Small Streams

Small Streams, December 7th, 2024

A meeting in Idaho Falls took place two evenings ago to provide information on the ongoing gold exploration in the West Camas Creek drainage northwest of Kilgore. This action is being performed by a Canadian company which has cut roads and produced drill holes damaging habitat in Caribou-Targhee National Forest land. These actions alone alter the environment used by big game animals as well as some headwater streams that host cutthroat trout.  Concern for these actions are based on the possibility that if gold in economic amounts is found, an open pit mine could be constructed resulting in major damage to the area.

     1.  Specific concerns include physical and chemical alteration of the West Camas Creek, the area     trunk stream, which sinks into the substrate at the top of the Snake River Plain Aquifer, 

2.    Degradation of this drainage at the top of the aquifer could negatively alter its quality impacting downstream agricultural and municipal use as far as the Magic Valley,

            3.   Loss of water quality in the West Fork of Camas Creek impacting the hosted cutthroat and exotic trout (brook and brown trout) population, 

            4. Major loss of big game habitat in the area, and

            5. Loss of scenic values.

Private organizations such as the Idaho Conservation League and public agencies including IDFG Fish and Game Upper Snake River Region Department are watching impact and progress of this activity.

Small Streams, November 30th, 2024

December 1^st begins the Catch and Release season on certain streams. Included are such as Big Lost River (applies to trout and whitefish), Henry’s Lake Outlet, Willow Creek, and most of Warm River. 

Small Streams, November 9th, 2024

Warm River around the campground is a good choice for some sunny day afternoon fly fishing. Not much snow around. BWO and midge life cycle patterns, traditional nymph patterns (i.e. copper john, hares ear, prince, zebra, etc.), all in small sizes, can bring some action.

Flies to fish:

• Zebra Jig Thin-Black
• Barr’s Flashback Emerger BWO
• Copper John – Red

Small Streams, September 14th, 2024

In Blackfoot River Wildlife Management Area

Are you looking for a fly fishing treat? The Blackfoot River Wildlife Management Area offer it. Miles of meadow stream are protected within it. Only Yellowstone cutthroat ranging to over twenty inches with a few brookies are hosted. No boats and few other anglers will be present. No bait and barbless hooks are required, and no harvest of cutthroat trout is allowed. Fall colors are intensifying enough to make photography a consideration. For sure, miles of gravel roads past Bone are required to get there, but consider that these keep visits down and mean a better chance of solitude.

Small Streams, September 7th, 2023

In Teton Basin

It is a beautiful time of the year to fish some of our smaller streams. The Teton River in the basin is one that offers more than just great fly fishing. Scenery, increasing tranquility and the chance to see wildlife in all forms are reasons why. The same applies to the Blackfoot River above the reservoir where the river in the Blackfoot River Wildlife Management area gives an experience of fishing a classic meadow stream and one that is a stronghold for Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

Small Streams, August, 2024

Lower Teton River

The Teton River rates as our best small stream for fishing from a boat or a flotation device. The river in the basin comes to mind first for hard sided boats and flotation devices, but it can be “loved to death.” .Flotation devices, large and small, are best for float fishing through the canyon, but on leaving the canyon, hard sided boats revive as a good choice These can be launched from a number of locations from Spring Hollow, the Teton Dam site and the Hog Hollow bridge site on down. With the fall mayfly emergence peak coming (BWO, mahogany dun, speckled dun, remaining tricos) and great bank side terrestrial insect populations and much fewer anglers than the larger rivers, the Teton River is a local fly fishing treasure.

Small Streams, August 13th, 2024

With the afternoon green drake emergence, bankside terrestrial insects and PM caddis makes Big Elk Creek a top water fishing treasure. Kokanee are moving in from the reservoir to spawn, but they do not impact the great top water fishing.

 The Teton River in the basin is another stream at the top of its fishing game with PMD, sallies, golden stones and a variety of bankside terrestrial insects being active. Mornings are best time to fish as fishing and recreational boats and wading angler traffic increases as mid-day approaches. Teton Basin hosts frequent thunder showers this time of the year. If you try to shelter in a willow thicket while one passes, you may be sharing that thicket with a moose. Be careful!

Flies to fish:

• Film Critic-Green Drake
• Corn Fed Caddis-Peacock
• Hi Vis Black Foam Beetle

Small Streams, August 10th, 2004

Grey’s River

Just east of Alpine Wyoming lies one of the most beautiful rivers in the area. This is the Grey’s River which runs almost totally through Bridger-Teton National Forest. Snake River fine spotted cutthroat make up the major salmonid population with some brown trout in its lower reach where bait fishers, kayakers and other boaters predominate. The Murphy Creek bridge, just below the Murphy Creek confluence, see the above photo, is where the non motorized and fly fishing only portion of the river begins and continues on upstream. It is a riffle and run stream with forested and meadow reaches and with an early season run-off load, but is now down to base level with cool, clear water. Thunder showers can muddy it once in a while. Stoneflies and caddis flies are the major aquatic insects with some afternoon emerging PMDs and late season BWOs. The Grey’s River Road parallels the river nearly its entire length making for easy access.

Flies to fish:

• Dornan’s Micro Egg Sacker
• Willie’s Ant
• Sparkle Dun-PMD

Small Streams, August 8th, 2024

Afternoon western green drake emergence makes Big Elk Creek worth a try. Kokanee are staging in Elk Creek bay. On almost all other small streams terrestrial insect and traditional dry patterns (think renegades, humpys, Wulffs) are working after mid-morning with caddis coming on during afternoons. Some small streams ( i.e. Teton and Blackfoot Rivers) will have trico emergences.

Flies to fish:

• DJL Green Drake
• Slum Hopper Brown
• CDC Trico Spinner