Every year, along about the time we are polishing off the remains of the 4th of July picnic my thoughts turn to Kelly Creek Idaho. A quick check of the forest service web site tells me if the road over Hoodoo pass is clear of winter snows and if it is I religously watch the river flows. When the readings at the Canyon ranger station fall below 2000 cfs I know it is time. The trailer is packed and the fishing gear is checked over one more time.
Kelly Creek is no secret and it attracts more and more people every year. The only thing that saves it is its remoteness. No matter whether you approach from the Montana side or the Idaho side, there will be 50 miles of forest service gravel roads to travel. Don’t forget anything. There are no fly shops, gas stations, or groceries except at the ends of those gravel roads. Is it worth it? Oh Yeah!
I have just returned from a week chasing the cutthroats and thought I would share a few pictures. Fish are plentiful and although cutt’s have a reputation of being easy, don’t count on it. This is C & R water and the fish are shall we say cautious. However, if the light is right, your fly is acceptable, and you have nerves of steel, you may just experience watching a 16" cutt slowly rise from the depths of the crystal clear water and calmly sip a small dry from the surface. All it takes is once and you will be back every year, Like me. Still, Kelly Creek is about much more than fishing. Just being there will rejuvenate the soul.
Shaky,
I’m fortunate to have fished Kelly Creek on many occasions. It was a favorite spot for a friend of mine who passed away this past February. Your photos bring back very fond memories. Best Regards…
Holy Smoke! What a place, what a fish and what a report! Thanks for sharing. I live over in eastern Idaho and have never heard of Kelly Creek, although it appears someone must have named it after me…
It is for sure on my list of places to visit in the near future this Summer.
Thanks for the report and great pics.
I was there for a week and fished about 8 hours a day. Going out in the morning, back to camp for lunch and a siesta, then again in the evening until it was too dark to thread a leader. Most days resulted in about 25 fish but a couple were much tougher.
This is a wild fishery and all age classes of fish are well represented. You can catch all of the 6 - 10" fish you care to but the bigger ones are more fun if you target them. My best on this trip was a 16 incher that made the reel sing and put a very fine bend in my new 4 wt. bamboo that I finished this spring. What a joy.
THIS IS A PRETTY TYPICAL SECTION OF WATER
I COULDN’T RESIST THIS PHOTO
ANOTHER POOL THAT HAS YIELDED SOME FINE FISH
THE PAINT BRUSH IS IN FULL GLORY
IN THE EVENINGS WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OFF THE WATER, THE FLATS AND TAILOUTS CAN BE MAGIC.
I hope all of you get the chance to fish Kelly Creek someday. Be careful though. It can capture your heart and mind.
The next time you go down there, don’t miss Cayuse Creek. You can access it off of Forest Road 581. There’s a fair amount of hiking involved, but it is well worth the effort. There IS a short stretch of the creek right along the road, maybe 1.5-2 miles, but most of it is hiking…Best Regards…
Kelly,
The easiest way in there is to go south out of Superior, MT. You take the Forest Service road up over the pass and come in along the North Fork of the Clearwater…Best Regards…
Joel, it has been a few years but I used to camp at the airstrip where 581 crosses Cayuse and fish two or three miles up and down stream. I love it there too.
I have always kind of wanted to do the loop, Hike down Cayuse to Kelly and then back down Kelly to the bridge. It always seemed that that would require more hiking than fishing or I would never get to the other end. Sounds like something John Scott would love.
You might just be right about that. How long a hike would you estimate it to be, with what kind of elevation gain and loss ?? Maybe we can get together a party ?? I’m already commited to exploring Kelly Creek, as you know from my last PM, and this might be a good start on it.
Thanks for the great pics,
I have had the pleasure of 2 very memorable fishing trips, Stayed at Kelly forks, Cpgd what a wonderful place the fishing was good both times, I have wanted to make a return trip this makes it even more of a pull to go back!!!
On the topo maps that I use, the change in elevation is minimal. The total distance that Shaky is talking about in following Cayuse Creek to Kelly Creek, and then back to the bridge is probably about 12-13 miles of hiking. It’s an all day walk with fishing time included. Best Regards…
Thanks much for the information on the “hike.” I was looking at topos for that area but I don’t have any experience on the ground up there so interpretting the topos is pretty iffy.
Unless there is a trail, it sounds like a doable hike on a long summer day but without much time for fishing, if you are having to make your way in or along the creeks and bushwack a good part of the time ?? With a decent trail most or all of the way, there should be a fair amount of time for fishing.
I guess a two day / one night backpack would be another option, and maybe a better one.
Next time I go up to Missoula, I will make some time to start checking Kelly and Cayuse Creeks out on the ground. The topos show a route in to Kelly Creek from US 12 about 12 miles west of Lolo Pass, but that looks like 45 miles or so of really rough conditions, to the confluence of the North Fork of the Clearwater and Kelly Creek. I take it that the road over the mountains from the Superior area is not quite so difficult ??
On my Forest Service map, from the 581 road down Cayuse to Kelly scales at 3.5 miles. From there down Kelly to the bridge is 4.0 Add maybe 40% for twists and turns and you end up with about 10 miles. There is a well worn trail along the North bank of Kelly that runs clear up into the headwaters so at least half has a good trail. The map also shows a trail along the West bank of Cayuse but I have never found it. If its there at all it is up on the hillsides and wouldn’t be much use if you wanted to fish Cayuse. I think this portion would have to be along the stream bank with a lot of rock hopping.
Also, if you have access to Google Earth on your computer, it gives you a good 3d topo view and the lay of the land. If you don’t, get it. It’s free from google.
As far as roads go, 250 from Superior is mostly good two lane gravel with a short section that is actually paved. The section that follows the N. F. of the Clearwater is good but narrow. Total distance Superior to the confluence of Kelly and the Clearwater is 53 miles.
I have been several miles up road 581 from Cayuse towards Lolo and it is much narrower with lots of winding around ridges. I suspect it would be much slower.
Shaky,
Your numbers and road reports are right on. You are also correct about the trails. The one along Kelly Creek is good and there isn’t one that I found on Cayuse. My trek down Cayuse was mostly in/along the water’s edge. Thanks.
