Idaho bound

Post Reply
User avatar
Piscator
TKF 2000 club
TKF 2000 club
Posts: 2661
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 9:32 pm
Location: Lumberton, TX

Idaho bound

Post by Piscator »

I have to go to Idaho and Montana for work. Oh, shucks. Thursday and Friday near Bozeman, MT and I need to be in Twin Falls, ID Sunday night. Between the two places is supposedly some of the premier trout water in the US. I never knew Silver Creek, Henry's Fork, Warm River, Teton River, Snake River, South Fork of the Snake River, and dozens of other smaller rivers and creeks. So Saturday and most of Sunday I plan on being shin deep in trout water trying to figure out how to catch em. And it will be fun to try.

Due to the crowds on the 'famous' streams I have my sights on Warm River and Bitch Creek. Rainbow and Yellowstone Cutthroat. Bitch Creek has a 600 to 900 feet of steep gorge to descend and ascend for access. They say that may be how it got its name. These two places have somewhat easy to catch fish and will not be crowded.

Original plans were just for some evening fishing around Twin Falls. The travel and work angels just smiled on me I guess.

If anyone has any suggestions, I am all ears. I have only thrown Panther Martins at hatchery trout in New Mexico a couple of times. Grabbed a Reddington Trout Classic 4wt and line at Gander Mt. at a good price. I have a 5wt already. I plan on just using streamer and nymph flies. I may take a few things they have not seen before. After all fish are fish.
User avatar
Cuervo Jones
TKF 2000 club
TKF 2000 club
Posts: 2029
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 1:12 pm
Location: Hurtling towards oblivion with a smile

Re: Idaho bound

Post by Cuervo Jones »

Always. ALWAYS have some size 14-22 parachute Adams and/or BLue winged olives for dries. Also elk hair caddie in 10-16. Color doesn't matter. For nymphs, the standard pheasant tails, hares ears, and some girdle bugs will do. A couple of renegades to round it out and you should be good most anywhere. I leave for Wyoming tomorrow as it happens. Good luck and post a report when your back if you're so inclined!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
Texjbq85
Posts: 218
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2014 12:23 pm
Location: San Marcos, TX

Re: Idaho bound

Post by Texjbq85 »

I just got back from vacation there last week, we stayed a few nights in Alta on Teton Creek (which I believe is the drainage just south of Bitch Creek) . The access on Teton creek was good. There's a couple trailheads and the upper half is in the national forest.

The problem however and hopefully by next week things will be different for you is the spring runoff. Most of the rockies and specifically the Tetons got a lot of snow this year and are still in FULL runoff. Teton Creek was a raging chocolate milk colored river completely out of it's banks as of 6/24 when we left. Every creek I drove by was raging and out of it's banks. Here is the Teton river gage in Driggs (which is upstream of where Bitch Creek runs into it). Everything was double if not triple the normal flows this time of year.

Image

The Madison and Firehole in Yellowstone were high, but clear and fishable. One guy in a fly shop I talked to expected everything to clear and drop 3-4 weeks later than normal.

I'd google and call the closest fly shops in the area's you wish to fish and ask about the water before you make a drive. If everything is blown out, West Yellowstone is not THAT much farther to Idaho Falls, you could fish the Madison or Firehole in Yellowstone. I was told they are fishing well with Caddis currently coming off all day. I only got the fish the Firehole for 30 minutes, hooked 2 on a Hair Ear in that timeframe.
Last edited by Texjbq85 on Fri Jun 30, 2017 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Texjbq85
Posts: 218
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2014 12:23 pm
Location: San Marcos, TX

Re: Idaho bound

Post by Texjbq85 »

Had the drainages on the west side of the Teton's been fishable, I was told Chubby Chernobyl would slay the small cutts in those smaller creeks.
User avatar
Piscator
TKF 2000 club
TKF 2000 club
Posts: 2661
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 9:32 pm
Location: Lumberton, TX

Re: Idaho bound

Post by Piscator »

I plan on purchasing some dry flies, no time to order and tie the small stuff. I live near Beaumont, which means you have to order everything. Size 10 hooks are the smallest and they all are twisted. I do plan to tie a few Bitch Creek Nymphs. Read they work year round all over. The bream here will eat them later.

I hope the flow slows up. I heard everyone fishing in that area are all in Henry's Fork, because of the runoff everywhere else. Did not think of looking for stream flows. I still have two weeks.

In Yellowstone is the fishing best on Firehole above , below Old Faithful, or near the Madison?
User avatar
Cuervo Jones
TKF 2000 club
TKF 2000 club
Posts: 2029
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 1:12 pm
Location: Hurtling towards oblivion with a smile

Re: Idaho bound

Post by Cuervo Jones »

Also, don't neglect Stillwaters. Lots of great fishing for large trout and abundant foods. Buggers, hares ears and zug bugs will cover most of your needs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Kayak Kid
TKF 10,000 Club
TKF 10,000 Club
Posts: 34145
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 12:01 am
Location: Houston,

Re: Idaho bound

Post by Kayak Kid »

Cuervo Jones wrote:Always. ALWAYS have some size 14-22 parachute Adams and/or BLue winged olives for dries. Also elk hair caddie in 10-16. Color doesn't matter. For nymphs, the standard pheasant tails, hares ears, and some girdle bugs will do. A couple of renegades to round it out and you should be good most anywhere. I leave for Wyoming tomorrow as it happens. Good luck and post a report when your back if you're so inclined!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You are a heartless SOB.......

