Eastern Idaho

[TicTokCroc]

I'll be there early next week for 2 days only. I don't have a lot of time and I have 2 young girls that want to go "fishing". I would also like to go fishing but that's second place. I'm thinking easier hike in lake with plentiful brook trout for the kids, preferably scenery over the local put and take. Then what rivers/streams should I check out if I can go out by myself, hidden gems, your hot spots. Any hot flies/favorites for the area besides the standards? My gear is there already but I can tie up some more flies this week as I hide from the 105 degree heat. PM for secrecy, I catch and release, and never really handle fish, just pop them off in the water with a Ketchum release tool. I also suck at fishing. Thanks!

 

[dirty dog]

I'll have to look it up cause I don't remember the name of the dam.
It's the tail waters of this dam on the Snake river.
It's on my bucket list to fish.
Three different cut throat trout, browns and rainbows to catch.
Good camping right on the river.
I'll look it up and get right back to ya.
OK.
Palisades, ID
It is about as far East as you can get in ID.
Look it up on google map
As for flies I would use my go to flies. The Yellow Sally X, Elk hair caddis, a big foam hopper.
If you can fish a dropper, use a hares ear.
Hopper/dropper set up get me all tangled up, so I don't do that.

 

[TicTokCroc]

I'll have to look it up cause I don't remember the name of the dam.
It's the tail waters of this dam on the Snake river.
It's on my bucket list to fish.
Three different cut throat trout, browns and rainbows to catch.
Good camping right on the river.
I'll look it up and get right back to ya.
OK.
Palisades, ID
It is about as far East as you can get in ID.
Look it up on google map
As for flies I would use my go to flies. The Yellow Sally X, Elk hair caddis, a big foam hopper.
If you can fish a dropper, use a hares ear.
Hopper/dropper set up get me all tangled up, so I don't do that.

Thanks for the response. I'll be based in Idaho Falls with the in-laws. Palisades is not too far. I actually checked it out last year on the advice of a local fly shop. They suggested the tributaries that flow into the Snake below Palisades. Even on a weekday I was forced to slowly back out of the trailheads down the 1 lane gravel due to them being absolutely packed.

 

[dirty dog]

Thanks for the response. I'll be based in Idaho Falls with the in-laws. Palisades is not too far. I actually checked it out last year on the advice of a local fly shop. They suggested the tributaries that flow into the Snake below Palisades. Even on a weekday I was forced to slowly back out of the trailheads down the 1 lane gravel due to them being absolutely packed.

Like I said, the place is on my bucket list.
So, if do go there, please give me a report.
Seems to me there is another tail water below a dam near Idaho Falls that reports of 10 plus lb rainbows.
My wife has a cousin that lives in Bliss, ID right on the Snake River and giant RBs are caught there.

 

[TicTokCroc]

Like I said, the place is on my bucket list.
So, if do go there, please give me a report.
Seems to me there is another tail water below a dam near Idaho Falls that reports of 10 plus lb rainbows.
My wife has a cousin that lives in Bliss, ID right on the Snake River and giant RBs are caught there.

Gem lake dam on the Snake is right outside of Idaho falls. I fished some bait there for a while last time and didn't have any luck, I'll have to see what the water looks like below the dam. Finding public access is the challenge.

 

[Paul_]

Not a body of water, but in the area-

Fly Fish Food - Jimmy's

 

[TicTokCroc]

Well I know where I am going!

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Well I know where I am going!

View attachment 79015

"hey dad, what's the name of this park?"

 

[TicTokCroc]

Unfortunately the 1 day I have to fish has morphed into family/babysitting the nephews, like usual. I think we're going to go check out the ghost town Gilmore and then possibly meadow lake, maybe I'll have a chance to toss a line in birch creek on the way back we'll see.

 

[Divad]

Unfortunately the 1 day I have to fish has morphed into family/babysitting the nephews, like usual. I think we're going to go check out the ghost town Gilmore and then possibly meadow lake, maybe I'll have a chance to toss a line in birch creek on the way back we'll see.

Look into a tenkara rod someday. On a busy schedule it can be the saving grace in order to get a tug. Under a minute to go from packed down in the car to a roadside blue line. Also very easy to use for youngins.

