"Angling is, or should be, essentially a philosophic and reflective engagement, rewarding the practitioner not only with trouts, but with a gentler and more matured comprehension of life itself." Ben Hur Lampman We fly fish not just for trout, but for the lessons we learn in pursuit of trout. We learn about loss and rejection; we learn about joy and…
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"Most anglers soon discover simple fly fishing helps preserve our capacity to wonder." - Yvon Chouinard The next time you go fly fishing, try and simplify your overall approach. Take just a few flies and a spool of tippet. Leave the reel and line behind and grab a Tenkara rod. Make fewer casts. Position yourself closer to the fish so…
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“Stream tactics can be learned from experience, but stream etymology can be learned only by serious study.” - Ernest Schwiebert We are currently experiencing some fantastic bug activity on our local fisheries. Mayflies, Stoneflies and Caddis of all sizes and colors are filling the air and hoppers are already clattering out of your way as you walk to the river.…
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"Exultant and feeling completely alone, I started to sing loud snatches of songs, unthinking and a bit wild as I fished through the pool. I knew that I did not want a fish to disturb my fishing." Mel Krieger from The Essence of Fly Casting We have waited several months for the waters to clear, recede and the fish to…
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“The water you touch in a river is the last of that which has passed, and the first of that which is coming; thus it is with time.” Leonardo DaVinci As the water drops, more and more angling opportunities open up all over the valley. Now is a great time to go explore with big flies, searching dries and reacquaint…
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“I have never seen a river that I could not love. Moving water has a fascinating vitality. It has power and grace and associations. It has a thousand colors and a thousand shapes, yet it follows laws so definite that the tiniest streamlet is an exact replica of a great river”- Roderick Haig-Brown As a fly fisher, I look at…
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Fly fishers are stereotypically patient and early June, with its high water, is a test of an angler's patience. To those anglers waiting, I say this: It will not be long now. The weather has been relatively cool this spring making run off slow and steady. As an example of this, look at the flows on the Wood since the…
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While many of our freestone rivers are still mostly high and off color, the fishing opportunities we do have are quite good; Silver Creek, The South Fork and our local stillwaters are all fishing well. Don't forget this important day next week...Father's Day! We have the perfect gift for the Dad who has everything. We have the perfect gift for…
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Spring is beautiful in the Valley. The arrowleaf balsamroot, the first flower of spring, is in full bloom, the hills are green, the Boulder and Pioneer Mountains are still capped with snow, and the Brown Drakes are hatching on the Creek! The freestone rivers, like the Upper Lost, the Big Wood and the Salmon, are high and muddy and flows…
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Saturday, May 24th, our local waters, including the Big Wood, Silver Creek and the South Fork of the Boise, open up to fishing. For me, the season opener is like Christmas. Silver Creek has been sitting under the tree like a wrapped present, and finally this weekend, we get to open it. The anticipation has been heightened by all the…
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“No gold for me. Just the rainbow.” – Elsa Dutton If you follow the seasons of a river, study it through a day, a month, a year, a decade, then you understand the nature of change. Sometimes the change is subtle and ephemeral, like a morning hatch. Sometimes the change is torrential, like a summer thunderstorm that turns the river…
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“A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.” – Marcel Proust With the deluge of Tropical Storm Hilary behind us, the rivers should drop and clear quickly. Still, you will want to check with us about water clarity and flows before committing to a drive outside the Valley. As we return to a more normal…
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