Idaho's Lesser Known Rivers
Fly Fishing Idaho’s Lesser Known Rivers. The Warm River.
Apr 13th
Fly Fishing Idaho
Part V of V. The Warm River
When fly fishing Idaho, most people refer to the Warm River as the place where you put your boat in to float the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River down to the Ashton Bridge. However, what people don’t realize is that the Warm River has some of the same beautiful trout that the is common in Idaho’s famous waters.
The River
Warm River is a spring fed river. That makes this 26 mile live water extremely clear with water temperature at 50 degrees year around providing excellent habitat for native trout. The Warm River rises in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, along the western border of Yellowstone National Park. In its upper reaches, it fishes like a small mountain stream. At the Warm River Spring, it dramatically changes into something that most would call a modest river. Approximately 200 cubic feet per second of that 50 degree water gushes out of an ancient volcanic aquifer and cascades down a hillside, greatly expanding the stream. From this point down to its junction with the Henry’s Fork, the Warm River averages 25 to 50 feet wide and is excellent to wade and fish.
Location
One of the allures of the Warm River is that most of it runs through national forest land. While portions of it flow through a difficult-to-access canyon – an enticement for anglers who like to hike – other reaches are readily accessible via Forest Service roads.
The Warm River is located about 25 miles northeast of Ashton, Idaho. To access the river from Ashton, take Highway 47, the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, east then north and you will run right into the Warm River Campground. To access its upper stretches, continue on highway 47 until you hit the Bear Gulch area. At this junction take the FR 367 north which will keep you right along the river. You will then hit FR 150 which takes you even further up river to the steam like section of the Warm River.
On the upper River, the Pole Bridge Campground offers a place to stay for those who like smaller water. At the lower end, the popular Warm River Campground provides stream-side sites on the larger water below the spring. There is also a trail built on an abandoned rail line that runs upstream from the camp offer anglers less fished waters.
Fishing
Like the Henry’s Fork, the Warm River originally supported native Yellowstone cutthroat. Today, visitors to the Warm are more likely to catch wild or stocked rainbows, with wild browns, brookies, and mountain whitefish (Yetter’s favorite). In addition to resident fish the Warm River also supports spawning runs of rainbows and browns coming up from the Henry’s Fork.
Along with standard western attractors, anglers should take a supply of drake patterns, PMDs, and Blue-Winged Olives, along with various caddisfly, midge, stonefly, and hopper patterns. If you are prepared for the Henry’s Fork, you will do fine on the Warm River.
For Winter Fishing season (Dec 1st – March 31st) on the Warm River the following are great patterns: #16 bead head Pheasant Tails, Pat’s Rubber Legs , bead head prince nymphs #10.
As with the rest of this series of posts – Fly Fishing Idaho’s Lesser Known Rivers – we will do a follow up this year and report on our success.
FISH ON!
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Fly Fishing Idaho’s Lesser Known Rivers. The Blackfoot River.
Mar 16th
Part IV of V
When you hear about fishing the Blackfoot River, most of our thoughts probably head to Montana, where the Blackfoot River is famous for delivering trophy trout. However, there is another lesser known Blackfoot River that can also satisfy the hungry angler desires to catch big trout. About 30 minutes north of Soda Springs, Idaho lays an oasis for Big Cutthroats. Some of the biggest Cutts I have ever caught when Fly Fishing Idaho
FLY FISHING IDAHO’S BLACKFOOT RIVER
The River
The Upper Blackfoot River is formed at the convergence of Lanes Creek and Diamond Creek (both great fisheries) about 30 miles north of Soda Springs. It meanders through pastoral valleys, alongside canyon-like walls and eventually dumps into the Blackfoot Reservoir. This section of the Blackfoot is only about 20 – 30 feet wide with a few ripples that slow to deep pools throughout this stretch. It then exits out of the northwest corner of the reservoir and eventually dumps into the Snake River south of Blackfoot, Idaho.
Location
To arrive at the Blackfoot River, one must take Highway 34 north out of Soda Springs toward Jackson Hole, Wyoming. About 10 miles North on Highway 34 you will hit the booming metropolis of China Hat (There is one store that has an RV Park behind it). Turn right on Blackfoot River Road and stay, I repeat, stay on the Blackfoot River Road. There are some forks in the Road, but it is well marked with road signs. You will then go from paved to gravel and at that point you continue to the section of the Upper Blackfoot known as ‘The Narrows’, aptly named for the rock cliffs that adorn the left side of the road and the river that runs along the right side of the road. This journey is a mostly eastward jaunt that turns directly north as you enter The Narrows’. Continue north until you are steered east once again (just passed Rasmussen Valley Road) and look for the first Sportsman Access parking lot (equipped with Port-a-Potty) on your right. It is about 100 yards after you start east again. Be sure you get a license. I have been there 3 times and every time I have seen Forest Service or Fish and Game. Also, to keep the fish healthy and around for anglers pleasure, it is a single barbless hook fishery.
