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Small Streams

Jimmy's All Seasons Angler / Small Streams (Page 2)

Small Streams, August 22nd, 2023

Is that fly fisher getting too close?

Visiting many of our small streams means traveling to relatively remote places. While “hustle and bustle” reigns on many of our icon waters, tranquility reigns around the remote places and is a major attraction for many of us. On visiting these special places, it is good to remember that with respect to resident wildlife, we are the invaders. Thus measures to minimize contact with them are in ours and their best interests. Yes, we carry bear spray and perhaps a claxon horn in areas of high bear populations, but being aware that any wildlife can be stressed by our presence is appropriate. So when visiting any of our numerous back country waters be ready to provide any nearby bear, moose, elk, deer and others a comfortable distance for continuing their tranquility.

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Small Streams, August 12th, 2023

Bitch Creek Slide to Reach the Bitch Creek Confluence With the Teton River

As with the South Fork, many smaller waters are in top fishing shape these days. Where smaller waters beat the much deserved popularity of that river is in tranquility. For example, you may fish in the Blackfoot River Wildlife Management Area with seven miles of meandering meadow stream and encounter a fewer number of anglers than fingers on one hand. The Palisades Reservoir tribs offer a variety of fishing with McCoy Creek and its bank side terrestrial insect population attracting Snake River fine spotted cutthroat and a scattering of brown trout into action. The Big Elk Creek western green drake hatch is on going to offer some of the best afternoon fishing in the area. If you can hike several miles, Bear Creek is essentially untouched by anglers so far this season. Palisades Creek offers great riffle and run fishing for cutthroat trout ranging to trophy sizes. Use traditional dry fly and caddis life cycle patterns. Few places offer the physical beauty that the Teton River in the Basin offers along with great top water fishing with PMD, caddis and terrestrial insects convincing trout to rise. Morning and evening visits here minimize recreational boating activity. And if you are sturdy enough to descend to the where Bitch Creek converges to the Teton River in the canyon you could be the lone fly fisher present. Warm River Spring maintains high quality cool, clear water to the the river on downstream with its caddis and terrestrial inset population making for an active brook, brown and rainbow trout population. With its stair-step beaver ponds hosting numerous cutthroat trout, the South Fork of Tincup Creek beckons a visit.

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Small Streams, August 5th, 2023

In Blackfoot River Wildlife Management Area

Are you looking for some solitude, great scenery and relief from the crowds and boats on our larger streams? Consider the river in the Blackfoot River Wildlife Management Area. The river here is a classic meadow stream hosting Yellowstone cutthroat trout, ranging to over twenty inches, with a few brookies coming in from above. The IDF&G has recently improved habitat here by placing log and snag jams along banks to improve overhead cover and help remove some silt from underneath. The result is an apparent increase in trout population. This time of the season terrestrial insects are the major trout food with some PM caddis activity ongoing along the river. Hoppers are particularly abundant. A small number of PMDs and speckled duns are present. The river here is a slightly smaller version of such as Bechler River and Slough Creek in their meadow sections making a stealthy approach and long, drag free floats necessary. Five and six weight systems are appropriate, and floating lines are best as weed growth thickens as summer advances. Wading gear is not required, but lightweight rain gear and sunlight protection should be possessed. Regulations include barbless hooks and no bait. Bring a camera!

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Small Streams, August 2nd, 2023

Grey’s River at Murphy Creek Bridge

Most of our small streams are currently in great fishing shape. One of these, being special in our area, is in prime condition right now. That stream is Grey’s River. It dumps into the Snake River just above the US highway 26-89 bridge on approaching Alpine, Wyoming from the west. One thing that places it above all other western Wyoming rivers with respect to access is that it flows mostly through public land

( Bridger-Teton National Forest). Its neighbors, Hoback and Salt Rivers are much paralleled by major highways and mostly locked up on banks and stream beds through Wyoming’s private property laws. Other than the Box Y Hunting Lodge-Renegade Ranch property, the Grey’s is about totally approachable. Another great situation on the Grey’s is that above the Murphy Creek Bridge, no bait fishing is allowed and boating is pretty much limited. So fishing visits diminish rapidly there. Below the bridge recreational boating, kayaks in particular, abound and empty bait cans and strips of discarded spinning line are common. The forest road following the river, “washboardy” in places, is well enough maintained that the State of Utah is well represented. Natural beauty of the surrounding countryside makes bringing a camera almost a must. Summertime thundershowers are abundant and can cloud portions of its flows. Wyoming fishing licenses can be purchased in Alpine.

