caught quite a few pure rainbows in the 18-22" size. This is the first year in a long time that we have seen pure rainbows in the Upper Blackfoot River. Here is a picture of one of the rainbows:

Blackfoot River Fly Fishing Videos

Here are a couple of videos of my dad hooking into a couple beautiful Cutthroats:

Blackfoot River Fly Fishing Report - July 1

The heat wave pummeling Southeast Idaho took its toll on fly fishing on the Blackfoot River as the day wore on but early in the day, fishing was excellent. My dad and I each caught around 10 fish with the super majority of fish in the 16-20" range. I lost a couple of fish and nipped a few more that were in the 20" + range. Although we didn't catch a lot of fish, the overall size of fish was above average for the Blackfoot River.

Here's a couple of photos of the cutthroats we caught yesterday:

We caught the majority of the fish on black bead head wooly buggers and bead head prince nymphs. Later in the morning I started catching some big fish on blue damsel flies. Even with low water the fly fishing was great on the Blackfoot River. Surprisingly, I also caught a pure 18" rainbow trout - the first rainbow I have seen on the Blackfoot in years.

Video - Blackfoot River Flyfishing

Here's a video of my dad catching a cutthroat on the Blackfoot River. Right after I quit filming he landed two in the 20" range. As usual my timing was imperfect at best.

Weekend Fishing - Blackfoot River Idaho

To celebrate my Father's birthday, we went fishing on Blackfoot River on Saturday. We caught probably 40+ fish between the two of us in about 5 hours. My dad hooked into two really nice 20+ inch cutthroats but lost them before I could get my act together and net them. He did land a couple in the 20" range and caught quite a few 6-12" cutthroats.

I landed one beautiful cutthroat - a 24" 4-5 pounder on a grasshopper fly that I skittered (my word for moving the fly across the surface of the water at the end of a run) across the water. He came up and drilled it on the surface. It was awesome to watch him come up and bust the grasshopper.

Here are some pictures of the big cutthroat:

No one fly was hotter than the other. We caught fish on bead head prince and hare's ear nymphs, various grasshopper patterns, and on a blue damsel fly.

Another awesome fishing day on the Blackfoot River.

Idaho's Blackfoot River

Last Friday our group of 4 caught over 30 fish on the Upper Blackfoot River. It wasn't the best day but each of us caught one fish over 20". My sister-in-law landed a 23 inch Cutthroat. Regretfully we didn't have a camera at that moment.

Hot flies:

1. Bead head prince/hare's ear nymph (size 14-16)
2. Blue Damsel Fly

Grasshoppers are starting to get thick!

Here are some pics:

Blackfoot River Idaho - Catching a Yellowstone Cutthroat on the fly

Here's a video of my younger brother catching a cutthroat on the Blackfoot River (and getting his line all messed up!):

Blackfoot River Idaho

The Blackfoot River was a low for this time of year but the fishing was ok. I caught 6 cutthroats - one 21", 2 16", and the rest were 8-10". I lost a couple of nice fish too. The best news....no carp!! Last year carp were everywhere but it looks like the carp trap is back in the river and doing its job.

Hot flies:

1. Black and red/orange bead head woolly bugger (size 4)
2. Bead Head Hair's Ear (size 14)
3. Bead Head Prince Nymph (size 14)
4. A white Thingamabob (yes I had numerous trout try to take my strike indicator!)

Hopefully over the next few weeks we will see the blue damselflies and some other fly hatches.

Here is the 21" cutthroat caught on a black and red woolly bugger (size 4) (same pic/different angle):

Blackfoot River report

On July 4th, I went fishing on the Blackfoot River. The water was very low...about 18-20 inches below normal for this time of year. The lower section of the river above the reservoir was also full of carp. I caught one 20" hybrid on a Stimulator and a 36" carp (~15 lb) on a stonefly nymph.

I have never sight casted to a carp before and it was interesting to toss out the fly in front of its nose and watch it gulp it down. After about a 20 minute fight on my 5 weight fly rod, I was able to land the carp. I tried to catch a few more carp but went without success. Trying to get my fly down deep enough to the carp in the faster water  was difficult.

Based on this experience your best bet for the Blackfoot River this year would be a bow and bowfishing kit to shoot the carp. Or to try to catch them on your fly rod. All of the best holes on the upper Blackfoot River were full of carp. Usually the Idaho Fish and Game has a carp trap in the river but it appears that this year they have either removed it or the carp found another way around. Regretfully the carp push out the trout and make trout fishing mediocre at best.

Blackfoot River - River Conditions

The upper Blackfoot River in Idaho is headed towards a dreary fishing season. The river doesn't open until July 1 and the current flow at 173 cfs is already below the 25% median. With a terrible winter for snow pack in the Blackfoot River drainage we will be lucky to have any water in the river come July 1 unless we get a drastic change in weather. When the river is low all of the quality fish head to the reservoir for cooler water. Two poor winters have taken their toll on the Blackfoot and the fishing this year will likely be poor.

