With spring only a month away, the days are getting longer and the average air temperatures can swing more than 20 degrees. During a typical fishing outing, the day will start well below freezing, reach into the 40s, and end below freezing as you exit the water. This can pose a problem when trying to dress for a day of…
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It looks like we are going to start the week with a cold snap and then move into a fairly snowy pattern through the middle of the month. While January was mostly dry with days reaching the 40s, it looks like February is going to deliver a dose of winter. We sure could use the snow in the mountains. I…
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One of the great challenges of winter fly fishing is dealing with glare. The low angle of the winter sun makes seeing your flies on the water difficult. One solution is to use flies that provide contrast to the low light conditions. It is a great idea to have a selection of High Vis parachute patterns to help when visibility…
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For some fly fishermen, long winter nights and frigid days are best spent tying flys and dreaming of warmer climes. For others, the winter is a bonus season offering short windows of great fishing. Whether you are going fishing tomorrow or waiting for summer, the winter season is also a good time to learn a few new tricks. In Boise,…
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For some, the concept of winter fly fishing seems oxymoronic. For the rest of us, winter fly fishing is synonymous with solitude. The river in winter is a transcendent place, a place where anglers can experience the Emersonian "transparent eyeball," observing the quietude of nature. However, nothing will end a winter fly fishing excursion faster than being ill prepared for…
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There always seems to be chatter this time of year about which ski town is the best. What makes Ketchum a great ski town? It is simple. The fact that you can ski in the morning on a world class mountain, fly fish the afternoon on the Wood, and still make it to the Pioneer for après cocktails by the…
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Santa, if you are listening, the winter fishing season is upon us and I have a few simple needs. To help me keep my feet toasty warm and my legs dry, a pair of SIMMS Bootfoot Waders is top of my list. Next are layers, lots of layers; from long underwear to fleece pants and jackets, I know SIMMS has…
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With multiple hunting opportunities, the prospect of a great ski season on the horizon, and miles of open water free from fishing pressure, November is a great time to be in the Wood River Valley. If fishing is your activity of choice, keep checking the weather forecast and dress for the occasion as the forecast for the next two weeks…
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Temperatures in the valley are starting to drop and the ski season is less than a month away. While waiting for the snow to fall, why not go fishing. In November, we still have very good Baetis hatches on our local streams and even some steelhead opportunities a couple hours outside of town. And be sure to mark your calendar...Wednesday,…
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Kilpatrick Pond Rehab Progress Report The fish from our reservoirs to our rivers sense the changing seasons. There is a kind of "now or never" approach toward feeding this time of year, and a successful fall angler knows how to take advantage of this, from the right fly, to the right tippet, to the right presentation. But there is more…
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Photo Credit: Bob Knoebel “They both listened silently to the water, which to them was not just water, but the voice of life, the voice of Being, the voice of perpetual Becoming." – Hermann Hesse The voice of life, being, and becoming is about to roar. Warm weather is in the forecast which should accelerate the melt, especially of the…
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Photo Credit: Bob Knoebel “There are two kinds of forecasters: those who don’t know, and those who don’t know they don’t know." – John Kenneth Galbraith And then there are the kind of forecasters who know they don’t know, but try anyway. Let’s start with what we do know. This winter has been relentless. It started cold and wet, stayed…
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