Idaho never disappoints

 It's been 15 years since I last saw Brad Hinken.  We served together in the Coast Guard in Milwaukee where he was the Aids to Navigation Officer when I was CO.  We used to fish the Driftless Area of SW Wisconsin regularly, and even had a memorable trip together circumnavigating Lake Michigan visiting all 21 field units and casting a fly whenever the opportunity presented.  After I transferred to DC in 2006, we reunited in 2008 in Idaho of all places where we had an amazing trip again. 

Exploring new waters with my old friend Brad

Fast forward to 2024 and we met up once again and hit some of America's finest cutthroat waters in Central Idaho.  This trip we hit some new waters - the Big Lost above Mackay Reservoir and the North Fork of the Big Lost, as well as an old reliable - Camas Creek.  We passed on the Big Lost below the dam as the water was ripping at 370 cfs - I was dumb enough to attempt wading at the bridge and nearly got swept downstream (but I did catch several brookies and rainbows beforehand so it wasn't for naught). We passed on Big Creek, which is my favorite dry fly paradise for cutthroats and bull trout, as well as Challis Creek.  Just not enough time this trip. 

The trip produced lots of cutthroats, many rainbows, and a handful of brookies - mostly all caught on dries.  Swinging streamers and wet flies resulted in a good number of hooksets while nymphing , which hostorically was money really didn't produce this trip.  [Maybe my nymphng technique has been lost, but experienced the same result on the Connecticut last summer.]

The North Fork was the most productive water.  My dad and I explored this river 20+ years ago - he always liked to just drive and see what was at the end of the road.  We found cutthroats then and I always wanted to revisit the area, but never seemed to work it in.  I'm glad we did.  In addition to spectacular scenery, the winding creek was packed with bends, runs, riffles and small pools... one right after another.  The cutthroats were big for this small water: 10-14" was the norm.  The stream laid out well, allowing for long, unimpeded 30-45 foot casts with dries.  The stream also produced a new highlight - moose sightings... up close and personal sightings!  While walking upstream around a bend I came across a mama and calf about 50 feet away.  I'm sure they saw me first and didn't move.  I didn't move either, creating an old fashioned Mexican standoff.  After a few pics, I worked back out and around before reconnecting with the stream.  Six hours later I ran into them again - at close quarters this time as well!  In addition to incredible fishing, the moose encounters made the North Fork memorable.

Beautiful cutthroats on the North Fork of the Big Lost

The Big Lost on Trail Creek road fished as advertised by the fly fishing shops in Sun Valley -- nice pools but you need to hike a ways in between each one.  We didn't catch many fish, maybe about 10 between us on dries, but Brad hooked the monster of all monsters - a 20+" cutthroat that he fooled with a green wooly bugger drifted beneath a log.  

Camas Creek yielded its share of 13"-15" cutthroats as well -- on hoppers.  The scenery on the drive through this deep back country showcased severl healthy does and 2-3 sturdy bucks alongside the roadway.  We witnessed half a dozen spawning salmon that successfully made their final trek from the sea.  Amazing how they return from the Pacific, up the Columbia, up the Snake, up the Salmon, up the Middle Fork of the Salmon, and fuinally up Camas Creek where they spawn and ultimately die.  Tell me God's works aren't of this world!

The town of Mackay remains a personal favorite for me to serve as a base of fishing operations.  The charm of a small town (population 600), the friendliness of the townspeople, and the numbers of deer (does and bucks) wandering the neighborhoods every evening at dusk, including the front yard of the Beer Bottom Inn where we stayed.

Every Idaho trip is always too short, too memorable, and too much of everything I love about 'fishing in the great outdoors.'  That's why I'm already looking forward to returning in the not so distant future.