Monday, May 31, 2010

Opening Day!

Saturday was opening day for trout season and was the first time I've ever been able to go fishing during the day.

Of course, I went to Silver Creek to fight the crowds, but all of the people were concentrated in the S-Turns or within 100 yards of the Visitor's Center so I had a lot of the Preserve to myself. The fishing was awesome and beyond easy. Catching a fish on my first cast always makes for a nice season opener. I was throwing a PMD that was two sizes too small and a huge un-weighted pheasant tail and they ate both basically every cast. The fish were so easy it was like the fall on the Lower Lost. There were a few size 13 PMDs floating down the creek as well as a few baetis and lots of microscopic tan midges. Other than the rain (I'm tired of being wet and cold), I couldn't have asked for a better day. On my way out, I even stopped in for a burger and beer at the Visitor's Center and caught up on the gossip.

I took a quick pass through the Willows and Point of Rocks to check for Brown Drakes, but I don't think they're be around for a few more days.

I figured I might as well hit the Wood too since it's pretty rare that it's fishable on opening day. The water was running about 680 cfs so it wasn't crossable, but it was definitely clear and fishable. I fished just south of Ketchum and caught a nice bow on my first cast. I was throwing a small Montana Fly Juan Worm with a red bead and threw on a Bacon and Eggs for shits and giggles. They didn't like the Bacon and Eggs, but I didn't expect them to. The fish were also rising to some midges, but I didn't even bother.

I'm so excited to be back into trout and can't stop thinking about all the Kings I'll be catching in Alaska next week!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

SE AK--T-minus two weeks!


I can't believe it's only two weeks until I'll be in Alaska! The boat we'll be on so so pimp. Fishing, kayaking, whale watching, climbing glaciers, etc. I haven't tied a single fly, though. I guess I better get on that...

Monday, May 24, 2010

Fly-Girls 2010!

Fly Girls, Sturtevant's women's only fly-fishing school has announced our dates for 2010. There will be three sessions this year: July 16-18, August 7-9, and September 11-13. I hope you can join us! Check out all of the info at www.sturtos.com.

Monday, May 03, 2010

County Declared in Drought (We saw this coming)

County declared in drought

By TREVON MILLIARD
Idaho Mountain Express
April 30, 2010

Blaine County is officially experiencing a drought emergency, according to a declaration approved by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter and Gary Spackman, interim director of the Idaho Department of Water Resources.

The drought declaration authorizes Spackman to make temporary changes to water rights, including diversion of water and restricting place of use and the purpose of use.

"Temporary changes shall only be approved for the purpose of providing a replacement water supply to lands or other uses that normally have a full water supply," the declaration reads.

These changes cannot be done to provide water for new development.

Blaine County was one of five that have received the drought declaration so far. "Significant" drought conditions due to below-normal precipitation and snowpack levels are occurring throughout central and eastern Idaho.

As of April 1, the Big Wood and Little Wood River drainages had respective snowpack levels of 69 percent and 68 percent of normal.

The Department of Water Resources has forecast April-through-July streamflow volumes for the Big Wood River above Magic Reservoir to be only 38 percent of average. The Little Wood River near Carey is predicted to have 46 percent of its average volume.

Blaine's two adjacent neighbors to the north and east, Custer and Butte counties, have also been issued drought declarations. The three river drainages in that area are averaging 63 percent of normal snowpack. Summer river volumes are expected to be 47 percent of normal in the Big Lost River drainage, 61 percent in the Little Lost River drainage and 52 percent in the Salmon River drainage.

The eastern Idaho counties of Teton and Fremont are also officially experiencing drought. Snowpack and precipitation levels in the Henry Fork and Teton river basins is only 61 percent of normal. Summer river volumes there are forecast to be a little more than 50 percent of average.

Those five counties are it for Idaho, so far.

Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com

Twilight Fever

I was recently watching whatever the second Twilight movie is with my friends (who are all obsessed) and all I could think about was the steelhead they weren't catching. There were so many longing looks and so little fishing. I'm pretty sure I had a dream that night that I was swinging on the river and the warewolf was there (I'm madly in love with him). Oh well. I'm sure I wasn't the only person who saw the movie who was thinking this, but there couldn't have been many of us.