Felt the need to fish

[drowning_flys]

The wife and i took off Sunday to hagerman to see if we could catch a fish. I was feeling the need and having withdrawals [:p]. Hit niagara springs with almost no luck other than a few small fish in the 4 inch range. fished the outlets. had some luck at the lowest one caught 2 trout about 12 inches []. wife was getting cold so we got in the truck drove down to the hatchery right below niagara springs caught sever fish in the 2 to 3 inch range lol. but i was happy fished caught fish and we decided to head towards home. we crossed the river just below buhl and meandered along the canyon rim towards twin and came across a pond. people were fishing so we decided to investigate. fish and game pulled up so i talked with them for a bit about it and what the place was. It was new to me so we decided to try it. by that time wind was howling and temps had to be around 10 degrees. tied on a hairs ear and made a cast hooked up a nice little fish about 12 inches. made several more casts and ended up with 10 fish by the time my hands were froze and i couldn't feel them. 2 of those fish were golden trout. they have a kids pond there two with several fish in the 16 inch range. this place made by day and cured my winter blues. Give it a try if your in the neck of the woods. sorry no pics but i will be returning as it doesnt look like it freezes up [cool]
[url "http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/releases/view.cfm?NewsID=4664"]http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/releases/view.cfm?NewsID=4664[/url]
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[MMDon]

Thanks for the report drowning flies. It will be Sturgy time down there pretty soon!
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[drowning_flys]

[quote MMDon]Thanks for the report drowning flies. It will be Sturgy time down there pretty soon![/quote]
You bet just thought some one else may be having withdrawals. Yes indeed made a bunch of sinkers a few weekends ago almost thought about going this weekend but couldn't find anyone to go with. stopped by lower salmon dam why we were down there and was thinking I should have brought my pole [mad]
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[drowning_flys]

We went and hit the little ponds again today took the wife buddy and his daughter. set her up in the kids pond and she learned how to fly fish. she did outstanding and caught 10 fish then we moved down where the adults could fish and between the wife and my buddy lee and me we caught 40 plus fish. Hooked one that i never got in broke my leader and took one of my favorite flies [mad] Fish felt pretty decent. fish and game showed up and we talked for a bit about the size of fish in there and i asked how big. he just d and said they been planting it for 2 years and there should be some good ones.
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[cpierce]

Sounds like fun even in the cold. Were you wading along the bank or using pontoons? What kind of flies do fish take at this time of year? Nymph and indicator fished slow?

I haven't ever fished this late into the winter before and am curious. Is all of the pond open there or has it got some ice on it too?
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[drowning_flys]

[quote cpierce]Sounds like fun even in the cold. Were you wading along the bank or using pontoons? What kind of flies do fish take at this time of year? Nymph and indicator fished slow?

I haven't ever fished this late into the winter before and am curious. Is all of the pond open there or has it got some ice on it too?[/quote]
Actually we were just fishing from the bank there isn't any trees or tall weeds you have to worry about so you can make 40ft plus casts easy. hares ears and black wooly buggers double renegades were the hot ticket. I even switched to a floating line and fished a few Chernobyl's. lol not many places you can take trout on a hopper in January [cool] what i found is sudden bursts of about a foot to two foot with a 2 to 4 second pause between triggered the most strikes. yes it was extremely cold took a good set of neoprene gloves but still had to stop to warm hands. But it was all worth it
No ice didnt take a water temp but it is free flowing and must move enough to keep it ice free and i would guess the spring that feeds it isnt too far away because water felt pretty warm.there are 3 ponds and a small creek that feeds it plus a small canal type of pond. I will take the camera next time so ya have a better idea of the place
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[cpierce]

A really nice place to learn or practice on. It is especially great to find some open "fly water" this time of year. I wish it wasn't so far away for me, I'd sure enjoy a brief winter break. I am thinking I will have to swing by that way when I head to Boise for a conference in February. Weather permitting!!!