Fishing
Here I will relate a time a few Frenziers and I went this last fall.
I am sure there are different methods for catching these elusive Cutts, but for this post I will focus on what worked well for me and my frenzying fellows. This is where the fun begins. Justin Pond aka “Yetter” and I went upstream as Brent Ramey aka “Big Hoss” and Sean Whalen went downstream. The key to this section of the river is being stealthy. There are grassy banks as well as reed lined banks that make noise as you step on them. Approaching the holes with caution and as quiet as possible are key. Yetter manned his rod with a dry fly, the Royal Wolf (or as we like to call them, A Wolf Royale).
I opted to go with a bead headed olive green/golden blonde colored woolly bugger size 12 with some black hackle on a reel with quick sink line. Now, sinking line is important if you are going to fish with woolly buggers because some of the holes are very deep.
Big Hoss and Whalen both started with the Royal Wolf. As we began our walks in opposite direction, it was only about 20 minutes into it when I heard some commotion coming from Big Hoss and Whalen down river. Whalen radioed into our 2-way that Big Hoss had a monster on. Hoss describes “I casted to the bank over a deep hole and as I looked away for a second I saw out of the corrner of my eye a huge Cutt maul the royal wolf. Beacuse I had looked away for a second i was just a half a second late in the set which I know helped in setting the hook really well. As I was fighting the fish it came to the surface and I could instantly tell that it was the biggest trout I have ever caught”. As fortune would have it, Hoss had an estimated 24 – 25 inch Cutthroat that he landed up to the bank and asked Whalen for assistance for the final round of the bout, but as Whalen reached down to get the fish, the big Cutt rolled and caught the line on Whalen’s vest causing the line to snap and the monster Cutt swam back to his hole. There were a few expletive’s that were yelled and words we can’t utter on this family blog 
.
Yetter and I continued upstream. I came to a tasty looking deep pool and cast my woolly bugger into the middle of the river. I allowed the current to drift my fly into the deep pool and began stripping. I mixed up my strips, but the most effect strip I used was the long semi-hard strip, then wait 1 second and strip again. After my second strip, I saw a flash and felt my line go hard with fight, only to be disappointed as the fish spit my bugger to the curb. We continued on to the next hole, which is a strategy I wish we would have adhered to more often on this trip. The fish in this river are very smart. I found that you have about 5 – 7 cast per hole before you need to move on to the next hole, especially after you catch a fish. And, there are plenty of great holes. Then hit those same holes with the same 5 – 7 casts on the way back. Following this strategy will net you a lot of Big Cutts.
As Yetter and I came to a typical Blackfoot River hole (shallower on one bank with a deep hole on the other bank) the wind began to pick up. Yetter was still fishing with the Royal Wolf and began to have difficulty. I offered some limited casting lessons with the dry fly and began casting the Royal Wolf as close as I could to the opposite shore. As I was offering advice on the effective double haul method for longer casts, I dropped the fly gently on the water about 2 feet from the opposite bank. We began evaluating the cast when out of the corner of my eye came a slurping Cutthroat’s head that sucked the Royal Wolf in for a treat. My delayed hook setting was key to the proper set like Hoss had explained with his monster fish. I have found that when I set the hook fast on a dry fly take, I usually set the hook right out of the fish’s mouth. After a worthy fight, we got the 16 inch Cutt to shore, snapped a few photos, and gently released him back into the water.
We then journeyed to the prime spot just up from the previous hole to a place where the water flowed a little faster than normal and slowed to a nice deep pool. My first cast with the woolly bugger on sinking line was met with one of the most stunning ‘hits’ I have had fishing a river for trout. The fight was on! I worked the drag until it was just right and watched as the biggest Cutt I have ever caught on a river was rolling around the surface as its beautiful reddish golden color flashed in the sun. After about a 10 minute fight, I steered him to slower, shallow water and admired his grandeur. This Cutt was about 21 – 22 inches in length with a decent girth.
