The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

Last week the wife and I took a nice 15 hour drive to our home for the summer in Idaho. I will once again be guiding on the South Fork of the Snake in Swan Valley through the month of August. I am excited for all of the dry fly fishing that awaits in the next couple of weeks. But at this point in time the dry fly fishing is going to be a while. It is really wet and cold out here. It has been raining for the last week and we have been stuck doing some nymphing. Haven't done any of that before in California We have been able to pull a couple decent days of throwing streamers but as a guide I get nervous of big hooks flying over my head. Wednesday I took a size 2 out of my neck. Gotta love the dangers of being a guide. That hard hat is starting to sound better each day I am on the water.

Right now the word on the street is that the Salmon Fly Hatch is about a week and a half away. That means by the first week of July things are going to be on fire. So for those of you coming out to Southeast Idaho get excited for what is to come. For those of you heading to the freestones expect some muddy water. Most of the rivers around here are high and brown. The tailwaters are fine but everything is probably not going to be fishable until the first part of July.

I will be back in the middle of September to start guiding our home waters for the famous egg bites for trout and steelhead on the Sac, Yuba, and Feather.

RJSFLYTRIPS wrote:
That hard hat is starting to sound better each day I am on the water.

You need to get a Kevlar up-downer!


Buzz

I've floated from Irwin to the Hwy 26 Bridge for the past 20 plus years and done well whether the flow was 10,000 (or more in June) or 1,500 (or less in September) cfs with Size 2-6 Super Renagades (watch the look of revulsion on your client's faces when they use one...until they see those Cutts coming off the bottom like polaris missiles to take them ugly bugs as they sink). On one float in '85, a 4-5 pound Brown took a super renagade near the photo op spot at Fall Creek...on my buddy's rod while I was on the oars of his boat! When the water is high enough, I've done well in the back channels upstream of the Hwy 26 bridge with dries (PMDs, Baetis).

Do you do the multi-day float the canyon section below Ririe?

Paul

Here's an idea....
Teach people to cast off shoulder.

The Lodge that I work for does not offer the overnight trips. However we do fish the canyon all of the time. You start your drift at Conant (the South Fork Lodge) and then can take out at Cottonwood or Byington. Driving out of cottonwood can be a pain in the butt. Have to drive 15-20 miles of dirt road to get out of the middle canyon. But trying to do Conanat to Byington is a long ways you almost need a motor to cover these 24 miles. Anyone coming up here should know there are tons of shuttle services in the area. The shuttle from Conant to Cottonwood is about $55. While the shuttle to Byington is about $30. Two summers ago the canyon was on fire. Last year the upper was the best. We will have to wait and see what happens this summer.

Another great idea for you my friend. Give people a break. Haven't you had enough yet? Have a great summer!

Good luck with the big hooks. We have been using those buff things on fall river and they do help with out of control casters and they keep the sun off your face and neck. They look dumb but who cares.

The lodge you are working for up there looks insane !!!

Ryan your living the dream. Never mind the haters. When you are on the river they are still stuck in a cubicle.

Who's winning ?