The new old school - tough match

Been plugging On the fly's award winning vid for a while...if you haven't seen the clip here's your opportunity.

Drake Flyfishing Video Awards Winning Clip from On the Fly on Vimeo.

August = South Fork

The SF was hot this year, big cutties on tiny dries. When we left Idaho 6 years ago, a big Cutthroat was a rarity, and thanks for methods of conservation this population is booming.

Returning to origin

When I think of my fishing passion and it's beginnings, I think of Willow Creek. Being raised in a farming family, vacations consisted of places near to where my father harvested. Since the area surrounding Willow Creek consist of hay and grain fields, we spent our time there amongst the deer, rattle snakes, and ticks. My most significant memories of my adolescent lie in this creek.

Jess and I ventured to the foothills twice this year to Willow Creek in search of accessible fishing water. Both times we were shocked about it's poor condition. The land owners have now blocked access from the roads and clearly posted No Trespassing signs to walk in points. Letters pending toFish and Game and the BLM, we climbed down from bridges and found the water to be in excess of 65 degrees, even in June. The fish were there, but after 15 minutes of surveying the condition, we felt that they were best left alone.

Hopefully actions of others and us can bring this fishery back to it's glory days, but at least for a couple years, we will only be visiting with the camera...

Catching up...

The toughest part of a blog is dedication...finding the time to make updates in a timely manner. I've been back from N. Idaho for a couple days, and finally have a bit to update on. I'll make it brief, and hopefully you'll enjoy some of the pics. This summer has been packed with exploring old and new bodies of water.

Silver Creek - Solo trip...

Couldn't have hit the Brown Drake hatch more on the head. Caught many between 16 and 22 inches on top...cripples were the Powerball #s.

The downfall of the solo trip is lack of good pics, but I'll remember each fish and the beauty of the experience for a long time...at least until I'm able to get back for another hatch.

Amazing photogragy with purpose

Here's the trailer for Flathead Wild, a project to help inform the people of Canada and the US what is at stake against looming exploitation:

Flathead Wild Trailer from Epicocity Project on Vimeo.

The full version of this short film, well worth watching:

Flathead Wild from Epicocity Project on Vimeo.

Ranch tour

Once my mother returned from europe and my father from the headwaters of the Selway, we took a trip to the ranch. The ranch has been in our family for over 50 years, first owned by my grandparents, now owned by my uncle. The origins of this 40,000 acre ranch lead back to the Harrimans, who donated this land to the state of Idaho along with the Island Park property, now known as Harriman State Park. One of my favorite areas of this ranch is a small spring coming directly from the hillside into a crystal clear pool. History has it that a small fish hatchery operation was started and later abandoned in an around the pool. The fish from the hatchery were a brook trout hybrid that was not planted in many or any other areas. This string of brook trout still exists in the spring and pool. Below are a couple of pictures capturing this rare fish:

South Fork Otters and Falls Creek

A family of 4 otters spotted on the banks of the South Fork swimming and taking in the sun

Falls Creek Waterfalls, one of the most majestic in SE Idaho