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Here is the story, I will be in IF the week of 3/15 and would love to fish the S. Fork with anyone that would want to get out for a evening wade. I know conditions might not be primo but if you want to head out, let me know.
Monday afternoon and friday morning work best.
I might be able to pull off taking off friday morning for a "prospect meeting". PM me your number. Depending on the weather it could be pretty good. WTF are you doing for a week in I.F. ? :eek:
Working at the INL tuesday - thursday on a new project at work. turns out I will be coming out to IF on a monthly basis over the next year. PM sent.
The INL is an interesting place.
One of your visits you should head towards the Wood and Lost over in the Sun Valley direction. INL is outside of IF and sorta on the way. You outta plan on staying through a weekend or two to get proper time on the water, if you can.
Sent you a PM with my number.
I hear there's some sort of famous desert spring creek or sumthin' over there too....:fmicon:
Seriously tho', L8APX, the S.Fork is better as a boat accessed river than for wading, even at low flows. The Henry's and Silver Creek have some of the best combinations of wade access, amazing hatches and fish in size and numbers. For a visiting angler without a boat, I would recommend you concentrate your wading efforts on those waters especially once the S.Fork rises. For a truly awesome day trip, hire a raft/guide to do either the Teton River Canyon or Bear Gulch Canyon on the Henry's. Pretty much the fly fishing equivalent of heliskiing at less than 1/2 the cost.
Neckdeep FTW. For S-Fork you need a Clacka.
If you get a chance later in the fall, get over to Teton Valley and fish the Teton River too.
I actually like wading the SF in the spring and fall and have had great success on occasion. High flows or even flows above winter levels render it useless to Wade fishing. No doubt that the Henry's might be a better option sometimes but the lower SF can really make for an excellent day of walking if you get to the right access points. That being said, I float that river prolly 8 outta 10 days I'm on it....usually hit up a few hours once in the spring and then again in the fall.
There are a bunch of spring creeks in the IF/Poci area outside of that famous one over by Hailey. Hope I don't get shot For this but look at Reservation maps and regs...they will show you the light.
L8 - we can float too, if time permits.
I like wading the SF higher up near swan. Things have got very crazy for me before up that way.
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...1/IMG_0608.jpg
From 2006 summer when I lived in IF. As far as all or most of those names mentioned here - they all suck ;)
I would rather carp in tennsesse with some banjo playing MF's than waste time on those cricks.
I dislike wading the S.Fork because it is hard to cover a lot of water that way. 1500 cfs on the SF and HF yields such radically different wading scenarios what with the SF's comparatively huge channel volume even at "low" flow. Plus all those side channel pools to circumnavigate by foot....I'll conclude by saying its the river that motivated me and a thousand other locals to buy a boat of some kind..;)
TN ? I grew up in Nashville and learned to fish mostly on the Caney Fork/Center Hill system but I'm guessing you were carping near Oak Ridge.
I fly in monday at 1:00 pm and plan on grabbing a car and driving to some water. couple questions
what does the flow look like on the SF?
what time is it getting dark these days?
Schwerty, I'll try and call this weekend to see if you can make it over for monday.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/uv...cd=00065,00060 ----Link for the flows out of the dam.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/uv...cd=00065,00060 --- Link for flows around Heise.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/current/?type=flow -- Idaho streamflow page
As you can see, flows have been dropping. Good wading level. Hope they keep it where it is.
thanks man. 900 = can get to my spot.
Bumping this old thread.
I'm planning on spending a day or two in East Idaho at the end of this month during a road trip. My route for this leg is Boise to Lander, WY, but I don't mind doing some side trips. No boat this time. What looks good for some bank/wade fishing this time of year? Worth noting I'm a *novice* fly fisherman.
The flows on the South Fork, (the meat of this thread), have started to come up outta the dam. By the end of the month I'd bet it will be well higher than you want to wade in. It's about there now!Quote:
Originally Posted by McCorduroy
There will likely be some areas of the Henry's fork that will be fishing as well as the Warm river.
If you come through JH, there is a chance the Snake might still be low enough for wading but if warm weather prevails, the water will be dirty and the flows outta the dam might be up by them too.
Keep an eye open on the regional flows. If things go back to winter, which often happens, it could be while before things around here start rising to the level of raging, chocolate milk. You're best bet is likely to fish the Wind river in btwn riverton and thermoplois. Some good wade spots on the Big horn, (basically the same river as the Wind), too but it gets a little more difficult as far as good water and access go.
Thanks, schwerty. Sounds like I'll probably be hitting the Bighorn later in the week with some friends.
Lower Henry's, either along fisherman's drive above Ashton or below Ashton between Vernon Bridge and St. Anthony. Mother's Day caddis usually hatch around then along with #14-18 BWOs and #10-12 march browns. Expect some company, water will probably be too high and off color everywhere else. The Henry's isn't totally immune to runoff, for that matter, but runoff doesn't last long on the Hank. As mentioned, the Warm River, if you want to wade something small with a 4wt. I've seen the Warm unfishably high and muddy only once. That happened during the climax of rainiest May week since records were kept in east Idaho so, usually, not a problem. Because of the IP caldera's geology, suprisingly little runoff flows directly into the Warm. I will note, though, that it has been taking a real beating from meatheads since the fall and spring spawning closures were lifted. It does not have nearly as many 15-18" fish as it did a few years ago but its still got lots of 8-14"ers. Once in a blue moon, you'll get a monster that wandered away from the feeding station in the closed section at Three Rivers Ranch. The Warm is very much a "novice" river and it is also the western edge of prime grizzly bear country. No fuckin way I'd be up there in the spring without a can of bear spray hanging from the sternum strap of my pack.Quote:
Originally Posted by McCorduroy
Great info. Thanks!