About 10 minutes later I caught another small one and hooked another big Cutt that got away. With this success, we radioed Big Hoss and Whalen notifying them to switch to woolly buggers and the rest of the afternoon we all caught some nice fish.
All in all, the Blackfoot River in Idaho can offer some of the best “Cutt” fishing a river could offer. However, technique, strategy, proper gear, and fall weather will be key to enjoying this fine river’s Cutthroat Trout.
I hope this post is helpful to those anglers that are looking for the lesser known rivers that can be just as enjoyable as the famous ones. Please give any feedback or comments.
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Fly Fishing Idaho’s Lesser Known Rivers. The Bear River.
Mar 5th
Part III of V
So far in this series we have we visited the Falls River and Bitch Creek, but for this segment we venture into deep southeastern Idaho for our next gem of river.
Fly Fishing Idaho’s Bear River
The River
The Bear River truly is a unique river. It is one of the only rivers that within a 45 minute drive you can be battling 18 – 20 inch rainbows and the next a 30 plus inch Carp all on a fly rod. There are parts to the Bear River that seem like a dirty old canal (those that pass it on I-15 North out of Utah know what I’m saying), but other parts that are crystal clear.
The Bear River rises in northeastern Utah in several short forks on the north side of the high Uinta Mountains in southern Summit County. It flows north cutting across the southwest corner of Wyoming past Evanston then weaving along the Utah-Wyoming state line as it flows north. It turns northwest into Bear Lake County, Idaho and flows through the Bear Lake Valley in Idaho, past Montpelier where it receives the short Bear Lake Outlet Canal that drains Bear Lake, which straddles the Idaho-Utah border. At Soda Springs, near the north end of the Wasatch Range, the Bear River turns abruptly south, flowing past Preston in the broad Cache Valley that extends north from Logan, Utah. It re-enters northern Utah, where it receives the Little Bear River from the south. From the west end of Cutler Reservoir it flows south through the Bear River Valley of Utah. It receives the Malad River from the north just before emptying into the mud flats of a broad bay on the east side of the Great Salt Lake, approximately 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Brigham City, Utah
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Location
There are two primary area I will focus on when fishing the Bear River. One, like i said will deliver up nice rainbows, while the other spot is one of the best carp fisheries in all of Idaho albeit only 45 minutes from each other.
Section 1
To arrive at the first section (we’ll call the trout section) head north out of Preston, Idaho home of Napoleon Dynamite on Hwy 36. As you descend down a large hill you will see a swimming area called Riverdale to your right and will cross over the Bear River. Continue on Hwy 36 (which will require a right turn) and just as you pass the over the Bear River again there is a turnout. This is the spot, where Mink Creek dumps into the Bear River. Now, there is great trout fishing all along the Bear River up to the Oneida Narrows Reservoir, but my favorite spot is where Mink Creek dumps in the Bear. One quick note about fishing below the Oneida Narrows Reservoir; if you are wading in the river, you better be in spot where you can easily retract back to the bank. Occasionally water is let out of the Reservoir rather quickly and you are alerted by a siren. I have only experienced it once, and it was a most interesting experience where the water went from just above my knees to my waste in a matter of minutes. Back to the spot. Just down from the confluence of Mink Creek into the Bear River is some unbelievable trout fishing. You can walk that stretch and find perfect riffles and runs all day. I do have to apologize that I don’t have many pics from this section, but as we do our follow up on these rivers this summer I will make up for it.
Section 2
To arrive at the second section for fantastic Carp fishing on a fly rod continue east on Hwy 36 until you reach the quaint town of Ovid, Idaho. At this point continue east on Hwy 89 (Hwy 36 just ended) to Montpelier, Idaho. Once there, head north on Hwy 30 towards Soda Springs, Idaho. Just before you cross from Bear Lake County into Caribou County and just before Road FR 216 (Fossil Canyon Road) is access to the Bear River through private property on a dirt road. Most property owners will allow you to fish the river if you ask. This particular property owner is me, so just ask. There are public access points just south of here about 5 miles at Dunn Rd near Georgetown, Idaho. This section of the Bear River is one that during most of the summer is somewhat off color due to the water being let out of Bear Lake so farmers can irrigate. That lends to the abundance of Carp in this River. I have never seen so many Carp occupy a river from bank to bank. You can walk the banks of the river and see some of these behemoths slurping the top of the water or darting into a covered area in the river.