I dislike most stuff Aventik but they make a solid 6:4 rod that comes with an extra tip for $40.

 

[TicTokCroc]

Look into a tenkara rod someday. On a busy schedule it can be the saving grace in order to get a tug. Under a minute to go from packed down in the car to a roadside blue line. Also very easy to use for youngins.

I dislike most stuff Aventik but they make a solid 6:4 rod that comes with an extra tip for $40.

I have been wanting a tenkara rod for a while, I'll have to order one. It would be very handy.

 

[dirty dog]

I have been wanting a tenkara rod for a while, I'll have to order one. It would be very handy.

I keep two 7'6" 3wt rods all strung up with a fly tied on in their travel case.
Behind the seat in the truck or in the back of the Honda CRV.
It takes longer to walk from the car/truck to the water line.
The tenkara is nice, but it won't cast far enough to reach that pod of cutts in the Clark Fork or the CDA.
I love them trouts in ID and MT

 

[Divad]

I keep two 7'6" 3wt rods all strung up with a fly tied on in their travel case.
Behind the seat in the truck or in the back of the Honda CRV.
It takes longer to walk from the car/truck to the water line.
The tenkara is nice, but it won't cast far enough to reach that pod of cutts in the Clark Fork or the CDA.
I love them trouts in ID and MT

Well bringing a tenkara to big water is not its intended purpose. And one could say a 7.5 3wt on the CF wouldn’t reach much too. All in relativity. I’ve taught a few people to cast the tenkaras and it’s a nice easy learning curve that sets up well for traditional fly rod casting. I bet you don’t have one do you DirtyDog?

@TicTokCroc if you go the tenkara route I’ll send you some level line so you don’t have to buy a spool.

 

[TicTokCroc]

Well bringing a tenkara to big water is not its intended purpose. And one could say a 7.5 3wt on the CF wouldn’t reach much too. All in relativity. I’ve taught a few people to cast the tenkaras and it’s a nice easy learning curve that sets up well for traditional fly rod casting. I bet you don’t have one do you DirtyDog?

@TicTokCroc if you go the tenkara route I’ll send you some level line so you don’t have to buy a spool.

Thanks! I'm sure sometime this winter I'll be looking online for one. I think the bigger issue is just breaking away from the pack for once, just need more time.

 

[TicTokCroc]

Gilmore ghost town was interesting. Wasn't really a ghost town but some old buildings and and bunch of lots people have taken over with RVs and shacks. My wife found a 1901 Indian head Penny walking around one of the old places. Meadow lake is nice, 9160 elevation, coming from sea-level a few days ago I was really feeling it and getting dizzy. It was 55 degrees at that elevation so the kids didn't last long without warmer clothes. I spotted some trout rising along the lake shore so I went and started to string up the rod thinking I had a few minutes but it wasn't to be, I'm cold, I'm hungry, and off we went. Stopped at a burger place in Mud Lake and I saw a new to me bird species. Common nighthawk, they act like oversized swallows, zooming around at dusk eating bugs. Back to Oregon tomorrow.

 

[TicTokCroc]

 

[Wetswinger]

Gilmore was nice back in the 70's, then Salmon hippies started dismantling all the shacks for the old barn wood for their own hippy shacks. Sometime in the 60's a vagrant was living in one of the shacks. Somebody came by and found him stuffed under a building, half eaten by a bear.
My carburetor froze solid once, going over the summit, headed for the Bitterroot. Luckily a local came by and saved me with a can of Heat gas line antifreeze. I've got several Gilmore Summit stories. Quite the place...

 

[TicTokCroc]

Gilmore was nice back in the 70's, then Salmon hippies started dismantling all the shacks for the old barn wood for their own hippy shacks. Sometime in the 60's a vagrant was living in one of the shacks. Somebody came by and found him stuffed under a building, half eaten by a bear.
My carburetor froze solid once, going over the summit, headed for the Bitterroot. Luckily a local came by and saved me with a can of Heat gas line antifreeze. I've got several Gilmore Summit stories. Quite the place...

I wonder if bear guy is one of the unmarked Graves in the cemetery way up on the mountain. We checked that out too.

 

[Wetswinger]

It was a tough life for the old miners...