...for not taking me with you to fish in Montana. I've slapped a lot of water with my fly line in Montana and sorely miss the fabulous fishing adventures I've always experienced there.

Your advice about what flies to use in that area is spot on. Unfortunately, it's usually a bit difficult to find unblown fishing locations during early spring time but, you ain't gonna catch fish sitting in your living room.
User avatar
Texjbq85
Posts: 218
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2014 12:23 pm
Location: San Marcos, TX

Re: Idaho bound

Post by Texjbq85 »

In Yellowstone is the fishing best on Firehole above , below Old Faithful, or near the Madison?
I am not sure where is best, but the access between the Madison and Old Faithful is great. The road from the Madison to Old Faithful travels along the river with plenty of turnouts to park and fish on the river. The fishing I was able to get in was along there while we were stuck waiting in a bison caused traffic jam. The whole river except the waterfall sections look extremely fishy. If you do choose Yellowstone, get in the West entrance early ahead of the normal morning rush. It could mean the difference in getting to the Firehole in 20 minutes versus 1.5 hours. We got stuck is a bison traffic jam for 3.5 hours one evening on the way out. Apparently according to a park official I talked to, the Bison have been causing some way above average traffic issues this year in and out of the west entrance.
User avatar
Piscator
TKF 2000 club
TKF 2000 club
Posts: 2661
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 9:32 pm
Location: Lumberton, TX

Re: Idaho bound

Post by Piscator »

I checked several water level stations in Idaho and all in my area of interest are still high. Still 12 days away, so it looks iffy.
I may consider the Firehole. The streams in MT and WY are around normal levels. I will be staying near Bozeman the end of next week and may consider extending those reservations.
More internet searching and my trout flying tying materials are at the Post Office.
User avatar
Texjbq85
Posts: 218
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2014 12:23 pm
Location: San Marcos, TX

Re: Idaho bound

Post by Texjbq85 »

Well how was it? Hope you got on some good water.
User avatar
Piscator
TKF 2000 club
TKF 2000 club
Posts: 2661
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 9:32 pm
Location: Lumberton, TX

Re: Idaho bound

Post by Piscator »

I stayed in Ashton, ID and fished the Warm River Friday evening, Bitch Creek Saturday morning, and the Upper Blackfoot River Sunday morning. I fished a mile or so north of the Warm River campground. Water was 10 to 20 inches deep with no pools or boulders. Had a couple on and a few other strikes, so no fish in the hand. A guide and 3 others were leaving when I arrived and they did not do that well.

Bitch Creek was a little crowded. Water was fast and big rocks here and there. Started with a rubber legged nymph. After a strike I switched to a foam hopper with a dropper nymph. Caught the one I missed on first cast and caught a couple more. These were all Yellowstone Cutthroat around 8-10 inches. Missed a few more. Got baptized. Southern Baptist style, complete submersion. Talked to a couple of locals and a guy from CO and they did not catch many. The backdrop to Bitch Creek is the Grand Tetons.

The Upper Blackfoot was slow flowing through a meadow at 6800 feet elevation. Flat bottom with moss. I never saw a fish. Had one blow up as I was shin deep in muck. At a deep pool I had two or three flash at by fly. On the way back a young man with his wife and 3 year old caught a 20" trout on a spinning rod and caught another after I passed.

Beautiful area. Need a little more time to figure it all out. I was not expecting 100 degree temperatures. Still fun and something different.

I tried a little creek one evening south of Twin Falls one evening, but it was a jungle and the creek was not that big, It was just too hot to try anywhere else.

Later I should spend a couple of weeks working near Three Forks, MT. Several rivers around there and already directed to a few access spots.
User avatar
karstopo
TKF 5000 Club
TKF 5000 Club
Posts: 5612
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:30 am
Location: 77566

Re: Idaho bound

Post by karstopo »

Thanks for the report. It can get hot out there especially at 6,800 feet. Unlike in Houston, Sweat miraculously disappears from the body. I generally just like walking around wherever and whenever I find myself in the Rockies. The Tetons are spectacular among the spectacular. The air and scenery is so delightful the fishing seems almost secondary. There seems to be a lot to learn about the hatches on the various rivers. I tell myself I'd get into the entomology more if I was out there more and then take the easy way out by putting on something like a woolly bugger. There appears to be a degree of difficulty hierarchy on those rivers with dry fly on pressured water seeming to be double black diamond, skull and crossbones tough and other ways and means getting progressively less perilous. Meanwhile, I haven't left the bunny slopes as those provide enough thrills for this chicken.

My daughter's boyfriend was just out west (Basalt, CO.) and brought me back some flies, looks to be mostly nymphs. They are mostly tiny and beautiful , but I haven't a clue about the names. There might even be some Bitch Creek nymphs in there for all I know. I'm saving them for if and when I ever get west again.

Anyway, thanks for the report. I enjoy reports from the Rockies told by other flat landers, especially ones more adventurous than myself.
User avatar
Texjbq85
Posts: 218
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2014 12:23 pm
Location: San Marcos, TX

Re: Idaho bound

Post by Texjbq85 »

Thanks for the report. Sounds like fun.
Post Reply