Fishing Report

May
14

You need to get out on the river

Fly fishing on the South Fork of the Snake is red hot. Hatches on the river right now range from midges to mayflies. The trout are very eager to eat. We are currently seeing July type action. One boat a few days ago landed around 80 trout. I really don’t remember fishing this good at this time of year.

This 22 inch brown is kind of skinny from a long winter. He will be bulking up soon on big stonefly nymphs and all the other hatches we are now having.

The Henry’s Fork is about to go off too with the salmon fly hatch just around the corner. Those big bugs on the Henry’s Fork will be coming off any day with the weather and water conditions we are currently experiencing.

We have opened early this year due to the excellent weather and fishing conditions. You need to get out on the river, give us a call, lets go fishing.

0 Categories : Fishing Report, Hatch, news, Rivers, South Fork

Apr
17

Get Your Fish On

by Matt Berry

Get your fish on!

Fly fishing here in Idaho in the spring is a whole lot of fun. Exceptionally nice weather conditions are going on now. The Henry’s Fork and the South Fork fish well in the spring on nymphs and streamers. Caddis hatches and midge hatches occur often too. Who doesn’t want to get out on the river after a long winter of cold weather? Warm days practically drive you to the water. Come get your fish on!

0 Categories : Fish, Fishing Report, Henry's Fork, Idaho, Rivers, South Fork, Trout, Weather

Mar
16

South Fork of the Snake River Fish Count Near Record High

by Matt Berry

The South Fork fish numbers look good for the upcoming season. Are you ready? The following is from an article in the Jackson Hole News & Guide.

A fish count on the South Fork of the Snake River last fall showed more than 5,177 fish per mile, the second-highest number recorded since the mid-1980s.

An increase in brown trout helped boost the overall numbers.

Figures are closely watched by biologists trying to maintain a viable Yellowstone cutthroat trout population in one of the nation’s blue-ribbon fisheries.

In 1986, biologists counted a record 5,692 fish per mile in the South Fork, a stretch of the Snake in Idaho.

“Our estimates are pointing to good fishing to be had this year,” said Brett High, regional fisheries biologist for Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

0 Categories : Fish, fish and game, Fishing Report, Idaho, South Fork

Dec
18

Cutthroat Trout Populations are Stable in Idaho

by Matt Berry

REXBURG, Idaho – The broad-based surveys showed Yellowstone cutthroat were the most widely distributed, and at 2 million fish, the most abundant trout in the state. Catch trends showed the trout were within 4 percent of the catch rates from 1980 to 2000. The findings showed the cutthroat population trends to be stable. “We also studied genetic purity,” Moore said. Those findings showed that Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations have their own genetic profile in each drainage studied. The research gave the agency a scientific basis for managing the trout to keep the populations steady.

Under its state authority, IFG has two ways to manage fish populations, Moore said. It can regulate the catch by setting seasons and limits and it can adjust the way it stocks hatchery fish. The research backs up the management decisions. And it was the push to keep the trout off the ESA list that provided the data. “In response to the data, we stopped stocking rainbows in high mountain lakes,” Moore said. That’s because the data showed nonnative trout, such as the rainbows, were the biggest threat to the cutthroat population. Catch limits and size limits were also put in place. Before the actions, the species was overfished with a 72 percent mortality rate annually. “Once we got the rules in place to protect the fish, catch is not a limiting factor,” Moore said.

Recent Catches

by Matt Berry

A few photos of some recent catches and some happy fly fishermen. The South Fork and Henrys Fork are both fishing well. The South Fork is high but we are catching good numbers of fish. Several anglers have stated they have caught more fish this season than any other. The Henrys Fork is having terrific bug hatches of green drakes, golden stones, mayflies and caddis.

0 Categories : Fishing Report, Hatch, Henry's Fork, Idaho, Rivers, South Fork

Jun
30

River Conditions Looking Good

by Matt Berry

Have you heard the rivers in our area are blown out? Well they aren’t. The South Fork is flowing at or near it’s historical mean. The river fished quite well, on 6/29/11, even better than the Henry’s Fork. Small and medium sized golden stoneflies are beginning to hatch.

The Henrys Fork is flowing higher than its average for this time of year, but that is a good thing. The Henry’s Fork for several years has been lower than ideal at this time of year. The level of the river right now is fantastic.

The only river right now that is quite high is the Teton River. It is still not as high as it was in 1997. We don’t plan on fishing much on the Teton in the next week. There are however a couple stretches fishing ok right now.