New water, Small fish: July 1, 2013

I've been doing a lot of fishing lately, but I'm behind in my posting of some of the outings I've had.  July 1st is an important date in Idaho, as it is the opening day of cutthroat streams. Since cutthroats are spring spawners the streams that are primary spawning streams are closed until July 1st. I, like ubber many fly fisherman, hit the waters as soon as they were open.

This July 1st I drove to one of my favorite cutthroat streams only to find half the state of Utah parked along the river's edge. I was disgusted. So, in retaliation I drove further to the headwaters and fished where there was no one else. My reward? Little trout and brookies! If there is anything I hate (OK, hate is a strong word), dislike more than people on the river is brook trout.

Brook trout are an invasive species in the West. They were introduced by the well meaning US Government to increased the sports fishery of western streams. Fortunately they spawn in the fall. Unfortunately, they breed like cockroaches! In many waters they have become so prolific that they out compete the native trout. Brookies breed so out of control that they also often out breed their food supply, so frequently they are small and stunted. One plus in their favor is that will live in high mountain lakes where other trout could not.

So, like I said, I dislike brook trout -- at least in my waters. I'd love to go back East and catch some in their native heath, or waters, however. But they belong back there.

Before I make too many enemies I freely admit that the rainbow and browns I catch are also introduced species in my part of the West. We do have some introduced wild redband trout in a few isolated streams upstream of Shoshone Falls on the Snake (a natural barrier to steelhead, salmon, rainbow, bull trout species), but the only truly native trout in the western Great Basin or upper Snake River drainage is the cutthroat. It is these that I pursue with passion.

Back to the stream: it was small and low. The sky was cloudless and full sun. The fish mainly hugged under the riparian cover and so casting had to be precise. There was a breeze coming from my right and casting the #3 line was a bit challenging trying to keep on target.

I caught a bunch of little brookies and a few nice cutthroat. All in all, since I didn't see any other person that alone made the outing successful! I just wish the fish were a little bigger!!

Best fish of the hour I fished -- a cutthroat.

Here is a video of the water and some for the fish.