Small Streams 8-01-2011

The choice of great small streams in eastern Idaho to fish now is almost endless. Right now it doesn’t matter which major drainage you wish to visit, the tribs will offer great fishing and a great chance for solitude.   Here is a great trib in the South Fork drainage—Palisades Creek. It’s off  US Highway26 about halfway between the town of Swan Valley and Palisades Dam. Park at the campground, and walk up the well-maintained trail as far as time permits. It’s a riffle and run stream hosting mostly cutthroat with a few cutbow hybrids with lots of water adjacent to the trail. Trout here range up to eighteen inches, and are they great fun in the fast water. This time of the season a dry caddis pattern, terrestrial patterns, and standard attractors will get you action. If you can, walk the five and a half  miles up to the creek just above lower Palisades Lake. Here the gradient is slower as the stream flows through a brushy meadow.  There are more of the larger fish here than below the lake.  Next report we will feature another great small stream to consider.