Day 0:
My flight to Boise was scheduled to depart at 7:30 AM on Wednesday, Aug. 11 2021, however, we didn’t end up taking off until 8:30 AM. I made it to my connecting flight in O’Hare just in time, but my checked luggage (including my fishing gear) didn’t make it. I arrived in Boise around 12 pm and set off for Ketchum (which is about a 2.5 hr drive from the Boise airport).
I made it to my Airbnb (150 Wood River Drive) around 3 pm, just as the cleaner was finishing up. I walked into town to buy food and the supplies I was missing due to my checked luggage being delayed. I stopped at Atkinson’s Market (it was a very short walk into town, likely <1 mile). Once I got back to my Airbnb, I took a stroll along the Big Wood River (which was practically at the doorstep of my Airbnb). I saw a few fish (including a rainbow with a nice red slash) in the gin clear water.
Day 1:
The next day I awoke to no bags still; they didn’t end up being delivered to me until around 2 pm. I checked out Silver Creek Outfitters in town, which has an awesome staff who are super friendly and knowledgeable. They provided me with recommendations on water to fish and some access maps.
I made my way back to the Airbnb and eventually received my bags. I set up my gear and hit the Big Wood River. I fished from the footpath behind my Airbnb upstream to where a feeder (Warm Springs Creek) converges. There are some decent pockets on this stretch of the river. I didn’t observe many fish rising and pulled three likely stocked rainbows between 8-11 inches on a T-bone special (a flashy white streamer) using an 8 lb fluoro leader to 4 lb fluoro tippet. I fished from 4-6 pm and swung a T-bone special the whole time.
Day 2:
On Friday, I awoke around 4:45 am and set out around 6:00 am for the Salmon River. I arrived around 7 am to access the river at a bridge near Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve. I fished from the bridge to about 0.5 miles downstream. Fishing wasn’t great, I ended up pulling a couple rainbows on a T-bone special. There is a nice hole at a confluence with a feeder (Alturas Lake Creek) where some fish were rising and a nice run maybe a quarter mile downstream. I noticed the water was pretty flat thereafter, so I left for access farther downstream.
I put back in at the bridge crossing near Chocolate Gulch Rd (or Rd 22?). There are a few great areas of water between the bridge and run just downstream of the confluence with Redfish Lake Creek. There is a hole/run a little downstream of the bridge where the river re-converges around an island that fished very well, I caught my first cutthroat there and missed some nice chasers (likely cutthroat). I then unintentionally hooked a salmon on a T-bone special in the area near Redfish Lake Creek confluence that broke me off. I caught a small bull trout at the confluence with Redfish Creek as well on a black wooly bugger. I swung streamers the whole time. When fishing the Salmon River, watch out for salmon. People at the fly shop say there aren’t any salmon there but there are somehow.
Day 3:
On Saturday, I awoke around 7 am to fish the Silver Creek Preserve. Fishing hours at the preserve were 9 am to sunset due to the relatively poor but improving water conditions, so I arrived around 9 am (the preserve is about an hour drive from Ketchum). I entered through the west side of the preserve, parked at the first pull off on left side of road (at a trailhead near Sullivan Lake), picked up a map provided at the trailhead kiosk, walked in and kept left on the trail to FA (fishing access) 26 maybe. I walked in to find big fish and gin-clear water that was flatter than glass, a dry fly fisherman’s paradise.
I knew I was screwed upon arrival; this creek is a streamer junkie’s worst nightmare (at least at this time of year). I couldn’t connect with any fish I managed to coerce into chasing my streamer (I missed a little one and had some bigger rainbows chase) so I continued wading downstream and it was horrible. Deep mud (like knee-deep), dense cover, and lots of bugs made the going very slow. In hindsight, I probably should have popped in and out via the fishing access (FA) points instead of wading the stream.
I found a nice run right behind a brown house near a little fork/island, likely between FA 26 and 25, and missed some chasers there. I popped out right before private property and walked the trail to the next FA point. I found a nice run on a bend just upstream of FA22 and again missed some chasers.
I walked downstream but found several people, so I walked back to a little upstream of the run near FA 26/25. I hid behind some trees and snuck my wooly bugger near a bank pocket. A big brown (likely pushing 20”) chomped and spat. I was heartbroken, but it probably would have broken me off in the grass anyway. I saw a moose and its baby and got scared and left. A guy I passed while walking out was talking up the trico hatch that supposedly happened in the morning. I swung a T-bone special or a black wooly bugger pretty much the whole time.
Day 4:
I awoke around 5 am and set out around 6 am for the East Fork of the Big Lost River near Wild Horse Creek Ranch. I arrived around 7 am to find great streamer water. The mega holes right when you walk in and even some deeper runs are amenable for using a sink tip, which I tried for a bit. A couple pools are likely 8+ ft deep. Unfortunately, I wasted more time than I should have at the tourist trap/mega holes; I missed a few fish there but definitely should have spent more time on the great water both upstream and downstream of access. Accessing the stream requires a bit of cliff climbing.
I swung streamers the entire time, either a T-bone special or a black wooly bugger, making sure to fish all available pockets and rock edges. I didn’t see a ton of fish rising, even in the morning. I did very well from about 7 am – 12 pm with cutthroat and rainbows, including a large (14+ inch) cutthroat; the action tapered off toward late morning. This was probably my favorite place of the trip.
I fished the Big Wood River near my Airbnb that evening from around 4-6 pm. I walked downstream and found great water. I got a few nips but didn’t land any fish.
Day 5:
I awoke around 5 am and set out to fish Rainbow Lake near Bull Trout Lake Road. The Idaho Fish and Game website listed grayling as being stocked here about every four years over the past decade+ (last stocking listed was 2017). I hiked through the woods to find a completely dry lake. The streambed was also dry but there was running water nearby. It may be possible that something (i.e. fallen tree) obstructed the flow feeding the lake, redirected it, and the lake dried up.
Disheartened, I hit the Salmon River afterward. It was pretty much the same story as day 2, except I ventured upstream of the bridge as well as downstream. I found some very nice runs upstream of bridge along a cut bank and pulled several nice sized stocked rainbows from various locations. I didn’t walk farther down than Redfish Lake Creek confluence or farther up than the big sweeping cut bank run upstream of bridge.
I got back to my Airbnb around 3 pm and fished the Big Wood in the evening. This time I walked upstream and managed a couple nips but no fish landed. Maybe the flow dropped? Who knows.
Day 6:
I checked out of my Airbnb around 10 am and made my way toward Boise. I planned to fish the South Fork of the Boise River downstream of Anderson Reservoir. I parked at a turnout near a mega hole where the river re-converges around an island. The South Fork of the Boise is pretty big water, a lot of good structure, some of which is inaccessible without crossing the river. I found some kokanee in the mega hole; they chased my T-bone special all day long but it was difficult to get them to take. They did not respond well to other flies (black wooly bugger, larger streamer without flash, egg pattern, etc).
I did some exploring up and downstream of the mega hole, but nothing really stood out from the rest. I missed a big chaser rainbow who came out from the rocky shoreline because I was being a lazy shithead and ripped my fly out of the water too quickly. Wading along the shoreline is pretty slow going and one needs to be careful because of the swift current. The area of very scenic and undoubtedly holds some big fish.
Day 7:
I caught my flight out of Boise at 12 pm and made it back to Buffalo on time around 8:30 pm. I rate my fishing trip to Idaho at an 11/10.
