09-02-2010, 03:32 AM
So I had the day off yesterday and decided to head out for a day trip fishing near Boise. My plan was to fish up some of the creeks feeding the Middle Fork of the Boise. Driving by Arrowrock mid-morning, I could see fish rising all over the place and just couldn't keep driving. Parked and hiked down to an empty beach hoping to catch a big Rainbow. All I ended up catching were Pikeminnow. They were really hitting on worms. Caught 4 good sized ones in about 30 minutes, fun anyway and now no chance of getting skunked for the day. Tried for trout on a Rapala but no luck, so headed back to the truck.
I'd heard good things about Cottonwood Creek, but never fished it. Started off near the campground, waded up to some nice pools, no action on a variety of flies, but caught a few little Brookies on worms. After a nice quiet lunch in the woods drove up a ways past the ranger station. Waded in the nice cold water and found a great spot. Now this creek is less than a foot deep and about 3 feet across in most places, but this hole looked to be 6 feet deep with a big rock AND a tree across it. Floated some flies down and also tried worms, got a few nibbles but nothing serious, but I knew they were in there. Walked back to the truck to get a drink and noticed all the grasshoppers, hmmm. Those things are a lot harder to catch than they look, but I finally got the hang of it. Put one on the hook, floated it down into the hole and BANG, they were all over it. I fished this hole for a couple of hours and caught probably 25 Brookies and Rainbows. Some of the Bows were around 10-12 inches. Once they were in a biting mood and I was tired of chasing hoppers, they started biting worms as well.
Next I drove back out to the reservoir and up the road until it narrows down into the middle fork. Fished for a while close to the bridge. Found a nice hole on the other side and thought I had hooked a Rainbow on a Hopper pattern fly, but alas it was another Pikeminnow, about 15 inches. Decided to hit Cottonwood again on the way back to Boise, this time on the reservoir side of the road. There is a deep hole where the water comes out beneath the road that should have fish in it. I got a few nibbles but I think it probably gets fished pretty heavily, no luck there. Headed home around dusk, was a nice way to spend my day off.
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I'd heard good things about Cottonwood Creek, but never fished it. Started off near the campground, waded up to some nice pools, no action on a variety of flies, but caught a few little Brookies on worms. After a nice quiet lunch in the woods drove up a ways past the ranger station. Waded in the nice cold water and found a great spot. Now this creek is less than a foot deep and about 3 feet across in most places, but this hole looked to be 6 feet deep with a big rock AND a tree across it. Floated some flies down and also tried worms, got a few nibbles but nothing serious, but I knew they were in there. Walked back to the truck to get a drink and noticed all the grasshoppers, hmmm. Those things are a lot harder to catch than they look, but I finally got the hang of it. Put one on the hook, floated it down into the hole and BANG, they were all over it. I fished this hole for a couple of hours and caught probably 25 Brookies and Rainbows. Some of the Bows were around 10-12 inches. Once they were in a biting mood and I was tired of chasing hoppers, they started biting worms as well.
Next I drove back out to the reservoir and up the road until it narrows down into the middle fork. Fished for a while close to the bridge. Found a nice hole on the other side and thought I had hooked a Rainbow on a Hopper pattern fly, but alas it was another Pikeminnow, about 15 inches. Decided to hit Cottonwood again on the way back to Boise, this time on the reservoir side of the road. There is a deep hole where the water comes out beneath the road that should have fish in it. I got a few nibbles but I think it probably gets fished pretty heavily, no luck there. Headed home around dusk, was a nice way to spend my day off.
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