I will be in the Pocatello area on the 22nd and 23rd while my brother is taking the Idaho State Police entrance exam. I am an avid flyfisherman and need some time to kill while he is testing. Any suggestions on places to go and flies and river conditions would be great. Thanks.
John
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Good to see that you are back.
Don't forget to check out the regs before you go out.
Here's a link.
[url "http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/fish/rules/"]http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/fish/rules/[/url]
If you want to fish a clear river with pocket water I would recomend the Bear River by Grace. The Black Canyon stretch has been planted and in the past I have found the average fish to be around 12" with a few larger and smaller fish mixed in. This part of the river should be clear and very wader friendly.
The drive is a little over an hour from Pocatello.
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What flies to you recommend for this stretch. I prefer to nymph, would a good selection of prince, pheasant tails, hair's ears, zebra midges work? Is there a special fly in this section?
Thanks.
katghoti
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You will probably see some fish rising on BWO but nymphs will be the main food source. Most of the rainbows in this part of the river have been recently planted so they shouldn't be too selective when it comes to opening their mouth. I would recommend using the flies and technique that you have the most confidence in. You can access almost any part of this river by wading but I would recommend being extra careful so you don't step in a hole or twist your ankle. The cfs in the bear has increased recently but I don't think that it would make it not worth fishing.
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I'm not an expert on the Bear but will give you my opinion.
The Bear River below Oneida Reservoir is running high right now (1800cfs at Utah/Idaho boarder). I would consider fishing somewhere else but that is only me. If I were to fish it right now with flies I would go with a streamer wrapped with lead and/or weighted with a bead or cone. One thing that I have found is that the presentation is often more important that exactly which fly you are using.
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