Picnic in Middle Folk of Boise River

We had my parents-in-law here this week. During their stay, we took them to the Middle Folk of Boise River for one day picnic.

It was almost one year ago for me to visit this river last time. Although the long dart road was more painful for me than I expected, we enjoyed BBQ like this photo.




My daughter also seemed to be happy with her grandparents.





My father-in-law and I tried fishing just a little bit.

Though it was only my pitty that he didn't have any luck, I could show tiny but beautiful one for them. He bit the copper john as a droper of hopper.

Good game and winged ant

When I arrived SFOB river, it was evening and the sun was sinking in the west. I felt the sunset time was becoming earlier than before.

I chose the hopper first because there was not any major hatches yet. But the reaction was too slow.

I went up the stream, and found the good one's rise. So I changed the fly to the Flav, and casted it. Although I got the splash, I couldn't hook it up... I hooked another one(average size), but missed it.

I changed the hole and found the stable rise. It bit my flav surely!

Though I succeeded in hooking, it fought very strongly. Can you see my #6 rod's bending?

I dealed with this fish very carefully, and could catch it.

It was 17inches/43cm(average), but healthy one. I was satisfied with all processes of this game!

I checked its stomach and found many winged ants. It was new discovery for me on this river.

I would like to consider this point next time. I heard the flow will dropped from 1600cfs to 1000cfs on next Monday, maybe this trip was the last one with high flow.

Great day!

I took an afternoon off and headed SFOB river again and again.

I really wanted to try in the evening for Flav hatch, but I had to return home until approximately 18:00. Which meant that I had to stop fishing at most 16:30...

Although I tried the new hole by hopper and dropper, there were nothing.

I tried the same hole as 7/31's good one, as a result I got it!!

She suddenly attacked my hopper with huge jaws and ran toward the downstream so fast.

Whenever she got close to me, she ran away so strong. I didn't know how many times she did it(close and away).

But finally I could land her, yes it was just landing because my net didn't work because of her size.


Needless to say I shouted loudly many times when I caught her!

22inches(56cm)!

I think she is the heaviest trout that I caught ever except steelhead.





After that, I checked the Flav hole in the daytime.

There were a few hatches and rises of small one. I could get one small fish by Flav dun, but it was all.





I moved again and tried my favarite hole for the last.

I could catch a fine guy by hopper again(19inches/48cm).
It is so lovely isn't it?





Although I couldn't try in the evening, I was satisfied with great fishes!

Flav hatch in the evening

Today I missed the two attack to the hopper before they bit it.

I knew the reason of it, it was the distance between the fish and me. They could see me before they fed it, so they stopped to bite it in the just front of the fly.

But I could get the third attack in spite of strong flow.
Size was average(16.5inches/42cm), but it was fine and tugged so strong.



After the usual hole, I tried the new hole in the late evening. And there were some rises to the Flav's hatches.

Though I did hook two big boys up twice, I missed them. I think the reason was tight tension.

What I could land was only small boy, but I was happy to get it by match the hatch.

The reason why I missed many fish

I could see some Flavs in SFOB, but there was no rise.

So I decided the hopper pattern first.

Although I did hook two big boy by it, they are hooked off again and again! Why? What's wrong?

For the third one, it was a little late to set a hook. But as a result, I could catch it. Though the size was average(16inches/40.5cm), it tugged so strong including fast stream.

Finally I got the reason why I missed so many good ones. It was the timing to set a hook! Especially for the huge hopper pattern, I had to wait until the fish fed it enough. I thought the exciting attack to the hopper could be one cause of early setting a hook.

There are many things which I should learn, but I believe it is one of funs of fly fishing.

Middle Folk of Salmon River(so wild!)

This river is famous for its wildness inclucing Westlope cutthroat(not Yellowstone cutthroat), and people says there is not any hatchery fish, but native fish only. Though I don't know it is true or not, it is said that any rainbows there are really Steelhead smolt.





I picked this river as a destination of my family and my colleage Moto's family's camping trip. It took about 3.5hours to the campground close to the river.




This beautiful Bull trout was not mine but Moto's one. He caught it by spin casting. I wished it was my fish, because I've never caught the Bull trout.

