Because Idaho non-resident fishing licenses have ceased being issued until further notice, we have received some questions as to whether the same would happen with Montana non-resident fishing licenses. To date such has not happened, so Montana non-resident fishing licenses are still available at Jimmy’s.
This notice came into Jimmy’s this morning:
Nonresident licenses, permits, and tags sales temporarily suspended by F&G Commission.
At their April 4 meeting, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission adopted a rule that temporarily suspends the sale of several types of nonresident fishing and hunting licenses, tags, and permits. The action is effective immediately and lasts until the rule is repealed consistent with relevant state of Idaho public health orders.
The Commission found this rule-making supportive of the protection of public health consistent with the March 25 Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Order to Self-Isolate for the State of Idaho in response to COVID-19. https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/statewide-stay-home-order/
Fishing and hunting licenses, tags, and permits purchased by nonresidents prior to the April 4 Commission action are still valid for existing hunting, fishing, and trapping seasons, which remain in effect.
Nonresident hunting licenses along with currently available nonresident deer and elk tags are not included in the suspension. Nonresidents who purchase a 2020 hunting license may still apply for controlled hunts that will occur this fall.
The Commission action does not affect Idaho residents and there are no new limitations on resident purchase of licenses, tags, and permits or any changes to existing seasons.
Full story and more details: https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/nonresident-licenses-permits-and-tags-sales-temporarily-suspended-fg-commission
The last day of March, and most public agencies are now recommending that outdoor activities, fishing included, are safe to enjoy during these uncertain times because they enhance social distancing. Fly-fishers always prefer social distancing when on the water, and none of us likes to be within six feet of each other (excepting when boating), especially during casting actions! Also the further we separate from our fellow fly-fishers while on the water, the better the “one that got away” stories become! So getting out to the water can be a great and safe way the relieve the boredom of being cooped up.
With springtime advancing, more water is becoming approachable. The lower Henry’s Fork is losing stream-side ice and snow each day. BWOs, midges and the beginnings of March brown mayflies make for active top water fishing. Streamers and any pattern imitating a stonefly nymph bring action if you prefer to fish deeper. On the South Fork boat ramps are opening up, flow out of Palisades Dam has been near constant for about a week, midges remain active making fishing adjacent to riffles and runs productive, and streamers and fly patterns imitating a stonefly nymph can bring action. Nearby still waters such a Springfield Reservoir and Jim Moore Pond offer midge activity and nymphing for boating fly fishers. It is catch and release season on many streams, so consulting 2020 fishing regulations can reveal which can be fished now or when roads open up. Such as lower Fall and Warm Rivers, the main stem Snake River, Willow Creek (but not its tributaries), the Dry Beds, and the Big Lost River from Mackay Dam downstream are candidates. We can provide information on fishing all of these, and we welcome you to get in touch for information on any of these and other waters.
Governor Little’s confinement order is for good reason. Yes, “hunkering down” is trying, especially with springtime emerging. But for many fly-fishers there are activities that can help occupy these times. Fly tying, rod building, getting equipment cleaned and in shape for the upcoming season, all can help. As the chalk board at our front door says, we are open in the same manner as a restaurant offering take-out services. You can use our take out service in the following manner:
Call us, 208-524-7160, or 208-497-1356 (calling is more efficient than texting or email) with an order of what you wish to purchase. We will assemble that order and offer a time to come to our front door, 275 A Street, downtown Idaho Falls, for pick-up. OR we can deliver your order FREE OF CHARGE, Idaho Falls to Rexburg daily and to Pocatello weekly.
We will continue to offer fishing information. Get in touch with us and watch our web site fishing report for information on what is happening on area waters. Consider that going fishing gets you away from crowds.
A Utah native, Grant has guided rivers, lakes, and streams of the Uinta Mountains south slope for 15 years. He prefers the solitude and serenity of high elevation lakes for his own personal pursuits and sometimes takes his two kids, Stella, and Grant Yuriy (G2), or his wife, Holly, along. Spending his winter months in a “feather den”, he enjoys learning new techniques to broaden the fly tying skill set. When he’s not tying, he’s chasing exotic pheasants, upland game, or waterfowl on “feather ventures” across Utah and Southern Idaho. Grant considers himself extremely fortunate to have learned from some of the best tiers and mentors ever to have picked up a bobbin holder and thread. He also enjoys reading, writing, and arithmetic. Through using arithmetic he calculates that this will be his first fly tying demo at Jimmy’s.
Grant’s demo concludes our 2019-2020 Saturday fly tying demo season. We will begin our 2020-2021 fly tying demo season in November of this year. We look forward to presenting another array of accomplished fly tiers within it.
An engaging and gentle man, Randy is a fly-fishing and fly tying enthusiast. But looking deeper in the fly-fishing scene, he is world class at producing bass bugs. Just a glance at what he produces at the fly tying vise and then finishes with paints and resins backs this reputation up. Randy spent several man-hours building the display shown in the photo above. It is meant to collect and preserve a number of his creations. Since his move from California to Idaho, Randy has also become immersed in tying trout flies. A few of these occupy a place on this remarkable display that is now on display at Jimmy’s.
I work for the City of Pocatello in the “clean” Water Department. I fish for “fun”! I like to find different water and different species especially with my wife and daughter. I tie flies that are simple and catch fish, I love Stillwater, fishing the Snake (not American Falls), but really love a good creek! I started fly fishing because I got tired of putting worms on my wife’s hooks, naturally she always caught more fish than me! We fish primarily still water on pontoon boats or from our small boat, but enjoy a nice river or creek now & then. My wife bought me a fly tying kit for Christmas one year & just started tying flies. I find fly patterns off the Internet, demos, expos, & YouTube. Social media has also been a great source of reference for me & has helped me connect with some great local people. Some of the tiers that have influenced me along the way are Collin Carlson, “Wild” Bill Schiess, Shawn Bostic, Aileen Lane, the Fly Fish Food guys, & Gary Barnes. One of my fondest memories was catching my first fish on a fly I tied myself; now thinking back that must have been the dumbest fish ever! The flies I will be tying are a variety of my favorite flies, mostly used on still water, but some that I use on systems.
Tom was born in Fresno, CA in 1968. At age 12, he took his first fly tying class at the Royal Coachman Fly Shop in Fresno. That began more than 40 years of fly tying and fly fishing addiction. A week never passed without tying a fly for 30 Years.
Tom has fished, guided and tied flies for Trout and Steelhead in CA and Oregon, Trout, Char, Grayling, Salmon, Pike and Halibut in AK and Tarpon, Bonefish, Permit and Barracuda in the Cayman Islands. For the last four years Tom returned to the Trout Fishing I cut my teeth on. Now he fishes, guides and ties flies for the Madison River, Yellowstone Park, all area lakes and the Henry’s Fork, Teton and South Fork of the Snake River.
With the materials and innovations now in fly tying, our options as creators of natural, life-like Trout food designs are unlimited. Tom will be talking about fly design and how to effectively fish to bring life to your fly!
For my demo at Jimmy’s Tom will be tying “Trout Spey” flies. He I uses these flies with a “Micro Spey” rod. He will discuss and demonstrate how to use marabou, rabbit, hair, weight and other items to design and tie flies for specific purposes.
Scott Sanchez began tying flies at age 12. As a youth in Utah he offered his first of many fly tying workshops. He has worked in the fly fishing industry for decades, and is now the manager of JD High Country Outfitters in Jackson. He is also a member of the Scott Rods Pro Staff. Scott has written articles and sold photos internationally, and his photos have won regional and national awards. His books include Introduction to Salt Water Fly Tying, The Never Ending Stream, and A New Generation of Trout Flies. In 2007, he received the Arnold Gingrich Lifetime Achievement Award for literature from the Fly Fishers International and in 2010 he was their recipient of the Buz Busek award for contributions to the fly tying world. Scott has been a featured guide on national TV programs. He is considered one of the most innovative fly tiers in the world. During the annual Jackson Hole One Fly he is in high demand for his ultimately effective flies. He has decades of experience fishing around the world but especially in the Greater Yellowstone area. It has been nearly a decade since Scott’s last tying demo at Jimmy’s. At the upcoming demo he will likely offer new patterns he has created since that event.
Tom comes from the upper region of South Carolina. He is an electrical engineer at the INL where he has worked for 32 years. He has been blessed to fish some of the premier streams in the world. These include the Eglington, Brooks, Matura, Bow, and Naknek. However, the local rivers and lakes of Idaho and Montana offer some of the most fascinating opportunities. He will gladly share some of the simple patterns and techniques that have proven very effective for him and his wife, Susan. The audience can express interest in whether they would like to see an 8” articulated leach or a #24 baetis. Typically, Susan and Tom fish #16s to #24s on local waters.