My wonder and passion for Idaho fly angling dates back 40 years. That first trip to fish Idaho is still vivid in my mind. Funny. I remember it so well….but I can’t remember where I put my glasses most of the time.
I lived in Klamath Falls, Oregon at the time. I drove all night to meet my new friend, Jimmy Franks, at a gas station in Oakley, Idaho. It was 5:15 a.m., and although I was 15 minutes late, a sleepy Jimmy was patiently waiting, standing next to his pick-up truck.
Jimmy had promised me a memorable experience on a favorite stream of his called Trapper Creek. According to Jimmy, the native cutthroat trout in the creek were something to behold. It was early June 1970 and, as I recall, it was a brisk morning.
Jimmy suggested I leave my car at the gas station, so I threw my gear into his truck, parked my car in an out-of-the-way spot in the station’s lot, and piled into Jimmy’s pick-up. Jimmy poured me a cup of hot coffee from a thermos and handed it to me with a cold, fried egg sandwich. We took off for Trapper Creek.
Less than a half-hour later, we turned onto a forest service road that paralleled the creek and, 5 minutes later, Jimmy pulled to the side of the dirt road. “This is it!”, he said. “It” was a picture-perfect creek, surrounded by fir trees and short brush. As I pulled on my waders and put my 2-piece fly rod together, I could see trout working for their breakfast at the end of a short riffle. My first taste of Idaho fly fishing was about to begin.
My first two casts resulted in poor presetations. I was nervous and a bit awestruck by the natural beauty of this spot. But, on the third cast the suggested Griffith’s Gnat settled perfectly ahead of the busy trout at the base of the run and the water exploded as a hefty cutthroat hammered the fly. I caught and released more than 50 fish that day. None of these Official Idaho State Fish were under 14 inches. A couple of the heavy rascals were over 20.
That was 36 years ago. I’m told that trout fishing on Trapper Creek is not as good today, but I’ve been infatuated with Idaho’s fly fishing action ever since. If fact, that trip – and many others that I made to Idaho waters down through the years – resulted in my relocation to Idaho, where I now live.
FLYDAHO 