The Johnny Boyd Memorial Carp Classic Tournament.
The Johnny Boyd Memorial Carp Classic Tournament on Blackfoot River Reservoir is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, June 7th and 8th.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events, May 24th, 2024
Island Park Reservoir
This weekend begins the unofficial beginning of the recreation season. It;s tough to say the beginning of summer with snow happening in Island Park, Teton Valley, and other high country places! Nevertheless, it is time to get rid of cabin fever, so let’s take a look at places for doing so that are adjacent to great places to fish.
First, and likely most popular, is the Island Park area. The Ashton Ranger District Ranger Office relates that all developed campgrounds are open excepting Cave Falls and Big Springs will be open. Such popular ones including Buffalo River, Coffee Pot (upper), McRea Bridge, Riverside, and Warm River will be well populated but are right on great fishing water. Beware that cold weather will be had in each, so have the means to stay warm and dry.
In Teton Basin, all streams are high and discolored with run-off. On Henry’s Lake, the State Park and Bill Fromm County Boat Dock and Campground will be open, But for most of the weekend, the lake will be at its most dangerous because of high winds, likely snow showers, and cold air temperatures.
The Palisades District Ranger Station reports that the Calamity Boat Dock and Campground is closed because the Bear Creek Road coming to it is only temporary and not open to vehicles hauling trailers. An alternative is the Elk Creek Campground which includes a boat dock and well maintained campsites. Elk Creek is high with runoff, but fishing in Elk Creek Arm of the reservoir can be productive. Venture your boat beyond the discolored water coming in from the creek to find fishing action using leech, woolly bugger and streamer patterns. The campgrounds (Blowout, McCoy Creek) along the shoreline of Palisades Reservoir have boat docks that can be used to access creek mouths were some fishing can be found. Even though flow in the South Fork has been constant for several days, better fishing conditions are on the horizon. Try streamer, woolly bugger and rubber leg patterns if you wish to give it a try.
The Forest Service and Bureau of Land management ask that travelers stay off back country roads until they dry out to easily passable shape. The condition of such roads can be determined by contacting respective offices of each agency. These agencies also request that visitors be ” Bear Aware”‘ when visiting anywhere on their land.
Upcoming Events, May 18th, 2024
The Johnny Boyd Memorial Carp Classic Tournament on Blackfoot River Reservoir is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, June 7th and 8th. We will post more information on this event as it approaches closer.
Upcoming Events, May 4th, 2024
The road through Bone to Blackfoot River Reservoir has been opened for travel. We mention this because the annual carp tournament on the reservoir will take place soon. More information will be posted here later.
Saturday, March 9th Fly Tying Demo Features Scott Sanchez
A One Fly Vet
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. 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. During the upcoming demo he will offer parachute style patterns fr fresh and salt water. Some of these will be intricate, and others will be “ standard.” This demo will be a great chance to add to your parachute style tying skill..
Saturday, March 2nd Tying Demo Features Spencer Higa
Spencer and Friend
Spencer grew up in Orem, Utah where he loves spending time outdoors fishing and camping with his family.
His dad bought him his first fly rod when he was 12. He grew up just minutes away from the Provo River. Before he could drive his mom and dad would take him to the river and let him fish all day long. When he was 14 his dad enrolled him in a fly tying course that enhanced his addiction. In 1996 he began guiding at Falcon’s Ledge, an Orvis endorsed lodge in Utah. While guiding on the Provo River and other areas of the state he created the SOS. He fished the fly all over the west before Fulling Mill picked it up over a decade ago. It’s been a top producing fly for many years. After guiding for 22 yrs he started Tacky Fly Boxes with a few of his friends. He was the Marketing Director and helped the company grow to become one of the top selling fly boxes in the industry. After selling the company he took a short break from the fly fishing industry then got hired on at Fly Fish Food in 2022 where he works in the shop a couple days a week then films and edits videos for YouTube and other social media. Years ago Spencer demoed at Jimmy’s All Seasons Angler in year 2012. SOS was one of the patterns he offered. It remains popular enough for a repeat, so for his demo he is likely to tie it and bring a few, as well as others he creates, in a Tacky Box!
Saturday, February 24th Fly Tying Demo Features Andrea Jeffreys
Andrea Enjoying a Nice Fish
Andrea, born in Sacramento, California in 1989 was raised to love outdoor adventures. In a few years her family moved to Utah, and she fell in love with fly fishing. It began through her dad, Scott Harmon, bribing her and siblings to watch any & all fly fishing videos. After many hours of SA dvds, dad Scott took them to the river and offered twenty dollars for the first, biggest and most trout caught. Andrea won that contest by outfishing her siblings to the extent they no longer held an interest in fishing. In 2007 after graduating high school Andrea asked to attend a guide school in Montana to pursue her fly fishing passion. Andrea’s dad agreed on the condition he also would attend, and here Andrea was introduced to fly tying. Trout Bum 2 in Park City, Utah gave Andrea her first chance in the industry. In 2014 she was offered an exclusive guiding opportunity in Francis, Utah. A couple of the guides there introduced her to pursuing steelhead on a swung fly. With the help, experience & patience of her friends & mentors she landed, in 2015, her first steelhead using a Blue Sparcy tied by Aaron Adams. That event inspired her to take to the vice to create steelhead patterns in hopes to entice the next connection. Emery, Andrea’s oldest son landed his first steelhead in 2020 swinging one of his mom’s ties during a mom and son camping trip. You’ll find Andrea, her three kids and black lab Juniper out camping, biking, and fishing creations tied up for Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, or Oregon waters. Andrea currently guides around Park City on local rivers and seasonal small streams. These guide services include Stonybrook Fly Fishing, Rocky Mountain Outfitters, Park City Guides. During her demo, Andrea will offer her patterns that have produced well on these waters.
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.