Dad and the Kid 2009

Fishing Fishing Reports
1

He just turned 22 years old today; my how time flies. I taught he and his brother to fish oh so many years ago. I built them new fly rods, taught them to cast, bought them both float tubes and we had some wonderful times together for several of those young years.

The younger brother lost interest in fishing altogether - it’s not for everyone. The older son would go occasionally, but he was a fair weather fisher and his interest dwindled.

As parents we have certain hopes and dreams, forgetting sometimes the divine trait of each person endowed with the power to make his or her own choices; thereby enjoying the fruits or suffering the consequences of those choices.

Choices were made, consequences meted out and parents hearts were broken for a time. Nevertheless, boys were slowly becoming men, and parents learned to understand more completely that they set the foundation, and, because it was a solid one, the future would hold good and exciting things in store. Sometimes parents forget that they were young once, and made some pretty questionable choices, yet here we are now and it appears that things worked out.

What does this have to do with a fishing report? My oldest son and I have finally bonded in a way I had hoped for much earlier in his life, but, after some poor choices, some tough consequences, and some real soul-searching, he has embraced fly fishing like I wish I had back in my youth. As a result we are spending more time together, and it is truly quality time. I guess one could say that any time spent together on a river is of the highest quality, but to revel in the day, the catch, the bite or no bite, but just to be together doing what we love, with whom we love has to be close to touching the divine.

With that introduction I would like to start a Fishing Report thread of our outings during this year. I realize the year is a quarter past, but the best is yet to come.

I’ll fill you in on some of our outings to this point - and they have already been numerous - and then contribute a regular posting after each outing of the coming season. I know this will take some effort, and I hope I am equal to the task, but I feel strongly the need to record this and to share it with my friends at FAOL, but more importantly to share it with my son as I record the things that matter most - being with those we love and sharing life together.

So, here goes …

Just last weekend, April 4, we spent the day on the Henry’s Fork at Vernon Bridge (between Ashton and St. Anthony, ID). The wind was blowing out of the north at gale force and the temperature was hovering around the freezing mark making the wind chill just about unbearable. Mike hooked and landed a tremendous Brown trout that measured exactly at 20-inches, the fish took a Brown Rubberlegs. We never landed another fish in our two hours at that spot.

(Mike’s 20-inch Brown):

We figured the fishing wasn’t going to improve anytime soon so I suggested we head downriver to the Chester Dam area and see how things looked. Following a short drive and some observation - mostly to see if there were too many anglers on the water - we decided to give things a try.

As we waded into some respectable water I started with a hookup, and the fun began (mostly for me, but Mikey hooked into a few himself). Soon we were both into very good fish at the same time. I netted mine and immediately swept the net over to pick up Michael’s fish - a great double!

We measured the fish (easy in the Measure Net) and found them both to be just a bit over nineteen inches long, with mine being just a bit heavier, but not much. Mine was a Hybrid cutt-bow, while Mike’s was a beautiful native Rainbow. Both caught on five-wt rods, floating lines and nymphing. Mike caught his fish on one of my Green Goblin flies (kind of a green beaded, chartreuse green ribbed Zebra Midge), and I caught mine on a size #16 copper bead-head Pheasant-tail nymph.


(The Kid’s big Bow):


(and Dad’s twin cutt-Bow):

We ended the day having caught numerous trout and a few whitefish, with the double being the highlight of the day. Both of us happy to reverse the bad luck we had experienced upriver earlier in the day.

Hope you all enjoy this thread. Let me know what you think.

Thanks, and tight lines.

Kelly

2

Yeh buddy, Those fish knew it was the boy’s birthday and wanted to sing to him. Nice photos and story. Jim

3

Nice photos and great narrative.

My boys are 21 and 18. They will both be home for Easter break on Thursday night. I’ve taken Friday off from work so the three of us can go fishing. I bought them each new waders and boots for Christmas and they don’t know it yet but I’ve filled a fly box each with wets and midges for this Friday. Rain, shine, snow, we’re going fishing. I’ll spend time with my two best friends then come home to momma for an afternoon meal. She’s planning on sending us off with a hearty pancake-eggs-bacon breakfast. I can hardly wait!

They are more die-hard than I am - so here we go, another season starts this Friday morning!

