Posts tagged idaho fly fishing
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!
Subscribe to the Frenzy Posts to have a chance to win 3 days and 2 nights in Teton Springs
Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!
Apr 1st
It’s about time the Frenzy did a Give-Away
Alright Frenzy Nation, the Fly Fishing Frenzy is giving away a 3 day 2 night stay at our Cabin in Victor, Idaho (20 miles west of Jackson Hole, Wyoming) in the Teton Springs Development.
The Development is a 27 Hole Johnny Miller Golf Course with many ponds around the development stocked with Native Cutthroat and Brook Trout. I know that for many of our readers/subscribers it might be a ways to travel to Victor, but the journey will be well worth it.
The area is ripe with great fly fishing. Not only will you find trout taking flies on the ponds surrounding the golf course in Teton Springs, but here are a few rivers/creeks that are within a short drive
- Teton River
- Bitch Creek,
- South Fork of the Snake River,
- Henry’s Fork of the Snake,
- and many more.
Jackson Hole is a short 25 minute drive over the pass and the nightlife over there is much better than in Victor. You definitely will not be disappointed.
Here is how the Giveaway works. It is really simple, there is only one way to put your name into the running.
- Enter your email below to subscribe to our blog (make sure it is a valid email and one you use because that is the only way we will be able to contact the winner) and we will do a drawing on April 20th 2009 out of the list of current subscribers at that time.
- The winner will be announced on our Blog that day.
- The winner will need to send over 2 – 3 potential dates that work for him/her and we will get it on the calendar.
We will not use your email for anything besides sending you notifications of new blog posts.
The cabin is a 4 bedroom 4.5 bath. It is 4000 sq ft and is fully furnished. Here are a few pics.
ENJOY!
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. 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
Fish Biter’s Club
Jan 28th
Legend has it that some young frenziers in their zeal to catch nothing but trout in the fabled Idaho Fly Fishing Streams cast a spell that exiled the guilty party to a punishment that only Bear Grylls would embrace.
What punishment you ask? Well, in order to answer that question we need a little history to fully understand the frenziers quest.
Most of you that fish Idaho’s Fly Fishing streams know that besides the beautiful Cutts, Bows, and Browns, lurk the ever-so-sneaky Mountain Whitefish. I particularly, am not a fan. Some probably whole-heartedly disagree, which is fine. And dont get me wrong, catching whitefish is better than getting skunked. However, when you are deep in trout meditation and you get that ‘take’ your blood pressure rises, the heart beats faster, and you feel the dank-dank-dank at the end of your line and know that it is a whitefish. Kinda feels like kissing a hot girl only to find out later it was your cousin. Disappointing to say the least.
Well, one particular day, some fenziers were experiencing the disappointment mentioned above and a young Nephi Allen (Honorary Frenzier) threw down the gauntlet. “The next person that catches a whitefish has to bite it’s damn head off”. The bravado and testosterone were at high levels this day and thus, the Fish Biter’s Club was born.
The first inductee into the Fish Biter’s Club was none other than Wyatt “Earp Fish” Tibbits, who to this day can stomach some of the grossest shiz I’ve ever seen (the bass eyeball in Vernal? Boowhooop). If Bear Grylls ever needed a replacement, Wyatt is the man for the job.
There have been many inductees since, but one particular instance was caught on film. While fishing Bitch Creek in Idaho, Gary Indiana and myself (Chubbs) pledged to follow those that had gone before them. About 15 minutes into the day, I cast my streamer into a sweet, deep hole and pulled out a ripe mountain whitefish. Being a man of my word, I looked that whitefish in the eyes and made my peace before biting just behind the gills. I wont go into too much detail, but I will say that I tasted fish and brushed scales out of my teeth for the next 3 days.
Below is the evidence that the Fish Biter’s Club exists. This was about 10 years ago as you can tell from the gear. However, that Indiana Jones looking hat I’m wearing is cherry.
Enjoy!
Yes, that is whitefish blood on my lips.