He also tried fly fishing for the first time, and caught the fine fish.
He may get addicted to the fly fishing.





We built the bonfire for the first time. It was enough to keep warm for us.

We were aloso surprised by the coldness there. I've forgot that this river was very close to Stanley, which meant it showed high elevation. It should be cold!


Next morning, Moto and I woke up about 5:30, and went to the river. It was actually chilly!

Moto caught the beautiful Westlope cutthroat by lure! I think he has good luck.

On the other hand, I caught some smolts of Steelhead only... But, they looked so lovely.

We enjoyed the untouched wildness there including fishing.

I thought I would like to try the Westlope cutthroat and Bull trout again.

A lot of hooking off...

Today I went to SFOB again in the evening.

There were some good strikes for the hopper, but I missed all of them. Though I could surely hook them, they could escape from the hook everytime!!!

I didn't know exact reason. Maybe fast and strong flow made it difficult to catch.

What I could catch was small one only...

Hopper was hot!

I went to the SFO Boise River in the evening after I retruned from the trip.

There were bunch of glasshoppers!!! This one looked like the same as #4 hook size.

I liked the big fly basically, so I decided to use #4 huge hopper without hesitating.

At the first hole, I got some strike to it. But I hooked all of them off, Jesus!! One of them was surely good size! I think one of causes was because of rapid stream.

At the second hole which was new hole for me, I could catch a good one(15inches/39cm) by it. It fought strong because of its width.

When I moved to the shallow to take a picture of it, I heard the rattle sound suddenly. Yes, it was surely rattle snake! It was first time to see for me.

Even if it was small one , it would like to feed the big fly .

After small one, I could catch the big boy at the exactly same hole.
He was 19inches/48.5cm, and the most largest and beautiful rainbow I've ever seen!!

I'm pretty sure that it could be one of my best fishes.

Please forgive me to attach many photos of him here, you know I was wild beside myself with joy!

I took a photo of myself also.

Grand Teton(5th and last day)

We said good bye to Yellowstone, and headed for Grand Teton!

The Teton mountains were really grand and noble. We enjoyed the scenery very much.





We went Oxbow Bend in the evening to watch the Moose!!

Althougn we couldn't see it, we saw two Beaver and one Elk there.

While we were waiting the Moose, there were some stable rises in the Snake River! I really really wanted cast, but I had to give it up...


Tonight we stayed at Colter Bay tent cabin.

It was so simple, but we had a good time there.




Next morning, we got up so eary and went to Oxbow Bend again to see the Moose. But there was no luck...

Nobody preditcs the wildlife's behavior.




We returned the tent cabin once and took a simple breakfast.

Though we had to leave the Teton for our house today, we enjoyed everything in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

If we have a time and money, we really visit there again and again. We liked there very much!

Yellowstone National Park(4th day)

This morning we got up early for the watching the wildlife(not for the fishing). We saw Byson, Elk, Mule Deer etc. in Hayden Valley.

They looked mysterious in the purple sky. So we were much satisfied with them.




It was a group of femal Elk.





We found the singing katydid in the glasses near the Tower fall.








I could come Lamar River again and again after breakfast in Roosevelt.
When I went down to the river, I found the one certain rise in the shallow side chanel, between rocks.


It was surely big one which was feeding the caddis!


I kept some distance from him, and did stalking and sitting down carefully.

I did the first cast well, so he moved toward my stimulator and attacked it. But he missed it. I became so nervous!

After I changed the fly to the Elk Hair Caddis which I tied long time before, I did the third cast for him. It was successful, so he was hooked well! I was so exiceted because I could see everything he did.



He was certainly native Yellowstone Cutthroat, and so beautiful!!

You know, I was so glad to catch it, because I missed the big boy twice before in the same river.





17inches(43cm)




On the way to Canyon, we could see the beautiful flowers on the sloop.






We could see some groups of byson in the hayden valley also.





I could see the male mule deer at Mud Volcano.





I drank a toast for my nice cutthroat by Grizzly Wulff Wheat. I bought it because I liked package design, but its taste was also good!! I liked it.