4

You are a very lucky man to be able to enjoy fishing like that and with someone you care that much about. I will be waiting for you next report it is some of the best reading I have done in a while. Although I have 4 daughters i can relate about the poor choices and the mistakes its very rewardi ng when they come back and realize you were trying to help them. Maturity showws its head in many ways. Enjoy while you can Nick

5

We are truly blessed - have a great time.

6

Thanks Nick.

7

As of the end of March the Big Lost River closed for it’s winter season, but we were able to make it out four days prior to closing. It was cold, the wind blew and the fishing was a bit off from normal, but three of us still were able to pick up 20 to 30 fish each.

This is my favorite water for fall and winter fishing as it has never failed to produce and never, ever disappoints. Bit of a drive from my home, but well worth every boring mile across the Arco desert.

Of all the places I’ve been, the Rainbow Trout that reside in this river are the most colorful I have ever encountered, and they are all wild fish. There is dry fly fishing, nymphing, and my favorite - sight fishing. We visited the river numerous times this past winter and always came away exhilarated.

A year ago this past March I started having hip pain and it has steadily increased over the last 13 months. One Dr. said I needed two new hips, another said not for another 20 years … Until I get it figured out I have attached myself to an adjustable wading staff for all of my outings, and I can’t believe what a difference it has made, as well as what a lifesaver it has been. For those of you a bit tentative about wading, I would recommend a good wading staff to bolster your confidence and get you back to some of the waters you may have slowly, over time, excluded yourself from.

I have fished many of my favorite waters this past winter and am thrilled that I am able to navigate them again. I am much slower than years gone by, but I still get there eventually.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the pics.


The Kid with a real “toothy” Bow:


A close up of those daggers:


Where we fish… Aren’t we the lucky ones!:


Dad with one also

It was a great seaon while it lasted, and we’re now looking forward to things ramping up on the South Fork and Henrys Fork. We have continued to receive water from above through March, and it appears, if things continue, to be a decent water year meaning some good, steady flows for fishing.

They started raising the South Fork flows a bit early, and they want to get to 7,000 cfs by April 15. This will slow the fishing a bit, but things will settle down and the fish will be back to regular feeding in designated runs very soon.

Tight Lines everybody.

8

Please keep them coming.

9

Thanks LF, will do.

10

That is what I call God’s country, keep the stories and the pic’s coming guys :smiley:

11

Kelly,
Your Reports are wonderful!
Doug:D

12

Kelly -

Much enjoying your reports and pics.

Look forward to future installments. Maybe I can pick up some tips on other places to explore and flies / techniques to use ??

John

13

Thanks, John, as are your own. It’s been a pretty good winter season, but I’m looking forward to Spring!

14

Only four months to go !!

15

Good one, but I’m absolutely certain you may be more right than not. Oh well…

16

The Kid made it out with some of his friends and floated a stretch of the South Fork of the Snake River. The powers that be have decided to ramp up water output to get to 7,000 cfs by April 15, so the river was quite off-colored, with a lot of debris. The guys put in at the Wolf Flats launch and floated to Byington with only one fish on a streamer between 9 guys and three boats.

The Kid and a few friends booked it upriver to the Swan Valley area and waded near the Rainey Creek inlet where they found fish stacked in a side channel of the Snake. They ended the day with some great fish, a lot of them, and more great stories to bring back to the old man. All of the fish were caught on either a Big Ugly rubberlegs, or a size #16 baetis mayfly nymph.

Here are some of the pics from that outing. We’re looking forward to an afternoon either on the South Fork or the Henry’s Fork this afternoon, so I’m sure to have more for this post later. Wish us luck!


Once again, where we fish - we’re not only lucky, but blessed to have so much so close:


Some of the fish - Cutt and a nice Bow:

Until next time…

Kelly.

