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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For fly fisherman and fish, fall signals the last good wave of surface feeding opportunities before the onset of winter. On the Lost, this means Fall Baetis and on the Creek, Fall Baetis and Mahogany Duns. This time of year, the surface feeding window tends to shift from the morning to the afternoon and it can also shrink in duration,…
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Autumn stirs the angler's soul. There is something about standing in water surrounded by golden leaves with mountains dusted by the seasons first snows against a crisp, blue canvas. And the trout too, sense the season's end and the coming of winter. Their feeding lacks the laziness of summer and becomes more focused and purposeful. If you have postponed your…
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"Tidings of raging forest fires continue to come in from every quarter" reads the lede of the Idaho Daily Statesman news story; only, this story is from 1889. Fires surrounded and threatened Ketchum 124 years ago just like they have in our more recent past. It is stories like this that remind us how cyclical nature can be in both…
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Photo: Chris Blesius “Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.” – Samuel Butler While wild flowers and leaves fade from view, the fruits of wet seasons past, ripe and true. With the swish of a fly cast above the stream, and a trout holding fast in the golden gleam, autumn's…
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“‘Only today,’ he said, ‘today, in October sun, it’s all gold—sky and tree and water. Everything just before it changes looks to be made of gold.’” – Eudora Welty When the frosts come, we know nothing gold can stay. So get out, rod in hand, and enjoy the October sun. Silver Creek If you head to the Creek, expect to…
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