2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

trying to cost out a trip to Idaho this summer--pick up rv for two
folks -join other rv's or meet guys on way and fish three spots for a
couple of days each----any suggestions for route and campgrounds would be
helpful-----
joe the elder

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

On Nov 22, 10:16 am, "Joe McIntosh" wrote:
trying to cost out a trip to Idaho this summer--pick up rv for two
folks -join other rv's or meet guys on way and fish three spots for a
couple of days each----any suggestions for route and campgrounds would be
helpful-----
joe the elder

Probably get there via 80 through Wyoming and hooking a right at Rock
Springs towards Yellowstone, coming out at the Snake and Hoback,
taking a left in to Idaho and down the Swan valley, than North right
up the spine to Henry's Fork and then Yellowstone. Major camping day
haunts recommendation: Pinedale Wyoming, Swan River and then
Yellowstone. Some if this is based on the best places with RV's as
opposed to being a bit more mobile with a car/SUV, the idea of
(forbid) doing some ancillary vacation things, great RV accomodations
and general spirit of that loop.

Your pal,

Bone.

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:16:02 -0500, Joe McIntosh wrote:

trying to cost out a trip to Idaho this summer--pick up rv for two
folks -join other rv's or meet guys on way and fish three spots for a
couple of days each----any suggestions for route and campgrounds would be
helpful-----
joe the elder

As long as you're in the area, I'd suggest the Bechler region of
Yellowstone - that's the southwest corner. You drive up to Ashton and turn
right. Great area near Cave Falls. You'll need a Yellowstone fishing
permit which you can get at the ranger station there - there are some
national forest campgrounds nearby. Lot's of great places on the nearby
Henry's fork of the snake. There is a region of the Portneuf above Lava
Hot Springs with a large population of cutthroat.

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

ray wrote:
On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:16:02 -0500, Joe McIntosh wrote:


trying to cost out a trip to Idaho this summer--pick up rv for two
folks -join other rv's or meet guys on way and fish three spots for a
couple of days each----any suggestions for route and campgrounds would be
helpful-----
joe the elder


As long as you're in the area, I'd suggest the Bechler region of
Yellowstone - that's the southwest corner. You drive up to Ashton and turn
right. Great area near Cave Falls. You'll need a Yellowstone fishing
permit which you can get at the ranger station there - there are some
national forest campgrounds nearby. Lot's of great places on the nearby
Henry's fork of the snake. There is a region of the Portneuf above Lava
Hot Springs with a large population of cutthroat.


The Bechler is extremely buggy (in the bad way -- mosquitoes) until
about September. It also requires a fairly long hike to get to the
water. It has big rainbows but they are very spooky.

I'm mostly interested in new waters. I'd suggest the North Fork of the
Clearwater (very easy access). I've never fished it but it looks great
and I've heard good things about it. Nearby and upriver, Kelly Creek is
famous, of course. The St. Joe, the Lochsa, and the Selway are also nearby.

Another Idaho river I've never fished, but want to, is the South Fork of
the Snake. I understand that this is primarily a float-trip river.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

"rw" wrote


Another Idaho river I've never fished, but want to, is the South Fork of
the Snake. I understand that this is primarily a float-trip river.



I once mentioned I might go there with my kickboat to a friend and he
instantly advised against it, for safety reaasons. The South Fork, except
in late season seems to not only be a float river but to be one that
strongly suggests an experienced guide with strong rowing experience ... I
guess drownings are fairly regular on the river.

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

ray wrote:
On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:16:02 -0500, Joe McIntosh wrote:


trying to cost out a trip to Idaho this summer--pick up rv for two
folks -join other rv's or meet guys on way and fish three spots for a
couple of days each----any suggestions for route and campgrounds would
be
helpful-----
joe the elder


As long as you're in the area, I'd suggest the Bechler region of
Yellowstone - that's the southwest corner. You drive up to Ashton and
turn
right. Great area near Cave Falls. You'll need a Yellowstone fishing
permit which you can get at the ranger station there - there are some
national forest campgrounds nearby. Lot's of great places on the nearby
Henry's fork of the snake. There is a region of the Portneuf above Lava
Hot Springs with a large population of cutthroat.


The Bechler is extremely buggy (in the bad way -- mosquitoes) until
about September. It also requires a fairly long hike to get to the
water. It has big rainbows but they are very spooky.

I'm mostly interested in new waters. I'd suggest the North Fork of the
Clearwater (very easy access). I've never fished it but it looks great
and I've heard good things about it. Nearby and upriver, Kelly Creek is
famous, of course. The St. Joe, the Lochsa, and the Selway are also
nearby.

