Tag Archives: Silver Creek Outfitters

Fishing Bamboo on the Salmon River, Idaho

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It’s interesting how quickly trout respond to changes in river conditions.  For the past several days, the Salmon River here in Stanley, Idaho has been blown out from flash floods that resulted in serious mud being dumped into the river.  The normal crystal clear Salmon River had become a water system of chocolate milk, with visibility being reduced to nearly zero.  But, a few days ago the river started to clear and Mary Ann and I were able to get out on the drift boat with one of my 8′  3″  5 wt. bamboo fly rods.  We weren’t really expecting much out of the day but the fishing gods smiled on us.  We managed to raise several fish on tan hoppers, and large streamers stripped through the deep runs worked also.  Here are a couple of fat fish that came to the boat:

The Salmon River after clearing from a muddy mess.

The Salmon River after clearing from a muddy mess.

A fat Westslope Cutthroat that took a large JJ Special streamer pattern.

A fat Westslope Cutthroat that took a large JJ Special streamer pattern.

A beautifully colored up Westslope Cutthroat that took a hopper.

A beautifully colored up Westslope Cutthroat that took a hopper.

 

 

Fishing Bamboo on Bear Valley Creek, Idaho

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I’ve had the opportunity to fish one of my favorite stretches of water on Bear Valley Creek near Stanley, Idaho over the past week.  Bear Valley Creek offers spring creek like water for sizable cutthroats, smaller feisty brookies, a few rainbows, and whitefish.  But, fishing there is not always beginner fishing 101….it often can be graduate level and very technical if you want to tempt the larger fish.  Sometimes, you can’t seem to raise a fish, other times, you opportunistically catch a few isolated fish on a variety of dry fly patterns.  But, occasionally the stars all align properly and you slay a big cutthroat like the one pictured below.  But, its really all about getting out with a bamboo fly rod, an old Hardy reel, and experiencing a beautiful piece of water in total solitude…it’s not about the numbers of fish you catch.

A Big Cutthroat That Rose to a Little Yellow Sally Dry Pattern.

A Big Cutthroat That Rose to a Little Yellow Sally Dry Pattern.

Fly Fishing in Stanley, Idaho

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I’m back in Stanley, Idaho with Mary Ann for the majority of the summer.  She works as a fly fishing guide through Silver Creek Outfitters, guiding on the Salmon River near Stanley.  I come along and work on bamboo rods….and fish a lot.  While I was here last year, I wrote a little fly fishing blog about the fishing opportunities around Stanley.  I’ve started it up again this year, and you can read about my fly fishing adventures at www.flyfishingstanleyidaho.com .

Fly Fishing Stanley Idaho (580x243)

 

 

Bamboo Rods on Bear Valley Creek in Idaho

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Our summer season in Stanley, Idaho is nearing an end but we’ve still had a little time to get out and fish.  Mary Ann and I hit a local spring creek, Bear Valley Creek, a few days ago.  While you don’t normally get huge numbers of fish at Bear Valley, the ones you do get are often very nice.  We picked up a few nice fish on hoppers, with small nymph droppers.  Here is a shot of Bear Valley Creek, and two of the fish we caught.

Bear Valley Creek, Idaho

Bear Valley Creek, Idaho

A nice cutthroat taken on a #8 Dave's Hopper.

A nice cutthroat taken on a #8 Dave’s Hopper.

A beautiful 18" cutthroat that took a #14 lightening bug.

A beautiful 18″ cutthroat that took a #14 lightening bug.

 

 

Fly Fishing in Stanley, Idaho

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I haven’t posted in quite a while.  That’s because I’ve been in Stanley, Idaho all summer just hanging out, doing lots of fishing, and continuing to work on my bamboo fly rods.  Mary Ann guides here for Silver Creek Outfitters, www.silver-creek.com , from June 15th through Semptember 15th on the Salmon River.  While I’m here, I’ve been writing a fly fishing report on a blog at www.flyfishingstanleyidaho.com .    Check it out to see what fishing here in central Idaho is like.

Fly Fishing Stanley Idaho (580x233)