We will soon offer our Fly Casting class schedule on this web site. For this year we have a location change. Rather holding these at Tautphaus Park, we will move to the Snake River Parkway ponds. We will give the exact location when we place our class schedule on this web site.
Everywhere in the river above American Falls Reservoir flow is below normal. Below the reservoir flow was increased to 11000 cfs yesterday and is still climbing today.
Flow out of Blackfoot River Reservoir was essentially doubled to 193 cfs a few days ago. Look for more increases in flow here as we get further into the irrigation season. This month run-off will begin in our small streams draining high country, and back country roads will begin to open. We will get information on these events and place such in our fishing report to help with decisions on where to fish such waters.
Flow out of Palisades Dam was upped to 5690 cfs last night (now 7040 cfs at Heise, 3280 cfs at Lorenzo). Look for more increases to come. Flow out of the dam remains much below normal (7800 cfs) for this date. Water remains quite cold for aquatic insect activity except for that from midges. Rubber legs, streamers and nymph patters near riffles bring most success.
Very good fishing is present from the Ora Bridge to Chester backwaters. BWOs have peaked, but caddis are active in good numbers. Presenting nymph patterns from large stonefly sizes down to small produce quite well. Fall River is bringing in discolored water from farm run-off, so fishing below Chester Dam suffers a bit.
The Blackfoot River Road from just east of Bone to the Blackfoot River Reservoir is graded and open. Ice is still on the reservoir but likely to go fast. It looks like Hebgen Lake will be free of ice by the end of this weekend. Hawkins Reservoir seems to attract many anglers of all terminal gear persuasions. Midge life cycle and leech patterns produce here. Daniels Reservoir has yet to offer good fishing, but warming weather will bring it on. Same applies to Springfield Reservoir.
Thunder Ridge High School of Idaho School District 93 offers a Lifetime Sports program which introduces students to the outdoors and its wholesome activities. Fly fishing and its fly tying corollary is one of the activities. Lifetime Sports instructor and organizer Jody Webb, for a second year arranged with Jimmy’s All Seasons Angler to host the program’s fly tying seminar in the shop for a two to three-hour session each day (last Tuesday and Wednesday) in which to introduce students to fly tying. The seminar subject was construction of a woolly bugger and a renegade. Trout Unlimited, its local affiliate the Snake River Cutthroats, and the shop provided tools and materials to tie these flies. We recommended Buck Goodrich and Mike Miller, both much experienced in fly tying teaching, as instructors to Jody. Buck and Mike gladly offered their services to instruct students during both sessions, and most students were successful in tying these patterns. Jody offered that the day following the tying sessions participating students would go to a well-stocked public pond to test their luck at using flies they had tied. Hopefully some of the attendees will find through Jody’s efforts that fly fishing combined with fly tying can become a most enjoyable lifetime outdoor activity.
Not much change since our report ten days ago. Flow in the lower river from Warm River to Chester is fairly constant and a bit below normal for this time of year. You can bet that the lower river will have plenty of fishing enthusiasts present later this week if the predicted nice weather happens.
Flow out of Palisades Reservoir was raised slightly to 4770 cfs ( now 5600 cfs at Heise, 3320 cfs at Lorenzo) last Sunday. Should be no effect on fishing as flow is below normal for this time of year. With the not quite normal snow pack last winter many reservoirs are being filled as much as possible before big irrigation demands arrive. A few midges are appearing up and down the river, but best success for now comes through pitching rubber legs and streamer patterns.
The high side of our fishing season is beginning. Already the South Fork is being visited by drift and jet boaters, the numbers of which are increasing every day with nearly all launch sites open and fishing success picking up. Drift boaters are floating the lower Henry’s Fork where launch sites are becoming more and more crowded, particularly those below Ashton Dam where the river offers excellent dry fly, streamer, and stone fly nymph fishing. Even the main stem Snake River has a drift boat-jet boat population pitching streamers. So we at Jimmy’s are seeing the beginning of floating fishing season.
Increasingly we get inquiries on “where to go”, “what is it like”, information from folks new to or outside of this area. We pass on as much information as we can, but in the interest of safety we have to stress that there are some basics that anyone should consider if not experienced with any water to be boated.
First, being a responsible boater requires thorough character knowledge of the river section to be floated. If unfamiliar with launch and take-out sites to be used, visit these beforehand, especially if they are of primitive nature to detect short falls or hazards. Consult with someone familiar (reputable fly shops and resorts should have character and hazards information on all these) with the physical nature of the section of interest.
Second, even after obtaining character information on the river section to be visited, it is prudent to stop while in the act of floating to observe its downstream character during an initial visit. It is also wise to do so during a first trip of the season because many places on the river change character. The lower South Fork is notorious for cutting new channels and abandoning old ones. Going down a channel that has been cut off from the main river and the necessary walk back out pulling a boat can ruin a visit, especially with little daylight left. Uprooted trees, brush piles, and barely submerged rock features can be unpleasant, even dangerous surprises. Irrigation diversions are particular dangers especially on lower reaches of the Henry’s Fork and South Fork and throughout the main stem Snake River. For example, there are four irrigation diversion on the lower Henry’s Fork from the Fun Farm Bridge down through St. Anthony.
Third, many of us rely on such as Google Earth or Maps software to observe a river’s character. We suggest not doing so. Here is why: changes in river channels occur almost annually. Uprooted trees can happen any time especially during the high flow of irrigation waters and even or run-off. Depending on irrigation demands flow particularly in the South Fork and main stem Snake River change considerably. Such changes can make new hazards and delete those in place. Detailed launch and take-out sites character and up to date hazard identification are not given. Electronic media is incapable of identifying these changes.
We offer these thoughts in the interest of having unforgettable positive experiences floating our rivers to enjoy some excellent fishing. We ask that you consider these in order to increase the chance that you will return to have another great experience.