We fished the Selway and Lochsa only a couple of months ago
Easy Access from RT 12 out of Missoula
We also drove and hiked hikthe Selway a ways to the Selaway Biteroot
wilderness area
I had never been there before
Beautiful and the fishing was peretty good
I am definitely hreaded back there again next year

Fred

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

rw wrote:

I'm mostly interested in new waters. I'd suggest the North Fork of the
Clearwater (very easy access). I've never fished it but it looks great
and I've heard good things about it. Nearby and upriver, Kelly Creek is
famous, of course. The St. Joe, the Lochsa, and the Selway are also nearby.


Another Idaho river I've never fished, but want to, is the South Fork of
the Snake. I understand that this is primarily a float-trip river.


LOTS of good water in the area from what I've read ranging from easy
access to good hikes. Fly into Missoula, then over the pass for guys
from back East or....... Don't think there are any campgrounds with
electricity. It's an "out of the way" area.

I especially enjoyed all the wildlife in the area when we went there
that Fall with Chas after the Steelheading on the Clearwater flopped.
Beautiful country and fish.

Here's an old pictorial TR:

http://crystalglen.net/Fishing/Idaho04.htm

How tough is the float?

Willi

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 10:09:12 -0800, rw wrote:

ray wrote:
On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:16:02 -0500, Joe McIntosh wrote:


trying to cost out a trip to Idaho this summer--pick up rv for two
folks -join other rv's or meet guys on way and fish three spots for a
couple of days each----any suggestions for route and campgrounds would be
helpful-----
joe the elder


As long as you're in the area, I'd suggest the Bechler region of
Yellowstone - that's the southwest corner. You drive up to Ashton and turn
right. Great area near Cave Falls. You'll need a Yellowstone fishing
permit which you can get at the ranger station there - there are some
national forest campgrounds nearby. Lot's of great places on the nearby
Henry's fork of the snake. There is a region of the Portneuf above Lava
Hot Springs with a large population of cutthroat.


The Bechler is extremely buggy (in the bad way -- mosquitoes) until
about September. It also requires a fairly long hike to get to the
water. It has big rainbows but they are very spooky.

We were there about mid July last year and it was not that bad.



I'm mostly interested in new waters. I'd suggest the North Fork of the
Clearwater (very easy access). I've never fished it but it looks great
and I've heard good things about it. Nearby and upriver, Kelly Creek is
famous, of course. The St. Joe, the Lochsa, and the Selway are also nearby.

Another Idaho river I've never fished, but want to, is the South Fork of
the Snake. I understand that this is primarily a float-trip river.

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

ray wrote:
On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 10:09:12 -0800, rw wrote:


ray wrote:

On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:16:02 -0500, Joe McIntosh wrote:



trying to cost out a trip to Idaho this summer--pick up rv for two
folks -join other rv's or meet guys on way and fish three spots for a
couple of days each----any suggestions for route and campgrounds would be
helpful-----
joe the elder


As long as you're in the area, I'd suggest the Bechler region of
Yellowstone - that's the southwest corner. You drive up to Ashton and turn
right. Great area near Cave Falls. You'll need a Yellowstone fishing
permit which you can get at the ranger station there - there are some
national forest campgrounds nearby. Lot's of great places on the nearby
Henry's fork of the snake. There is a region of the Portneuf above Lava
Hot Springs with a large population of cutthroat.


The Bechler is extremely buggy (in the bad way -- mosquitoes) until
about September. It also requires a fairly long hike to get to the
water. It has big rainbows but they are very spooky.


We were there about mid July last year and it was not that bad.

I've never actually been there when it was buggy, only one September,
but I've heard horror stories, most particularly from a Parks ranger who
spent an entire year there. It's a meadow creek. Maybe you were lucky to
be there in a dry spell.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

Willi wrote:
rw wrote:

I'm mostly interested in new waters. I'd suggest the North Fork of the
Clearwater (very easy access). I've never fished it but it looks great
and I've heard good things about it. Nearby and upriver, Kelly Creek
is famous, of course. The St. Joe, the Lochsa, and the Selway are also
nearby.



Another Idaho river I've never fished, but want to, is the South Fork
of the Snake. I understand that this is primarily a float-trip river.


LOTS of good water in the area from what I've read ranging from easy
access to good hikes. Fly into Missoula, then over the pass for guys
from back East or....... Don't think there are any campgrounds with
electricity. It's an "out of the way" area.