17

Well, we made it out late Saturday as I had to work. We headed for the Chester Dam stretch on the lower Henrys Fork. There were six vehicles on the north side where we were and four on the south side. A bit discouraging, but that’s how it goes when you can’t get there any earlier.
We watched one fellow as he caught several, but he moved on and we didn’t get a chance to talk to him. We were able to move into our favorite runs and both hooked up on our first or second casts, but then it was nothing but nothing.
After about two hours we decided to regroup and head downriver. We walked down about half-a-mile and started working a good riffle where I immediately hooked up and the rest of a fantastic day fishing had just begun. We got into fish after fish and they were all in the 18-inch to 20-inch range. No brag, just fact, as we used our Measure Nets to confirm the facts. Two standouts were a Cutt-bow Hybrid the kid caught at 21-inches, and a Brown he caught right at dark that measured at exactly 20-inches (see pic).
The big fish were caught on a brown Rubberlegs and all others were on a cased caddis imitation. The weather was unsettled, but only a slight breeze bothered us. It was overcast and the midges were hatching en mass, with a few BWO’s popping here and there. We would have liked to fish a few dries on top, but not enough feeders to get us too excited.
I apologize for the quality of the pics as I left my camera home and had to use my Blackberry. Considering what I had to work with they still turned out reasonably well.
Anyway, hope you enjoy this installment. The weather is warming and we enjoyed water temps of 52 degrees and air temps up to 59 degrees. If this continues we should see some March Browns, Skwala stoneflies and maybe even some early season caddis start popping in the coming days and weeks. At the same time this means that runoff will start and the lower Fork will start getting off-color due to the Fall River entering just above the Chester Dam. When this happens we will usually focus our fishing on Vernon Bridge stretch upriver a couple of miles from Chester.
Well, have a great week!

Where we fish:


Who says there’s no gold at the end of a rainbow? All I know is there are some good Rainbows at the end of this rainbow!


Mike’s 20-inch Brown:


Dad even caught a nice one:

Once again, sorry for the photo quality, I’ll try to do better next time by taking my camera. Have a great week!

Kelly.

18

Forgot to show off the 21-inch Cutt-bow Hybrid Mike caught on our Chester trip Saturday. So here it is:

Now we’re done for this week.

19

All I can say is that it has been an absolutley incredible winter season…but…the best is yet to come!!!

20

Sorry for the delay in a current report, but it was a busy week with the East Idaho Fly Tying Expo last weekend. I met some of our FAOL members, but was unable to get any pics since I was tying both days. I met Ron and Vicki Eagle Elk, and Lew. I also got to meet Joni (FlyGoddess). It was a great event and well attended and supported. I spent some time with Jim Schollmeyer just prior to his tying session and tried to pick his brain for as much info as I could. Saw Jack Dennis and Bob Jacklin. Bob and I go way back to my days living in West Yellowstone, and it’s good to see him at this event each year. Bruce Staples (fly tying guru) and Gary Barnes (gbflytyer, and tying genius) were the organizers and co-chairs of the tyers for this years event and were able to secure tyers from all over this year. It was a great event and my hat’s off to Bruce and Gary for the fine job they did once again.

After tying in the morning on Saturday I was able to meet the kid (mgliss) and his buddy EZ (Ryan) on the Henrys Fork below Chester Dam. The water from Fall River which enters the Henrys Fork just upstream of the dam was running like chocolate milk, but it was only affecting the far side (south and east depending on which way the river turned in its course). We were fishing the north and west sides so the water was not yet affected by runoff.

I started fishing at the dam and hooked up and lost a good fish after cast #3. a few more casts and I was into a really good fish. After several strong runs (once into the backing) and hitting every spot in the river in front of me, I was able to bring a good fish to net. The Cutt-bow Hybrid measured spot on 20-inches in the Measure Net and he was solid. My best fish of the day. Caught him on a size #18 Brassie. The next few fish I caught were on my Green Gobblin’ fly (green metal bead, chartreuse wire rib, black thread body - similar to a Zebra Midge).

The kid and EZ didn’t catch any at the dam so we moved downstream where it turned off for me, but picked up for the Mike and Ryan.

In all it wasn’t a standout day, but we had a great time and the 20-incher made it worth it. The kid caught a 20-inch Brown in the lower stretches which was his best fish of the day. Picked it up on a size #16 Copper John.

Here’re a few pics, enjoy!


Dad’s 20-inch Cutt-bow:


Where we fish: This is Chester Dam on the Henrys Fork between Ashton and St. Anthony, ID


A great Bow by the kid::

We saw a lot of different bugs hatching. The water temps were in the low 50’s and the air temps were in the mid 60’s. We saw midges galore, Skwala stoneflies, and the air was full of Blue-winged Olives, but the fish were not feeding on the surface, so we were relegated to nymphing - not that I’m complaining.

Hope you enjoyed this edition. The kid and his buddies mountain biked into our favorite spring creek and I’ll have that report soon.

Tight lines all.

Kelly.