Yesterday’s doubling of flow out of Palisades Dam has not impacted flow here to date and likely will have little effect. That is because most of the new water released will go into the canal system. So expect streamer fishing, so popular until runoff overwhelms things, continue to be good. Expect evenings to offer some of the best times for doing so. Post-spawning ‘bows will respond, but there is always a chance for that brown of the season.
This event which attracts so many will be held this coming weekend at the Shilo Inn here in Idaho Falls. Friday, April 25th and Saturday, April 26th are the dates. Fly tying, fly fishing, and fly casting workshops, fly tying demos, fly tying theatre, vendor booths, ladies and youth programs, destination programs and a banquet make up just part of the event. For details and schedules, go to the Expo web site: www.srcexpo.com.
To the southeast Chesterfield and Twenty-Four Mile reservoirs remain iced over. Chesterfield has some open areas close to shorelines, so any length of warm weather (and like it or not; wind) will get rid of the ice. Other reservoirs in the southeast area are now ice free.
Paul Reservoir
This one is easily driven to, but is off the beaten path. Go north on Interstate-15 from the Snake River Plain past Spencer. Just before you come to the Idaho-Montana border, turn off at the Humphrey exit. Go left under the Interstate, then right onto a gravel road. There isn’t much out here, just a ranch or two as the road makes a big arc just beneath a mountain range that marks the Idaho-Montana border, also the Continental Divide. For a while you do not see any water, just high desert, and likely begin to wonder if this is another “wild goose chase.” Then to your left a creek appears and you begin to cross small tributaries. This is Modoc Creek, and it is loaded with brookies of which a nine-incher is a braggin’ fish. Further on the road fords a few other tribs, then climbs a rise. You have come a bit over twelve miles when Lo and Behold, that rise is a dam, and Paul Reservoir is behind it. It owes its presence to the need for water in the arid valley below. Stock need it, and without the stored water, not enough hay could be grown to support them. Look around at this gentle little reservoir in a hollow. One side is sage brush covered slope, and the other is a pine forest hosting a few primitive campsites. Here is a great place to take a physically challenged person or introduce a youngster to still water fishing. From the dam launching flotation gear is easy, or one can simply fish from shore and nearby.
So what does this oval shaped reservoir, about a third of a mile long, host with respect to fish? IDF&G keeps a good population of cutthroat trout within. Some years the population is better than others. The normal aquatic insect cycle takes place here. Midges can emerge throughout the season. Dragonflies begin theirs early followed by damselflies then callibaetis which go from mid to late summer. Resident leaches and snails become easy protein for the hosted cutthroat. What about those hosted cutts, you ask? They are usually co-operative when one presents imitations of the previously mentioned food forms. So a lightweight outfit such as a four-weight seems to nicely apply here. So does a nine-foot leader of four or five X tippet. A floating line or an intermediate line is sufficient. However, I’ve never caught a cutt here over fifteen inches! That’s contrary to what an old cowboy told me one day while I was having rare, but unusual luck fishing callibaetis emerger patterns near the dam. He watched me for a while from where he was tossing a bobber and night crawler, then approached. “Looks like you’re really gittin’ into em, but them’s a bit small ( which was true!).” “See that, there point up the reservoir?, he gestured. “Got me a nineteen-incher there a week ago.” All this after no one I talked to had caught anything over fifteen inches! So I knew what was going on; he wanted my location! So just to frustrate him, I continued to present and catch fish. He walked away to a spot a quite bit closer to me than where he began. In any case not many folks fish here, and you cannot find a safer still water place for a youngster or a person with particular needs to fish. Just be ready to eat a bit of dust along that gravel road when you leave or return to Interstate-15!
Some of our reservoirs are beginning to lose ice. As we hear of any opening up, we will pass such on in this report
With flow out of Mackay Dam just a bit above 100 cfs, wading is easy. Midges are active, and a few BWOs are emerging. Not much snow is around, and the days are warming up. Looks like all aspects are together for a trip to the Big Lost. Don’t forget those small bead head nymphs or size 12-14 bead head peacock leeches! Want more info on the Big Lost River? Take a look at the 3/19/13 offering on it in our web site Articles post.
We fished Springfield Reservoir yesterday. Beautiful day, but slow fishing except when one hung a midge pupa below an indicator. The reservoir is about a foot and a half low and appears to be turning over. I don’t know whether this was really the case, but the water (53 deg. F. near the surface by mid PM) was more discolored than usual for this time of year. A few midges were flying, but no damsel nymphs visible in shallows. That’ll change!
Grey’s River
Whether you intend to visit this area or if you reside nearby, put the Grey’s River on your “have to try” list for next August and/or September. Without a doubt, this western Wyoming river is one of the most beautiful high country rivers on earth. Mostly of moderate gradient, it flows mainly through pine forests but has some meadow reaches especially in upstream locations. Once you get to Alpine Wyoming via either US highway 89-91 or US Highway 26, look for the Grey’s River Road heading east out of “downtown” Alpine. If you need a Wyoming license, fly-fishing gear, accommodations, or a good meal, Alpine can serve you well. Back to the Grey’s River road. Just the drive along it is worth a trip, and not having a good camera in possession is a tragedy. For better than forty miles the Grey’s River Road parallels the river which at times is a stone’s throw away, then other times out of sight. It is one of the better maintained gravel roads anywhere. Along the road, mostly in its middle reaches, are some of the best US Forest Service campgrounds that can be found. These make great locations for anglers wishing to stay within casting range for days to enjoy fishing the river. With exception of a few large ranches, the river courses through Bridger-Teton National Forest. Thus access is not problem.