I especially enjoyed all the wildlife in the area when we went there
that Fall with Chas after the Steelheading on the Clearwater flopped.
Beautiful country and fish.

Here's an old pictorial TR:

http://crystalglen.net/Fishing/Idaho04.htm

Wow, those photos take be back. Thanks, Willi. Good trip, even if the
steelheading sucked.

When I say the St. Joe, the Lochsa, and the Selway are "nearby" you have
to take that with a grain of salt. In Idaho, "nearby" on a highway map
often doesn't translate to "nearby" in driving miles. I'm not very
familiar with the area -- which is one thing that attracts me to it.

How tough is the float?

You mean the South Fork of the Snake? My impression is that it's a piece
of cake.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

rw wrote:
Willi wrote:

rw wrote:

Another Idaho river I've never fished, but want to, is the South Fork
of the Snake. I understand that this is primarily a float-trip river.

How tough is the float?


You mean the South Fork of the Snake? My impression is that it's a piece
of cake.

BTW, the South Fork of the Snake is nearly synonymous with Swan Valley.
Here's a Swan Valley website I stumbled on that has some pretty
impressive fishing photos:

http://www.jnolan.net/photo_gallery.htm

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

"rw" wrote


You mean the South Fork of the Snake? My impression is that it's a piece
of cake.

BTW, the South Fork of the Snake is nearly synonymous with Swan Valley.
Here's a Swan Valley website I stumbled on that has some pretty impressive
fishing photos:

http://www.jnolan.net/photo_gallery.htm



That photo of the braided section ot river sure inspires the desire to visit
!!

It amazes me how time flies .... I've only been to the Swan Valley a few
times back when I was summering training dogs in the Jackson, Wy area, and
would drive that route, back and forth, to trials in Pocatella and Roberts
Idaho. Memory is of a very special area ... but damn !! .... that has been
nearly 30 years.

As for my comments about the SF float ... at least a few people have told me
it can be dangerous, especially if you pick the wrong turn and get into the
wrong channel. This summer I mentioned being warned against taking a solo
SF trip, in a kickboat, to a guy I fished with one day from Rexburg. ( we
were on the lower HF and discussing a possible float together of the Warm
River to Ashton section is how it came up ) He told a tale of losing a
young friend on the SF, apparently to a "wrong turn" encounter with a
sweeper.

All that old guy fearfulness expressed, it seems to get fished a LOT and
can't be that bad or that wouldn't be the case. I have ZERO personal
experience on the river.

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

Larry L wrote:
"rw" wrote


You mean the South Fork of the Snake? My impression is that it's a piece
of cake.

BTW, the South Fork of the Snake is nearly synonymous with Swan Valley.
Here's a Swan Valley website I stumbled on that has some pretty impressive
fishing photos:

http://www.jnolan.net/photo_gallery.htm




That photo of the braided section ot river sure inspires the desire to visit
!!

It amazes me how time flies .... I've only been to the Swan Valley a few
times back when I was summering training dogs in the Jackson, Wy area, and
would drive that route, back and forth, to trials in Pocatella and Roberts
Idaho. Memory is of a very special area ... but damn !! .... that has been
nearly 30 years.

As for my comments about the SF float ... at least a few people have told me
it can be dangerous, especially if you pick the wrong turn and get into the
wrong channel. This summer I mentioned being warned against taking a solo
SF trip, in a kickboat, to a guy I fished with one day from Rexburg. ( we
were on the lower HF and discussing a possible float together of the Warm
River to Ashton section is how it came up ) He told a tale of losing a
young friend on the SF, apparently to a "wrong turn" encounter with a
sweeper.

I wouldn't do it in a kickboat either -- at least not the first time. I
was figuring on a raft or a drift boat.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

On Nov 22, 2:14 pm, Willi wrote:
rw wrote:
I'm mostly interested in new waters. I'd suggest the North Fork of the
Clearwater (very easy access). I've never fished it but it looks great
and I've heard good things about it. Nearby and upriver, Kelly Creek is
famous, of course. The St. Joe, the Lochsa, and the Selway are also nearby.

Another Idaho river I've never fished, but want to, is the South Fork of
the Snake. I understand that this is primarily a float-trip river.

LOTS of good water in the area from what I've read ranging from easy
access to good hikes. Fly into Missoula, then over the pass for guys
from back East or....... Don't think there are any campgrounds with
electricity. It's an "out of the way" area.

