10-24-2017, 03:47 PM
I visited three Idaho streams in late June and early July. (This was the beginning of my three month long camping trip.) Idaho got a huge snowpack last winter, and it has taken forever for it to melt. What a great year for the fish and farmers both.
Even at the end of June I had a hard time finding streams that weren’t still blown out over their banks. As it was I went way up high on the watersheds to get to fishable water. In some of our drier years the areas I fished with full water now, would be very tiny and have a quarter of the water in them.
Here is the first stream I visited. It’s full bank to bank, but the clarity was great.
![[Image: DSCF6794a.jpg]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/908/medium/DSCF6794a.jpg)
The weather was variable, with sun in the morning, clouds at noon, and thunderstorms by afternoon. The fish didn’t seem to mind much.
![[Image: DSCF6788a.jpg]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/908/medium/DSCF6788a.jpg)
I was using a Parachute Adams for most of the day until I saw one lonely green drake hatch. After that I switched to a green drake and the fishing exploded. Most of what I caught were 10 to 13 inch cutthroats, but a few were larger.
![[Image: DSCF6792a.jpg]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/908/medium/DSCF6792a.jpg)
I lost a couple of fish and then got a really nice one on. That fish ran me all over the creek, upstream, downstream, over the rocks and under the willows. Then he was gone. I had to sit down and catch my breath. He gave me a run to remember. I pulled my fly in to clean it up and found that I had been losing fish because I no longer had a tip to my hook. I am in awe and amazement that I had the last fish on for so long on a worthless hook!
![[Image: DSCF6795a.jpg]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/data/908/medium/DSCF6795a.jpg)
I loved fishing this little creek, but the mosquito population was insane. I camped high on the driest hill I could find, and they still were attacking in battalions. I would leap into my truck as fast as I could and 30 or 40 of the buggers would get in with me. Soon the inside of my truck looked worse than my grill on a bad hopper day. There were squished bugs everywhere. I had good bug spray on, and I wasn’t getting bit, but they were driving me NUTS! So I had to move on to find a more peaceful venue.
A good snowpack and a wet spring are good for the rivers and fish, but it sure brings out the bad in the mosquito population.
To be continued: Tune in again for the next adventure of the crazy summer of 2017.
[signature]
Even at the end of June I had a hard time finding streams that weren’t still blown out over their banks. As it was I went way up high on the watersheds to get to fishable water. In some of our drier years the areas I fished with full water now, would be very tiny and have a quarter of the water in them.
Here is the first stream I visited. It’s full bank to bank, but the clarity was great.
The weather was variable, with sun in the morning, clouds at noon, and thunderstorms by afternoon. The fish didn’t seem to mind much.
I was using a Parachute Adams for most of the day until I saw one lonely green drake hatch. After that I switched to a green drake and the fishing exploded. Most of what I caught were 10 to 13 inch cutthroats, but a few were larger.
I lost a couple of fish and then got a really nice one on. That fish ran me all over the creek, upstream, downstream, over the rocks and under the willows. Then he was gone. I had to sit down and catch my breath. He gave me a run to remember. I pulled my fly in to clean it up and found that I had been losing fish because I no longer had a tip to my hook. I am in awe and amazement that I had the last fish on for so long on a worthless hook!
I loved fishing this little creek, but the mosquito population was insane. I camped high on the driest hill I could find, and they still were attacking in battalions. I would leap into my truck as fast as I could and 30 or 40 of the buggers would get in with me. Soon the inside of my truck looked worse than my grill on a bad hopper day. There were squished bugs everywhere. I had good bug spray on, and I wasn’t getting bit, but they were driving me NUTS! So I had to move on to find a more peaceful venue.
A good snowpack and a wet spring are good for the rivers and fish, but it sure brings out the bad in the mosquito population.
To be continued: Tune in again for the next adventure of the crazy summer of 2017.
[signature]