Being mostly an upland river of abundant riffle and run character, the Grey’s hosts mainly caddis and stone fly populations. PMDs and a few other mayfly species occupy quieter waters, but now terrestrial insect are major food items for resident Snake River fine spotted cutthroat trout, the only trout present excepting some brown trout in lower sections. Five and six weight tackle and moderately sized tippets (3X-4X) are appropriate for playing hooked trout which range up to trophy size. Put the Grey’s River on your “must visit” list. When you visit, you will not be disappointed.

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Small Streams, July 26th, 2023

Summer is time for a fish fry, and we have several small streams that host the main ingredient for such. Without a doubt the best trout for a fish fry is the eastern brook trout. These were introduced to area waters over 120 years ago, and have eliminated native salmonids from many waters though being aggressive and able to out produce the native “cutty.” Where are the best streams to find these “brookies?”

Look for small streams that are easily approached because catching enough for that fish fry can be a family activity. Almost any small sized fly will work to fool these aggressive little devils. IDF&G allows a personal limit of 25 brookies per day in most streams. Let the number of your fish fry attendees decide how many brookies to harvest. Certainly after being cleaned, store them in a cooler while traveling home to retain their wonderful flavor.

Here are some candidate small streams that host numerous brookies. Elk Creek at the east end of Buffalo River Campground is a great candidate. So is nearby Tom’s Creek and other upstream Buffalo River tributaries. Not far from these, Little Warm River and Partridge Creek are great candidates. Above Kilgore, West Camas Creek and Cottonwood Creeks, although brushy in places host great populations. So does equally brushy Modoc Creek flowing out of Pauls Reservoir. In the Lost River area Copper Basin streams such as nearby Cherry Creek with stair step beaver ponds and upstream Antelope Creek are good places to try.

Recipes for preparing brookies and other fish abound on the internet. One way of tradition is coated with cornmeal and fried which brings great eating results. What accompanies your brookies? Such as slaw, baked beans, fried okra, corn on the cob, and hush puppies are leading candidates. No matter what you choose the results will make for a fish fry ” fit for a king!”

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Small Streams, July 18th, 2023

Bitch Creek

Most small streams are in great shape and access is good. The exception is Bear Creek where the road is open only to Calamity area.This means boating or hiking are the only means for getting to this creek which offers great fishing for cutthroat. Consult with the Palisades District Office to see if biking is appropriate along the closed section. Although caddis, PMDs and sallys remain, terrestrial insects are building everywhere, especially in meadow areas, where these are becoming a primary food source.

The Teton River in the Basin is rounding into good shape with aquatic insect hatches ( PMD, sallys, caddis, a few golden stones) going on and terrestrial insect populations building ( and so is recreational boating activity). The same can said for the upper Blackfoot River where recent stream habitation improvements appear to have increased resident cutthroat trout populations in the Blackfoot River Wildlife Management Area where there is little if any recreational boating. Warm River just below hits spring offers an escape from the nearby, but relatively crowded Henry’s Fork. The same can be said for the Palisades Reservoir Tribs and Palisades Creek compared to the nearby South Fork.

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Small Streams, July 15th, 2023

Want to have some real fun and satisfaction in helping someone learn how to fish? Take a kid fishing. Especially if a youngster asks to go, there are many safe waters hosting aggressive trout. First, it is a good idea to preface a visit with some time of instruction on how to prepare and use a fly rod. So for now, let’s discuss a first time visit, with more details later. Action is the big enjoyment for youngsters, and it is sure to keep their attention. So in a first time visit one could begin by hooking a fish, then letting them play, retrieve, and then land it. Point out to the young one where the fish occupy the water visited and be sure to show an approach that minimizes startling.

