“Fishing seems awfully insignificant at times, but for those of us who love it, fishing provides opportunities— opportunities to learn, to laugh, and to live...” – Ted Baechtold This week we have a great opportunity: On July 29th, the parking lot in the rear of the store will be transformed into a summer gathering and product fair featuring some of…
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“I have had my share of hairy moments, always from the same mistake—misjudging the strength of the current.” – A.J. McClane As the rivers in our region continue to drop, the water is looking more and more fishy. But don’t be fooled; it is still very high and a misstep wading can be dangerous. Here are a few reminders that…
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“There is nothing like the thrill of expectation over the first cast over unfamiliar waters. Fishing is like gambling, in that failure only excites hope of a fortunate throw next time.” – Charles Dudley Warner From moment to moment, rivers are in a constant state of change. Some change is subtle like a slight drop in flow or a rise…
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“This I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world.” – John Steinbeck All good anglers seem to have a common trait; they are relentless seekers. And it is this tireless exploration that makes some fly fisherman among the most optimistic, patient, and intellectually curious of our kind. The exploration…
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“Fishing consists of a series of misadventures interspersed by occasional moments of glory.” – Howard Marshall What constitutes a “moment of glory” while angling? If an angler pursues his or her quarry with the monomania of Ahab, then the moment of glory only comes occasionally, if at all. But if we focus on the misadventures and the lessons learned from…
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by Carl Evenson With plenty of snow shining in the peaks, the freestone sections of the Big Wood, Big Lost, and Salmon Rivers are forecast to be higher than average, especially during May and June. It is too early to predict fishing flow levels beyond June because the May and June weather influences flows so much. This spring, we have…
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We have become accustomed to dry years here; this year, however, has been far from dry. Since early December, snow painted the peaks and the valley floor bright white leaving us with a record snowpack in the Big Wood, Big Lost, and Salmon River basins. Even the Silver Creek valley was covered with snow from December well into March. It…
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"Wherever we go in the world we find other men speaking the same language, planning the same plans, dreaming the same dreams. And one of the big four―brownie or brookie, cutthroat or rainbow―is the cause of it all." -Roderick Haig-Brown For some, the best way to fly fish is alone. There are times when I wish to be alone on…
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“The stream before you is constantly changing. If you are not flexible or confident enough to adapt to changing conditions on the stream, you are sure to fail.” – Joe Humphreys During a series of lean water years, we become accustomed to a level of consistency on our freestone streams; hatches predictably occur over clear, wadable water and certain buckets…
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“As we try to estimate future streamflow scenarios, please remember that Mother Nature bats last and she can be a switch hitter.” – Idaho Water Supply Outlook Report June 1, 2017 It has been cold and the flows around the region have dropped, but the forecast calls for a warmer pattern to return. This will bring the flows back up…
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