One other side note: I have also fished the Black Canyon section of the Bear River just west of Grace, Idaho and found that to be a great little trout fishery as well. This section of the Bear River watershed is truly a hidden gem that can definitely satisfy any anglers need for fly fishing,
Fishing
Fishing section 1 has always been an area that when I time it right (depending on flows) has been the type of day that has produced 20 – 30 fish before 12noon. I have never fished above the surface at this section. Nymphing has always seemed to produce the best results. The standard pheasant tails, copper johns, prince nymphs, and hares ears have been the rainbows favorite choice of fly. Just below where Mink Creek dumps into the Bear River there is a nice deep hole on the far side of the river that has some lunkers in there. One day I decided to go for the biggies that lay in that pool and switched to sinking line with a flashy muddler minnow. To my excitement I quickly landed a 20 inch bow. I released him and told him to tell daddy I was here. He did his job because after a few strips on the next cast I had a pig on. I battled hard for about 5 minutes before he just high tailed it down river and broke me off. I had to leave shortly after that and wasn’t able to pursue more pigs. I do know that that section has some decent size trout in there.
Fishing at section 2 for the rowdy carp is a ton of fun. As I mentioned before this section of the Bear River is stacked with Carp. I usually just walk the bank and sight cast for these rowdy chowsers. I mostly through woolly buggers, but have had a lot of success with San Juan worms as well. The water of this section has riffles as well, but slows into deep pools and back eddies allowing the Carp a great habitat. For many years I always considered Carp trash fish, but as I started to fly fish for them and read more about the growing trend of ‘Carp on a Fly’ I realized that these fish are a blast to catch. Carp are actually very smart fish and will actually warn other carp when they sense danger, so catching these boys takes some stealthy tactics and skill.
I have compiled a few pics and as I said before, I don’t have many pics of Section 1, but plenty of section 2.
ENJOY!
Fly Fishing Idaho’s Lesser Known Rivers. Bitch Creek.
Feb 24th
Part II of V
Not only are the rivers in Idaho spectacular fly fishing, but there are also an abundant amount of creeks that deliver up beautiful native trout. Bitch creek is one of those lesser known creeks that is spectacular.
Idaho Fly Fishing in Bitch Creek
Who knows how the Bitch Creek got its name, but us Frenziers have our theory. There are 2 access points to fish on Bitch Creek that I will elaborate on further, but the one access point that we usually fish is very steep and quite a hike to get down. Worse than the hike down, is the ridiculous hike out. We have always stated, that once you get down you are good, but it is a Bitch to get out. Hence the name Bitch Creek.
The Creek
Bitch Creek begins as two separate forks that eventually join just before the Idaho border in Wyoming. North Bitch Creek begins just north of Moose Mountain. South Bitch Creek begins just north of Dry Ridge Mountain both peaks in the the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The two creeks meander out of the mountains and eventually meet about 5 miles due east from the Idaho/Wyoming border forming Bitch Creek. Just before it crosses into Idaho the Jackpine Creek also dumps into Bitch Creek. Once in Idaho, Bitch Creek is used as the border separating Fremont County and Teton County. Bitch Creek runs through spectacular canyon settings before it eventually dumps into the Teton River northwest of Driggs, Idaho. Bitch creek is itself only about 15 miles long. The north and south forks add an additional 8 – 10 miles, but the prime fishing waters of Bitch Creek is only about 12 – 15 miles.
Location
Bitch Creek is located in Southeast Idaho originating north of the beautiful Tetons. It passes through a part of the Jedediah Smith Wilderness before entering Idaho and continuing its journey through the Caribou Targhee National Forest. Needless to say it doesn’t lack beauty.
As I previously mentioned, there are two main access points to Bitch Creek. The most prominent is located on Highway 32 just north of the booming metropolis of Felt Idaho. Highway 32 is a connector highway from Ashton, Idaho to Tetonia Idaho. To get there you take Hwy 33 out of Rexburg, Idaho towards Driggs and just before Tetonia Idaho take Hwy 32 north. North of Felt Idaho Hwy 32 crosses Bitch Creek. There is a pull off where you can park and hike down to the creek either upstream or downstream. I personally have never fished upstream. As a side note, please respect the landowners/farmers properties by staying on the dirt roads that allow us fisherman access to these beautiful spots.
Fishing
Fishing on Bitch Creek is unlike any other fishery I’ve been to. The access is difficult and the hike to the creek is even worse, but all this adds to the feeling that you are the only one within miles of these fish that call Bitch Creek home. And chances are you will be alone, never seeing another person’s face the whole day.
