Exploited: One Angler and Zero Cutthroat

The humiliating day of skunkage in King Kong sized proportions gives way to the Intermountain West’s finest “Chalkstream” containing some sizeable fish. This angler was there for an incredible day of biking, beauty and dry fly excitement during a prolific hatch.

Conservation News – Native Cutthroat

A couple of native trout conservation topics to keep tabs on in Idaho and Yellowstone.

Redband Roundup – Wish You Were Here

Last weekend was the annual trip to the South Fork Boise River. The fishing was excellent, with enough 16″-20″ redband trout surface feeding and brought to hand to slake my winter fishing drought. Wish you were there.

IFWF 2010 Trip Auction Open for Bidding

The Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation has 42 great experiences still open for bidding. The first item to be sold outright was a wolf pup count for two people in the Sawtooth National Forest for $900. As much as I would have loved to win that bid, it’s a little out of my price range. Most of the trips are under $100 for starting bids, and quite a few below $50. Check out the cool trips (jet boat patrol on South Fork Snake River, Hells Canyon white sturgeon research, guided fly fishing on Silver Creek, elk calf capture, back country lake fish planting by horseback, several spawning surveys, etc., etc.), and bid on something.

The End of Fishing

Although in my neck of the woods fishing is open 365 days a year, this is pretty much the end of the season for me.

Cub River – Sept 2009

Fly fishing the Cub River, where the fall colors were evident in the fish, if not the leaves. This is a quick fishing report and photo shoot.

“Bonneville Creek” and Greys River

Two trips of two days each fishing “Bonneville Creek,” Idaho and Greys River, Wyoming for Bonneville and Finespotted cutthroat trout (including a brief recap of Scott’s most prolific 3 hours of catching fish ever experienced).

Pelicans vs. Cutthroat

Pelicans vs Yellowstone cutthroat. Both species have population concerns. Idaho wants to kill some pelicans to save cutthroats. Feds say no.

Fishing for Desert Natives – Itinerary

Fishing for native trout in the deserts of Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and Utah. Cutthroats: Lahontan, Yellowstone and Alvords as well as redband trout and bull trout are the target species. Here’s the itinerary.

The Fish on Fallingwater

The calendar proclaims summer. But snow is still on the peaks. Rain spits in fits of fury. Temperatures crawl toward seventy yet stop shy. Our never-ending spring continues. Rivers are high and turbid—I am low and torpid.

A potential break in the cloudiness presents itself and on pretenses of picking up sod to turf my yard, Dan and I make for Williams Creek.

The Kryptonite Hatch

What is it that can bring grown men to their knees, begging both boss and wife for permission to drop all vestiges of responsible adulthood and flee with abandon to River A for the hatch of all hatches? The Kryptonite Hatch!

Is What’s Lost, Lost Forever?

Examining what happens when water resources disappear, such as on the Big Lost River in Idaho.

South Fork Boise – Prelude to Fishing

I never thought a female would become such an integral part of our spring excursions (which I kind of think of as a “guy” thing). But Judie is starting to become a part of our Idaho fishing world. And, well…OK, OK, time to come fully clean—we’ve been seeing each other consistently for three years now. [...]

Big Lost River 2009 – updated with pix

Fly fishing Idaho’s Big Lost River is a great spring trip.

Oneida Narrows – Fishing

When I woke up yesterday morning, I wasn’t quite as excited to go fishing as I had been the night before because the temperature was an icy 6° F. But there was an excellent sunrise to the east: Bear River Mountain Range: