We can now answer questions on when our 2016-2017 Saturday fly tying demos will begin. The first demo will be held Saturday, November 26th. Demos will continue each Saturday through the middle of March, 2017. As in the past, demos begin at 10 AM and extend to around 1 PM. We are contacting tiers to work out a schedule which we will begin posting and updating here within a few weeks.
Rod & Reel Found at a South Boat Ramp: Redington 8-weight with reel.
Contact Jim Wyatt 208-589-8927. Describe reel and rod models and any other characteristics.
A big story this spring in Franklin County has been the threat to close access to lakes because of the concern of invasive mussels. The situation seems to be constantly evolving, but here is the most current information as we have heard it. The whole situation is very confusing, so interpret this information as you wish, hopefully things are clarified here shortly.
All Franklin County Reservoirs: No ballast compartment boats allowed (wake board boats)
Twin Lakes : $5 launching fee, all watercraft using Twin Lakes must have been recently inspected by an inspection station operated by and for the ISDA and have in its possession written certification. You have to stop at Twin Lakes e to show this.
Glendale Reservoir: The barricades will be open tomorrow May 15 at 7:00 a.m. A verification checkpoint will be staffed 7 days a week from 7 am to 7 pm The cost for verification per watercraft will be $10.00 for Franklin county residents and $20.00 for out of county. The license plate of the tow vehicle and driver license will prove residency. No cash accepted just debit/credit cards and local checks.
The verification staff will be asking for proof of a ISDA inspection form/passbook for any watercraft that has left the county AND a 2016 invasive sticker attached to vessel or Idaho boat registration. The ISDA form must then be displayed on the dashboard of tow vehicle. County residents need to visit the ISDA station within 5 days of launching or have an ISDA trailer/boat orange tag.
ISDA stations are open all daylight hours. One is located at Highway 91 in Franklin City. Others at state line roads throughout Idaho.”
These are the two main lakes we have heard information about. You can safely assume that all lakes owned by the Twin Lakes Canal company will have these regulations in place.As of this writing, nothing has been posted or made known to us about Treasureton Reservoir.
Speaking of Treasureton…… For those who fish Treasureton, this is a big year for the lake. For several years the Fish and Game has been monitoring the situation at the lake with illegally introduced Largemouth Bass. There is talk of poisoning the reservoir this fall and starting over. We have been talking to biologist Dave Teuscher about this and have mixed feelings. Here is a message from Dave regarding the situation;
“We have been considering a treatment since bass were illegally introduced about 10 years ago. As you know, we have many bass fisheries in Franklin County and Treasureton Reservoir is managed as a trophy trout water. I am preparing a data summary for the reservoir that shows the changes that have occurred in the fishery and what actions IDFG has completed to limit bass expansion (e.g., no harvest or size limit on bass and moving bass from Treasureton to other bass fisheries).
We plan to have that summary done in the next week or so. Please check back with me for a copy.
Prior to making a final decision, we will hold a meeting in Preston to discuss options. I will also be trying to meet with the irrigation company to get their input. The irrigation company has been excellent to work with and very supportive of the fishery.”
We will be sure to update conditions as they progress, as well as when this meeting will take place. Dropping an email to the Idaho Fish and Game would be a great way to voice your opinion as well.
2016 Yellowstone Park Fishing Licenses are in the shop. Fishing season there opens Memorial Day weekend, so there is plenty of time to come in & pick up yours!
Not much of winter is left, meaning fly-fishers are getting out to shake off cabin fever. For sure access is currently limited because of remaining snow and ice, but each day a bit more opens. Another sign of the times is the shop receives increasing calls and emails asking for access information and ” where to find action.” Therefore we are beginning our fishing reports to answer increasing inquiries. We begin with information on the Henry’s Fork, the South Fork, and the main stem Snake River. When access becomes practical to other waters we will post such information here. So keep our fishing report in mind because it will offer increasing information on access and fish activity.
Jimmy’s will be open on the 4th from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for anyone who needs some advice, flies, licenses, or even some new fishing gear.
Our icon rivers are in great shape and offering good to outstanding fishing. Because of those great conditions, they are crowded with eager fly-fishers. If you are looking for a fishing location offering a greater chance of solitude, go to the Articles section on our web site. There you will see numerous alternative candidates. If any attract your interest, get in touch with us so we can supply up to date details on conditions.
We are excited to host a two-handed rod class with instructors Mike McCune and Whitney Gould. Both are well known in the two-handed world and will be in Idaho Falls in mid May to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for this style of casting.
The class is directed at the beginning to intermediate level caster. It will cover a variety of casts, line tapers, and familiarize you with a lot of the two-handed rod terminology. Mike and Whitney will teach you which cast is best based on wind direction, casting room, and which side of the river you are fishing from.
We recommend bringing your own tackle, however tackle will be available for anyone not having a two-handed outfit. We’ll be in the water (shallow wading), so hip or chest waders are needed.
There are two dates to choose from: Saturday, May 9th and Sunday, May 10th. Both classes start at 9 AM and continue into the afternoon with a break for lunch. Class location, TBD, is on the Snake River near Idaho Falls. Class size is limited to 6 casters to ensure as much individual instruction as possible from Mike and Whitney.
Class fee is $200.00 per student and includes lunch. Please call the shop (208-524-7160) to reserve a space, for more information, or if you have any questions.
On Tuesday, 3/17 Chad Hill lost a white, 12 ft Don Hill drift boat with 2 Sawyer oars inside. It fell off his trailer somewhere on US Highway 20 between Teton and Highway 33. Please keep your eyes open for this. If you have any info on this boat, contact Chad at 208-351-7036.
As many of you know, we have been remodeling for the past few weeks here in the shop. Well, we are finally finished! The shop is looking great and just in time for our weekly fly tying demonstrations. We had Gary Barnes tie in the shop last week and this week Greg Messel will be tying for us. Greg will also have a knot tying workshop at the end of his tying demo that is free and available for anyone who wants to participate. This will be a great chance to polish your knot tying skills, you may even learn a new knot or two. The demo will start at 10 A.M. and go into the afternoon. We hope to see you all there!
Gregg received a Lee Wulff Garcia fiberglass fly rod on his tenth birthday. It’s still in his rod collection. He grew up fishing for panfish and bass in Indiana while dreaming of trout fishing in the West. He caught his first trout at age 16 in Rocky Mountain National Park. He was hooked! He began tying flies in 1972 for catching Missouri hatchery trout while attending college. The same year he obtained a copy of Garcia’s fishing annual and began dreaming of fishing Montana rivers featured in that magazine. In 1973 he was off to Montana to sight see and fly fish. Now hooked even more deeply, he vowed to retire there, and meanwhile increased his fly fishing experience by fishing around our great country and in Europe. His vow came true when he settled in Three Forks in 1990. His flies are easy to tie and effective. He titles his demo “Fun with Foam.” So bring your notebooks and questions and enjoy Gregg’s first demo at Jimmy’s. But that’s not all Gregg will do at Jimmy’s on Saturday, December 6th.