The best time to fish Bitch Creek is after spring runoff from mid June on. Yetter, Gene Simmons, and I found out the hard way on Frenzy 1 back in 2002. I have mostly fished sub surface with stone fly nymphs mainly the famous Bitch Creek nymph. Standards such as pheasant tails, hares ears, and prince nymphs always work well. Hopper patterns have also proven very productive.
If you are looking for the perfect place to catch big Cutts with virtually no pressure then Bitch Creek is your place. I have added some pics to give you all a better feel of what this little creek is all about, but they don’t quite do it justice.
ENJOY
Fly Fishing Idaho, Lesser Known River The Falls River
Feb 10th
Part I of V
Idaho has always been a Mecca for fly fishing. There are so many great rivers that one really cant go wrong when picking a place to fish. Idaho boasts excellent trout fishing in such rivers as the South Fork of the Snake River, Henry Fork of the Snake River, and the Boise River to name a few. It is also a great place to catch the journeying Steelhead that frequent the Clearwater and Salmon Rivers. But what about the lesser known rivers? This series explores five of our favorite Idaho rivers that deliver a great fly fishing experience for any angler. Chances are however, you will mostly likely be the only angler on them.
The Falls River
The River
The Falls River begins its journey in the Southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park north of Beula Lake. It gains some momentum as smaller creeks dump into it, but really adds some flow when it meets the Bechler River right before it exits the Park. The Falls River then travels south out of the park where it waterfalls down an elevation drop forming the often visited Cave Falls. At this point it crosses from Wyoming to Idaho where another even more more spectacular waterfall exists called Sheep Falls. Falls River then passes through some pretty rugged country before flowing through the famous Idaho potato farms east of Ashton where it eventually dumps into the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River just west of Highway 20 above the Chester Dam.
Location
Depending on where you fish along the Falls River, getting there can be a chore. I have fished just above the bridge along Highway 20 and had some luck, but the best stretch of the Falls River in my opinion is just east of Ashton, Idaho. To get there, take Highway 47 out of Ashton and as it heads north, go east on Marysville Road. A few miles east of the turn one may turn right on 4500E and access the Falls River off the bridge (which is great fishing, but many know that), but for complete solitude (and fantastic fly fishing) continue on Marysville Road. It eventually turns to a dirt road called Cave Falls Road (FR 582). You eventually notice the landscape drastically changed to very thick, rugged forest. After many miles, you will notice a road (FR124) that turns right. Take this road. If you get to the Bechler River Ranger Station turn off or entered Wyoming, you have gone to far. FR 124 starts out nice, but to reach the Falls River you have to traverse some pretty crappy roads. Once there, you can fish up or down the river. Down river is Sheep Falls which can be excellent fly fishing. However, it isn’t for the faint of heart. The hiking is pretty tough and your friends in the river could easily be Moose (Big Ones) or Grizzly Bear. I would definitely recommend taking the bear essentials (the bells, spray, etc) or just a buddy that runs slower than you. My couple of trips there only lent me to see Moose, but if you talk to the park rangers at Bechler, they will inform you to be careful because the Grizzlies to reside really close to this area
Fishing
This is a unique river in that the farther upstream you go, the better the fishing is. The long hikes and off-trail access minimize fishing pressure, especially around the Sheep Falls area. Much of the Fall River drainage was devoid of trout above Cave Falls. It is believed that Sheep Falls and Cave Falls were the historic upstream barriers for trout. Most of the luck I have had fly fishing the Falls River has been sub surface with such flies as: Prince Nymphs, Hares Ears, Pheasant Tails, and Stone Fly Nymphs. The first significant aquatic insect to emerge is the pale morning dun. Beginning in July you’ll see stoneflies, and Brown and Green Drakes. I have also thrown leeches, streamers, and woolly buggers with some success as well. Just below Sheep Falls you get some nice deep runs with bigger trout. The average size trout in these waters is about 12 – 14 inches long, but many places along the Falls River it isn’t uncommon to land trout north of 20 inches. Also, fishing the Falls River near Highway 20 will produce some nice Browns as well.
If you are heading to Idaho and want to get away from the crowds then the Falls River could be your ticket. The wildlife and serenity are great. It is a backpacking, fly fisherman, and photographer’s nirvana.
I’ve included some pictures that dip way back into the photo archives, and if I hadn’t fallen into the river that day and took my camera swimming, I would have had some picture great pics of Sheep and Cave Falls. However, I will be back this summer to do the scenery the justice it deserves.
ENJOY!