Blackfoot River Report

The water in the Blackfoot has fallen another 3-4 inches and is flowing significantly lower than usual. Last year's abundance has not carried over into this year. The water temperature is also increasing. As a result I caught around 10 fish all in the 8-12" range. The big fish seem to have vacated the river heading back to the deep cool waters of the reservoir. I only saw one bigger fish that rose lazily at a hopper but really made no effort to take the bug.

Regretfully the Blackfoot may have to be scratched for the rest of the summer as high temps and low water are dominating Eastern Idaho. There are still a lot of smaller fish in the system which will provide some entertainment but odds of catching a larger fish diminish each day.

Fly of the day: A blue damsel fly was again the most productive but I also caught some on a bead head prince nymph and a bead head wooly worm (orange and black).

Here are a few pictures of the Blackfoot:

Looking Downstream

Upstream

Blue Damsel Fly Pattern

Blackfoot River Cutthroat

Here is the 22" cutthroat caught on the Blackfoot River on a size 12 blue damsel fly.

Blackfoot River - July 3 and 4

The Blackfoot River opened up this week and I was able to go fishing on July 3 and 4. Water levels are about 6-8 inches low from normal flow which means that, if the summer heat continues, it may be a short fishing season on the Blackfoot. Overall fishing was pretty decent. I caught around 30 fish the two days. Most were in the 8-12 inch range but I did land two really nice cutthroats, a 24 inch and 22 inch. Below is the picture of the 24 inch cutthroat.

The flies of the trip were black and red (orange) wooly buggers with a bead head (size 4), a size 14 bead head prince nymph, and a blue damsel fly (size 12/14).

 The grasshoppers were just starting to come out. In a few weeks grasshoppers should provide some good dry fly fishing.

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)

Best Grasshopper Fly Fishing Patterns

I know that I am jumping the gun by about 6-7 months but this last summer I finally discovered a grasshopper pattern that was exceptionally productive for Idaho Fly Fishing. Like many of you I have tried numerous different grasshopper patterns with varied success.

The Joe's Hopper has been all but worthless, including all the subtle variations.

The parahopper (grey and tan bodies) has been a good fly and has caught a lot of fish. It's always good to have some of these in sizes 8-14. One big problem with the parahopper: floatation! Once this fly is taken a few times you can't keep it on the surface. Add a dropper? It will sink the fly every time, which is frustrating at best!

I tried various foam hoppers with varying success.

Finally this year, thanks to Portneuf River Outfitters in Pocatello, I discovered a foam hopper pattern that the fish consumed with eagerness. One day on the Blackfoot, I caught around 50 fish (mostly 6-10 inchers) on this pattern. They were attacking it with abandon. I even hooked and landed 3 20+ inchers in this fly while losing 5-6 more.

So what is the pattern? Alas, I don't have a picture at the moment but I will post a picture with the additional info on my next post. Stay tuned!

Plastic Waterproof Fly Box - White
Terrestrial Trout Fly Fishing Flies Collection
Handbook Of Hatches: Introductory Guide to the Foods Trout Eat & the Most Effective Flies to Match Them
Okuma S-903-5 Cascade Fly Combo (5wt, 9-Feet)

Spring Runoff Outlook Looks Very Positive

So far this year the snow pack and snow water equivalent is well above average, which means that spring runoff should be good and late season fishing even better. The Bear River drainage is at 160% of normal while the Blackfoot River drainage is at 150%. Snow water equivalency is almost 10 inches more than last year.

If the weather pattern holds as predicted, Idaho Fly Fishing should be exceptional next year!

Flywater: Fly-Fishing Rivers of the West
Fly Box + 100 Assorted Fly Fishing Fly Package
Silver Lake Fishing Flies Assortment
Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die

An Amazing Day fishing on the Blackfoot River

The Blackfoot River was HOT today!! Idaho fly fishing for cutthroat trout could never be better than today. After landing more than 50 fish, I amazingly was worn out (and so was my knee after a few unceremonious falls into the river). The majority of the fish were in the 8-10" range. I did land 3 over 20", 2 in the 16-18" range, and after both long and short battles, lost 3 other fish that were over 20". One was probably a 24" that rivaled the biggest cutthroat I have ever caught on the Blackfoot River. It was an amazing, excellent, superb, wild, etc. day to be fly fishing.

Here are some photos from the trip. Note my excellent photography skills hastened by the need to release the trout :)

HOT FLIES FOR THE DAY:

Size 16 Bead Head Prince Nymoh
Size 8-10 Gray Colored Foam Hopper (with green strike indicator)