I especially enjoyed all the wildlife in the area when we went there
that Fall with Chas after the Steelheading on the Clearwater flopped.
Beautiful country and fish.

Here's an old pictorial TR:

http://crystalglen.net/Fishing/Idaho04.htm

How tough is the float?

Willi

Nice pics Willi. Thanks for posting the link. I especially liked the
koke on a dry fly. Awesome man.

Tim

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

Larry L wrote: !!

It amazes me how time flies .... I've only been to the Swan Valley a few
times back when I was summering training dogs in the Jackson, Wy area, and
would drive that route, back and forth, to trials in Pocatella and Roberts
Idaho.

larry - speaking of...i fished yesterday off cape lookout with a fella
from winchester, va. when he mentioned being a dog trainer and
traveling out west years ago, i mentioned you...he thought he remembered
you and admired your work. his last name is carter... middle name or
nickname is "smoot".

cold, windy (25-30 mph), and wet. fly fishing for false albacore. i
hate 10 weight fly rods...but they do seem to keep one warm in the
chilly ocean winds. g

jeff

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

"jeff" wrote


larry - speaking of...i fished yesterday off cape lookout with a fella
from winchester, va. when he mentioned being a dog trainer and traveling
out west years ago, i mentioned you...he thought he remembered you and
admired your work. his last name is carter... middle name or nickname is
"smoot".



name doesn't ring a bell, but then my mental bells take more striking to
gong than in the past

I was never the biggest fish, ... but I was a fairly big fish .... in the
pretty damn small pond of retriever field trials ... I've trained for
people in Alaska, Florida, upstate New York, San Diego and most places
in-between ... and I traveled a lot running dogs, so it's very possible that
someone could vaguely remember me and me not them. I also used to see
someone else with my unusual last name listed occasionally in the Field
Trial News, and have wondered if I was often confused with whoever it is/
was.

This Sept at Silver Creek, the trial crowd rolled in ( the circuit works a
lot like rodeo or other traveling competitions, new spot each week ) and
several people I could only "sort of" recall came over to say "hi" and
inquire what I was up to these days, most assumed I had a dog of my own now,
and was there to compete. The Wood River club trial used to be in August,
prime trico time, but got moved to Sept on a weekend when we had a trial 500
miles closer to home ... always regreted that schedule change G Anyway,
it was kinda weird being there to fish and having the "circuit" pull in and
find myself chatting with a few people I've known for 40 years and trying to
pretend to remember others that remembered me.

um ..... the "new spot each week" part of my past ( spots included Picabo,
Id, Jackson, Wy, McCall, ID, Twin Bridges, Mt, Fall River Mills, Ca,
Chiloquin, Or, Mammoth, Ca, etc etc .... really nifty places but for only
a few days each/ year ) helps explain my "gettin' old" reluctance to to
engage in "name collecting mode" fishing trips ... as per the other thread
in which you replied to me

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

"rw" wrote in message
...

How tough is the float?

You mean the South Fork of the Snake? My impression is that it's a piece
of cake.

Floated it a few years back, it's easy. The only trouble we had one day was
a wind storm so strong it was pushing the drift boat upstream in a pretty
heavy current. Thankfully we were near our takeout and got off the river,
otherwise it would have been a long day.

I hope to go back someday, great river!

JT

2008 Idaho trip --help RW
 

On Nov 22, 9:16 am, "Joe McIntosh" wrote:
trying to cost out a trip to Idaho this summer--pick up rv for two
folks -join other rv's or meet guys on way and fish three spots for a
couple of days each----any suggestions for route and campgrounds would be
helpful-----
joe the elder

Depending on where you want to fish, there are any number of options
to you. Latley the south fork flows are way to high in the summer to
wade so a flot trip with a guide would be the safest bet (google
search will turn up a ton of guides). If you do head out in the late
summer its possible, but unlikely that the SF has some reduction on
flows. Henrys will be good for either floating or wading, just depends
where you want to fish. But also don't for get about the Teton, Warm
River, and Fall River.

As for places to stay, If you want to spend your time on the south
fork look for an RV camp in Swan Valley, and if you head to Henry's
fork, look for something in Island Park. But even though its an Idaho
trip don't for get about Yellowstone. If the weather is not to hot you
might have a good opportunity for some nice fishing up there.

Just a little FYI, most of the guide trips around these parts are
about the same, but if you shop around you might catch a good deal.
Also, the shop owners and operators around here, at times, are not the
most friendly of people until you spend $30-$50 in there shops (then
they become the most knowledgeable people in the area).

Have fun!

John