Fishing Reports

Saturday, February 10th Fly Tying Demo Features Doug Kinney

Doug Using His Fly Creations on the South Fork

Doug came to eastern Idaho from the Nebraska Sand Hills. Bass, walleyes and other warm water species spin-fished with lead-head jigs or flies cast with a bubble for panfish were standard techniques. Doug began around age 12 tying jigs and flies for these outings.  Donated hides, bird skins, and Mom’s sewing basket supplied materials in those beginnings.  By age 14 he gave fly-fishing a try, but being without a mentor, returned to spin-fishing. In 2006 Doug and his family moved to eastern Idaho where the blue ribbon waters and Jimmy Gabettas’s knowledge turned him into the fly fisher he had wanted to be for years.  It took experience on the water, time, and help through books, classes, and DVDs to become that fly-fisher and fly-tier. But through intense interest and having a job that allows some off-time, Doug has arrived to offer effective creations from his tying vise. He began this by taking part in the Eastern Idaho Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Expo tying demos, has added other shows to his list of visits, but opened Pie Hole,one of the best pizzeria to be found. Doug’s last demo at Jimmy’s was just before the C-19 breakout. so we are sure to see some new ideas from his tying vise aand subsequent fisshing experience..

Saturday, February 3rd Tying Demo Features Brig Wilson

Brig and Family

Brig grew up in the Snake River Valley between the Teton River, the South Fork and the Henry’s Fork. Any chance he had, he was on the river (even during his high school graduation practice) fishing. He spent two years in Alaska where he also took any chance he could to fish.

Brig started tying flies seven years ago. From the very beginning he received some superb hands-on learning from some of the fly tying industry’s best. Especially in the last four years, he spends most his days creating fly tying tutorials at Fly Fish Food with Cheech, Curtis Fry, Lance Egan, and several other great tiers.

Brig spends his nights tying and designing new flies that move just the way he wants in the water. Then most weekends are spent on the water fishing in Utah or Idaho. He will offer some of his creations which have proven effective on east Idaho’s Henry’s Fork, South Fork, and Teton River as well as everywhere he fishes in Utah.

Henry’s Fork, January 20th, 2024

Headlines from Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s Henry’s Fork Drainage Snow-Water Equivalent (SWE) Report of January 19th.

• Yesterday’s precipitation increased the water-year total to 88% of average and SWE to 69% of average but increased the disparity even more between the southern half of the watershed and the upper Henry’s Fork.
• Light but consistent precipitation will continue for the next week, with temperatures well above average.
• At an average outflow of 386 cfs, Island Park Reservoir gained 20 ac-ft yesterday and is 90% full, compared with 73% full on average.
• The upper Snake River reservoir system is 71% full, compared with 58% full on average.

Details

New snow water equivalent (SWE) totals ranged from 0.1 inch or less at all stations in the upper Henry’s Fork to 0.7 inches at Pine Creek Pass and Grand Targhee. That moved watershed mean SWE up one more percentage point to 69% of average, although it dropped a place in the rankings to 3rd driest since 1989, now behind 2012 but still ahead of 2001 and 2010. SWE at Pine Creek Pass improved to 95% of average, moving that in the Teton subwatershed up to 79% of average. SWE is 74% of average in Fall River and 57% of average in the upper Henry’s Fork, the lowest on record for the date.

Saturday, January 20th Fly Tying Demo Features Danny Lane

Danny and Friend

Danny was born in Boise, Idaho and spent his early angling days in pursuit of trash pond bluegill. Because he was only nine years old, and the flies he tied were ” rather casual”, warm water species with their willingness to eat anything were his only focus for years. Through adolescence, Danny kept catching bluegill on foam spiders and bass on wine cork poppers, but a trip to the Wood River in 1998 with a friend and his dad produced the first trout to be felled by one of Danny’s flies (a foam spider). In the time between then and now, Danny somehow graduated college with an English degree, got married, had two kids, caught a bunch of trout, some steelhead, redfish, snook, bonefish, tarpon, and a handful of permit. He guides for Three Rivers Ranch on the Henry’s Fork, South Fork, and Teton Rivers. Danny also ties commercially for trout and saltwater species and is an Umpqua Signature Tyer.  During his demo Danny will feature some the Signature flies as well as those he prefers for fly fishing waters in this area.

Danny caught his last bluegill in 2016, in a trash pond in Boise. 

Saturday, January 20th Fly Tying Demo Features Michelle Babcock

Michelle and Friend

Fishing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My parents have pictures of me sitting on the banks of the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone in Belfry, Montana, with my great-grandfather introducing me to fly fishing when I was a wee lass.
Born and raised in Southern Idaho, I am blessed to be near some of Northwest’s most amazing trout water.  I am the proud mom of three amazing boys: Hunter, who is serving in our US Navy as a corpsman; Tanton, following in his dad’s lineman’s footsteps; and Chase, who will soon be joining his brother in serving our country. My husband Ryan and I reside in Twin Falls with our three fur babies.

My fly fishing passion runs deep as it provides a therapy that only those who know can explain. In 2013, I decided to share my passion with like-minded women and hosted my first women’s trip on the Henry’s Fork. Since then, I have hosted women’s trips out of Dillon, Montana. It is a blessing every year to share the water with some incredible women who are either just starting or are seasoned anglers to learn and grow from one another and create some incredible friendships.
         I love fishing for big trout. When you fool a fish with a bunch of sparkle and feathers you put together, it makes it much more rewarding. Building streamers is a favorite of mine. When I first started tying, I would watch endless videos of big streamer patterns. I incorporated some of the techniques I’ve learned into my own patterns. During my demo I will be putting together a streamer that I have used on bull trout, as well as being my favorite pattern for cutthroat. I will also throw in a nymph or two that can be used in any local trout water.