Thanks for sharing.
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[drowning_flys]

No problem [] I get the winter blues when there isn't enough snow to snowmobile on and fly fishing is next on the list. I use to spend a lot of time in hagerman but the last few years it has steadily went down hill. It was great to discover this place. where are you from?
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[cpierce]

I am about a 100 miles away, --- 25 miles southwest of Pocatello. It is coooooold here, we have warmed up some today, so it isn't quite so cold as it has been. It has been -17 for about the last 3 mornings. Anywhere warmer and fishable looks real good right now!
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[drowning_flys]

Yea that would be a drive. I hear ya I'm not use to it being this cold for so long most of our winters have been a little more mild. warmer and fishable two wonderful words [] I'm really looking forward to spring cant seem to get fishing off the brain this year
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[thebug]

good to know those ponds have fish in them iv driven past them a few times and got out and looked but the last time i was there was back in june when all it was doing was raining and those ponds were so muddy with about 50 dead fish floating around i didn't think anything survived
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[drowning_flys]

It was like that a little bit ago they got a warm spell and all the runoff from the fields was going in there. I'm thinking that was 2 weeks ago. Looks like lots survived tho or they just replanted it.
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[flygoddess]

I had to look this hagerman up....and OMG it is just past where I was born (Jerome) and just before where I grew up (Glenn's Ferry) I should say my younger pre teen days.
I am sure I have been there before when I was a kid, but maybe not, that was a LONG time ago[]
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[drowning_flys]

[quote flygoddess]I had to look this hagerman up....and OMG it is just past where I was born (Jerome) and just before where I grew up (Glenn's Ferry) I should say my younger pre teen days.
I am sure I have been there before when I was a kid, but maybe not, that was a LONG time ago[][/quote]
Yea its a great place to fish in the summer many rivers streams and ponds with bass bluegill trout and sturgeon. In my younger days i practically spend every weekend down there. you must have took up fishing in your later years
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[flygoddess]

Are you kidding...the Snake was my back yard.....literally. I think I was fishing before I could walk! Oh wait, I was bait back then....LOL
If you go into Glenn's Ferry, the house I grew up in is I think Blue now, it was an old A framed school house made into a house when I lived there. Right by the water tower next to the river or at least three doors down. Empty lot on the left and a house straight down the hill in back that use to be a naturally heated pool.
I grew up on Sturgeon, catfish and trout. It has been a very long time since I have been back, so, I don't remember the ponds very well.

Funny thing too, I grew up with a fly rod, but I just attach mono to the end and used it like a Tenkara.
My Grandpa and I did land a 7' Sturgeon...well more him as I was about 5. LOL
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[drowning_flys]

[quote flygoddess]Are you kidding...the Snake was my back yard.....literally. I think I was fishing before I could walk! Oh wait, I was bait back then....LOL
If you go into Glenn's Ferry, the house I grew up in is I think Blue now, it was an old A framed school house made into a house when I lived there. Right by the water tower next to the river or at least three doors down. Empty lot on the left and a house straight down the hill in back that use to be a naturally heated pool.
I grew up on Sturgeon, catfish and trout. It has been a very long time since I have been back, so, I don't remember the ponds very well.

Funny thing too, I grew up with a fly rod, but I just attach mono to the end and used it like a Tenkara.
My Grandpa and I did land a 7' Sturgeon...well more him as I was about 5. LOL[/quote]
That's cool you have a lot of Idaho history. I bet it changed a lot sense you were here. I spent a lot of time in your back yard sturgeon fishing. wouldn't mind living down that way but then it would be a long drive to the south fork lol [laugh]
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[drowning_flys]

we managed to get down there agin today. fishing was a little slower but still great didnt keep track of the fish caught but wasnt slow by any means. here are the pic as promised















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[poky-mon]

How long ago is that[]
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[cpierce]

Thanks for the pictures.
Great ponds to take kids to! Love to see that.
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[drowning_flys]

Lol yea my buddy told me thanks for introducing him and his family to another expensive hobby. as the whole family had to have flies poles reels and line. I told him paybacks are still coming for introducing me to snowmobiling [laugh]
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