Carp-tatstic!

I thought about going capring today, but it was super windy on the Snake so I passed. Instead, I just received an e-mail from my dad with a photo of my mom with a carp she shot with a bow! I am so shocked--my mom's not much into fishing and I didn't think she had ever shot a bow before. I guess the family who carps together, stays together.

The Homeless Steelheaders

Last year the Steelhead Mafia was housed in a warm structure with running water. It was by no means nice, but you could come home and warm up, have a hot shower, and cook something warm at the end of the day. The Steelhead Palace was not available this year and after lots of looking, Paddy and Carl decided that they would be camping in Carl's new tent.

Made out of discarded Tyvek, this tent has advertisements for Idaho Lumber around it, but it is warm, dry, and has a camp stove. Needless to say, I have not fished as much as I should this year because I won't sleep in the homeless tent.

Fish Ready

It was time for me to get some new luggage and I researched quite a bit in the last few weeks. Of all of the companies I get deals from, I chose Eagle Creek and got these two awesome bags. Some of the requirements I had for new luggage included:

1. To last as long as my King Ranch luggage without weighing as much;
2. To be long enough to stash rods,
3. To be able to keep my waders and boots separate from less gross items
4. To be pirate proof in the Seychelles,
Helicopter proof in Kamchatka,
Sheep proof in New Zealand,
Camel proof in Mongolia,
and to be able to weather less exotic locales like Alaska, Patagonia, Cuba, Christmas Island, Africa, Europe, and Texas, etc...

While I was picking up my luggage at Backwoods, I also scored some really rad Gore-Tex tennies that someone had thrown away after wearing like ten times. I'm pretty sure that made my week.

Thank God, A Little More Water

Spring storms have helped water supply

Summer outlook still guarded

By JON DUVAL
Idaho Mountain Express

April 7, 2010

A recent spate of storms has increased the snowpack in the Big Wood Basin, but not enough to assuage concerns about this summer's water supply.

Snowpack in the basin, which includes the Wood River Valley, is up to 72 percent of average, a significant increase from the 63 percent calculated at the beginning of March.

"Late March storms brought a glimmer of hope to Idaho's water supply outlook," stated the Idaho Water Supply Outlook Report, released on April 1 by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. "If it weren't for the March precipitation, many more record low April 1 snow levels would have been set."

The report notes that the storms, which combined to drop more than 2 feet of snow in most of Idaho's mountain ranges, including those throughout the valley, increased precipitation to nearly 80 percent of normal for March.

Still, with the snow season almost over, forecasters are painting a less than perfect picture for this summer's water supply.

"The majority of streams in Idaho are forecast in the 40-65 percent of average range," the conservation service report stated. "A wet and cool spring would reduce and delay irrigation demand and extend our limited water supply."

The current forecast is dire enough to cause the Blaine County Commission to request that the state make an emergency drought declaration for the area.

At a meeting at the Old County Courthouse in Hailey on Tuesday, the commissioners authorized a drought declaration request, which needs approval from both Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter and the Idaho Department of Water Resources to be enacted.

If approved, the declaration would provide surface water irrigators with some relief during a difficult water year.

Kevin Lakey, water master for the Big Wood River Basin, said the declaration would allow irrigators to process requests to transfer water uses, such as switching irrigation rights from one field to another or even to a neighbor, much more quickly. He said that whereas it could normally take up to three months for a rancher to be able to make such a transfer, with the declaration it would take only days.

According to the report, the Mackay and Little Wood reservoirs are near capacity, while Magic Reservoir south of Bellevue is about half full.

"Water managers are storing as much water in Idaho reservoirs as they can because of the limited amount of snow in the mountains," the report stated. "Unfortunately, water supply shortages will likely still occur and some reservoirs that typically fill will be challenged to reach their capacity without abundant spring precipitation."

In an interview last month, Ron Abramovich, a water supply specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, said spring's impact on the water supply remains uncertain.

"We can't forecast spring precipitation like we can monitor the snowpack," he said. "Not all the cards are dealt yet, but we're going to need it. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees."

Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com

180 Cars

Last Friday was my first day of the season on the Salmon. I thought there may be a lot of people because of Easter weekend, but I couldn't have imagined there would be so many people. I counted 180 cars in about 25 miles of the Salmon. We had to fish the most obscure buckets because we could not get into any we normally fish. Both Paddy and I managed to have a few tugs, but we didn't catch any fish. I was so disgusted by the number of people on the river that I gave up about lunch time.

I'm hoping to spend a day up there by myself this week and see if I can pop a fish on my Echo TR 13'6" 8/9 spey rod. I've really enjoyed fishing with it so far and it's definitely the right price since I don't get to fish spey water very often.

Ketchum on the Fly

I was employed by Ketchum on the Fly, the newest fly shop in Sun Valley, for over two years. In October I was "laid off" and made "head guide." I received only one trip as "head guide." I then had to re-interview for a guide position and was not rehired. I was treated very poorly throughout this time and desperately urge you to never take your business to Ketchum on the Fly.