The Grey’s drains the country between the Wyoming Range and the Salt River Range. It’s beginnings are above elevation 6000 feet and no where is it below 5000 feet. All this makes it a run-off stream of major proportions. That’s why we cannot recommend fishing it until around late July in normal run-off years. So let’s look at what this river offers with respect to fishing. Snake River fine spotted cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish are the natives. In the lower reaches one can encounter a few brown trout. I use to believe that a sixteen inch cutt would be a braggin’ fish from the Grey’s. Was I ever wrong! After concentrating a few years back on some undercut banks with ant patterns, I nailed a couple of eighteen inch guys. LeRoy, one of my fishing buddies did even better by fooling a twenty-two inch beauty. Another prime place to concentrate attention would be where willows overhang a deeper run. Fish residing here have “double cover” from depth and the overhang. So laying here looking for drifting food items gives them comfort. If you fish early in the late July time frame, you may see golden stoneflies emerging and cutts sipping them. About the same time PMDs will begin a summer-long emergence and attract fish with their activity. Afternoons will be the best time to enjoy the PMDs because, as with all “non-tailwater” high country rivers, time is required for water to warm up to their activity levels. Caddisflies are plentiful all along the river, and some late afternoon swarms can invade your eyes, ears, nose, and throat. In the September time frame tricos will make for some morning fishing, but generally afternoon to early evening are the best times for dry fly fishing. Presenting nymph patterns can be good throughout the day.
Here’s a couple of thoughts to consider for the Grey’s River. Below the Little Grey’s River confluence the river flows at a higher gradient through a canyon beloved by local kayakers and rafters down to near the confluence with the Snake River (beneath the topmost part of Palisades Reservoir early in the season). Further upstream above the Murphy Creek Bridge fishing is permitted with artificial flies and lures only. Throughout this reach the river can be waded with care. The bottom consists mostly of rocks and cobbles. You might encounter a few drift boats or rafts on the river above Murphy Creek bridge, but that is only a once in a while happening. Afternoon thundershowers are always possible here, and heavy ones can discolor the river to a coffee and cream color. But normally the Grey’s River runs as clear and sparkling as any stream can. If you decide to give the Grey’s a try, don’t forget that camera!
We have reports from the USGS verifying that flow out of American Falls Reservoir has been increased to about 3000 cfs from around 450 cfs. This will make for better cover and water conditions for those big trout. But for those of us that wade, peril increases.
Have you seen Tim’s recent Big Lost River contribution to our fishing report? What he offers is typical for fishing success this time of year on the river downstream of Mackay Dam. Midge activity and an increasing chance for BWOs appearing as we advance into early spring can make for great winter fishing. Pick a blue-bird day, string up your four- or five-weight system with a floating line, and bundle up for a most enjoyable time. At the time of this writing flows are about 111 cfs out of the dam thus making for easy wading. That’s typical of flows now as water users begin storing water in the reservoir for the upcoming agricultural season. Increases to around 200 cfs are possible, but if anything such an action gives fish more overhead cover thus reducing their skittishness. Right now snow depth is not much along the river below the dam, so access is easy.
In general fishing success this time of year can be more reliable than during the irrigation season when flows out of Mackay Dam can vary up and down abruptly at times putting fish down for a few days. The Big Lost River Valley below the town of Mackay relies heavily on agriculture for economic well being, and the demand for water at critical times during the growing season takes priority over any recreational use. At the end of the agricultural season flow out of Mackay Dam is again reduced as storage in the reservoir above begins, and fishing success once again becomes more consistent. So even though great fishing can be had during the summer months, especially when golden stoneflies or flavs are active and terrestrial insects populate banks, it is wise to watch for any abrupt changes in flow. With reduced flows late in the irrigation season a real feature on the river here is the morning trico emergence. That brings fly-fishers from all points to enjoy resulting activity. After tricos wane, it is back to the autumn midge and BWO activity much like the current late winter-early spring activity. Then as during this time of year it is not a bad idea to have a streamer or wooly bugger pattern along to try for some of the lunker rainbows that sulk in deep holes and undercuts.
Just below Mackay Dam and around the campground there is good access to the river. Remembering that you are with in legal actions by staying within the high water level of the stream bed, you can fish anywhere. Downstream, closer to town, private land prevails and some land owners discourage access. Others, however will grant access to those asking with a diplomatic approach. I recall an incident decades ago on the river that guaranteed me access over a piece of private land. This happened below town, but likely remains a good strategy. We had asked for permission to access the river to end a float trip further down the valley. We were given reluctant permission. We put in at the Darlington Bridge with most of the trip going through private land. During the way we picked up all kinds of garbage and offal. When we ended the trip the land owner came out of the field he worked in. When he saw the load of garbage we had, he asked if we had picked it up along the river in his property. To our affirmative answer he offered; ” If you did that for me, you can come here any time you want to fish!” Another incident got me trespass permission just outside of Mackay. We were within the high water level of the river, but the observing land owner reminded us to stay within or we would be trespassing. Luckily I tied into and landed a rainbow a bit under twenty inches as that land owner observed. On reviving the gorgeous rainbow and releasing it, the landowner offered “That’s great! Now I can enjoy that fish. C’mon back any time you want to fish here.”
Most folks in the valley want you to enjoy the exceptional fishing the Big Lost River offers for miles below Mackay Dam. Your visit has economic value. There is our usual stop for breakfast or dinner at one of the fine restaurants in the valley, and we do the same at C-stores for a lunch and liquid refreshment. If you are coming from afar and wish to fish a number of days on the river, motels or B&Bs here will welcome you, especially this time of year when tourists are few. So consider a visit to this unusually productive river before irrigation flows make it tougher to fish.