Big water can be intimidating and overwhelming to a youngster. So a best first time visit would be to a small, easily approached stream or still water holding readily aggressive fish. These waters are usually physically safer and have all necessary features within easy sight. It’s a bit like comparing a laboratory situation to a production size situation. So what are some good locations to consider? For this purpose, It is hard to find any better than the Birch Creek Family area a few miles above Lone Pine on State Highway 28. The creek here is a meadow signed stream with abundant open areas. It holds a great population of brook and rainbow trout that are always hungry. Middle of the day is the best time for a visit, and it leaves time to end that a visit with time for an ice cream treat or something like it. We will offer more information later, but the above discussion is “just to get the ball rolling.”

We at Fly Fish Food have all appropriate equipment for the interested youngster, and we are more than willing to assemble such and begin the process of how to use such. We also welcome visits to scope out equipment and to obtain more information.

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Small Streams, July 11th, 2023

Almost all of our small steams are rounding into good fly fishing shape. The Teton River is one that is approaching such conditions, so it is worth looking at it a bit because it will become very popular quickly. The river in Teton Valley is its most popular stretch where wading and boating will increase very soon. So will recreational boating, so on stream diplomacy will be required as well as making early AMs and evenings best times for tranquil fishing . Several launch facilities are present and will have much use when recreational boating begins. Early season aquatic insect hatches include sallies, PMDs and caddis. Not to be totally overlooked, large stone flies blown in from the canyon reach below means long drifted patterns of each can be effective. When hatches begin in earnest drifting, then lifting soft hackled patterns also become effective.

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Small Streams, July 7th, 2023

A Willow Creek Beaver Pond

This conversation is going to be general. But because so many area cutthroat spawning streams opened to fishing a few days ago there is a particular reason for fishing these, and that is because of hosted beaver ponds. Beaver ponds provide so many advantages for trout. They offer relative overhead cover, cool water this time of the season, a rich variety of food forms from damsel flies and speckled duns on down to leeches (easy protein), scuds, and even mice and snakes. You will find these pond only on low gradient sections of small streams (no way could beavers dam the South Fork!), but some can be large enough to host a flotation device (See above photo). Now is the time for best fishing on these because as summer advances they warm like all other waters.

So where does one find these ponds? Many of the best are off the beaten track. The Willow Creek drainage is a good place to start looking. Such as Cranes Creek, Hell Creek, Gray’s Lake Outlet, lower Homer Creek, Tex Creek are good candidates. All Palisades Reservoir tribs host beaver ponds and so do Salt River tribs coming out of Idaho (Crow, Jackknife, Stump, Tincup). Palisades Creek, just above the lower lake, hosts some, and so do several Henry’s Fork drainage streams. The same applies to Teton River and Big Lost River tribs. Use Google Earth and look for their presence.

Fish in these, usually brown, brook and cutthroat trout can attain surprisingly large sizes. Browns up to ten pounds use to inhabit Cranes and Willow Creek and Gray’s Lake Outlet beaver ponds. Cutthroat in Centennial Valley streams range exceed twenty inches in length. Brook trout exceeding twenty inches still inhabit Duck Creek beaver ponds.

Other streams are now worth a visit. Bitch, McCoy, Palisades and Robinson Creeks are near run-off free. Golden stones, PMDs, sallys and PM caddis are active on these. Warm River below it spring offers Brook, brown and rainbow trout (relative solitude compared to nearby Henry’s Fork) responding to the same aquatic insects. b

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Small Streams, June 24th, 2023

With the exception of the Ashton-Flagg Road beyond Calf Creek hill and one other big exception, all back country roads are open. The other exception is getting to Bear Creek where the Bear Creek road will be closed for many weeks. The Jensen Creek road, the long way around ( Leaving the McCoy Creek Road about three miles above the campground) to Bear Creek is also closed. Thus the only ways to reach Bear Creek is though boating or hiking. Other major streams feeding Palisades Reservoir are rounding into good fishing shape with small streamer and such as woolly bugger and San Juan worm patterns being effective until aquatic insects ( caddis, golden stone flies, PMDs,etc) become more active. Other small streams in that area that are rounding into shape are the Salt River tribs coming out of Idaho: Jackknife, Tincup, Stump, and Crow Creeks. Fish within these respond to the same patterns suggested for the Reservoir tribs.

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