Teton River Idaho Fly Fishing Report
10/29/24 Good conditions exist. Very good hatches continue to take place. We received another good report from a customer fishing this past week. It is still flowing below a normal level and the water is clear. Good hatches continue to take place. Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations.
| Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options. We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com. Type of Stream Freestone Species Rainbow Trout Cutthroat Trout Cuttbows (hybrids) Location Northeaster Idaho Size: Small to medium Nearest Towns Driggs Season Memorial Day through October Access: Good but lots of hiking required Non-Resident License State of Idaho Weather National Weather Service Link USGS Real-time Stream Data: Near South Leigh Creek Recommended Tackle & Gear Fly Line: 4, 5 or 6 weight Leaders: Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing: 71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X Tippets: Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X, Streamer 0-2X Best Fly Rods: Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five or Ultimate Six Fly Reels: For 4/5/6 fly line Fly Floatants and Misc Items: Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators Tools & Accessories: Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc. Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail. Copyright 2016 James Marsh |
Fly Fishing On The Teton River In Idaho:
There are two Teton Rivers – one in Montana and another in Idaho. The one in Central Montana is formed in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the one in Idaho is formed in the Teton Mountains. Fly fishing the Teton River in Idaho is a real treat and here’s why. The Teton River is a tributary of the North Fork of the Snake River and flows into the Snake near St. Anthony, Idaho. It drains an area of the Teton Mountains and flows westward through the Teton Basin for a total length of about 75 miles. Once the river leaves the mountains, it enters the flat country of Idaho potatoes where is has carved its way to the Snake River. Most of the river flows through private property. It can be accessed at a few bridges and it can be fished from a boat, provided the water levels are acceptable. Some areas of the river offers white water rafting, so it is not all calm water. Most anglers use a pontoon type water craft as opposed to the traditional drift boat, although some sections can be fished from a wooden drift boat. It strictly depends on the section of the river. In its uppermost parts the Teton is a meadow stream. Some of the water comes from numerous springs along its route. Most of the water flows through private property in this section, so the bank fishing and wading is limited. There are several boat ramps along the rivers course. There are several campgrounds in the area. The small towns of Driggs, Tetonia and Victor are located in the area of the Teton River. When the river flows from the upper valley, not far below Harrop’s Bridge, it enters a canyon that is very inaccessible. This section consist of white water that can be difficult to negotiate. I won’t get into the details of the history of it, but the area at the end of this canyon was once the site of a lake formed by a earth made dam. It broke in 1976 and eleven people lost their life as a result. The fish are mostly cutthroats and rainbows. Cutbows, or hybrids, are also present along with some brook trout in its upper reaches. The larger fish are in the canyon section of the river. Because of the changes in the flows of the river, from a meadow stream to a canyon stretch, the river has a wide variety of aquatic insects. The springs along the way also contribute to this diversity. In short, the Teton River has a lot of different species of mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies that include most species that are found in this area of the western United States. I will list some of the most important ones. Mayflies such as different species of Blue-winged olives hatch in the early and late seasons. Pale Morning duns are probably the second most important mayfly. There are Yellow Quills, Ginger Quills, Pink Ladies, Green Drakes, Small Western Green Drakes, Brown Drakes and Tricos. Most caddisflies are species of Spotted Sedges, Green Sedges, Black Dancers, Little Black caddis, Short-horned sedges, and October Caddis. Stoneflies included the big Salmonflies, Golden Stoneflies and Little Yellow Stoneflies. There are plenty of terrestrial insects including ants, beetles and grass hoppers. Sculpins are the most important fish food for the trout.If it were not for the Henry’s Fork and the South Fork of the Snake River being in the same general area of Idaho, the Teton River would be a much more popular fly fishing destination than it is. It is a beautiful river. With the Tetons in the background, it would be difficult to imagine anything else. Our one day of fishing this river from the banks, produced several nice fish. I would expect that drifting the river would produce even more and be the best way to fish it.
Fly Fishing On The South Fork of the Snake River In Idaho: The South Fork of the Snake River is one of Idaho’s better tailwaters. This is especially true if you like to fish from a drift boat. That is by far the best way to fish the river although it does have some excellent fishing for the wader during the late summer and early fall season. The South Fork of the Snake River flows from Wyoming into the state of Idaho into Palisades Reservoir. The tailwater flows from the Palisades Dam a distance of sixty-four miles to its confluence with the Henry’s Fork. Fly fishing the South Fork of the Snake River ranks at the top of the list of most anglers who have experienced it. Located in south eastern Idaho, is known for its large cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout. It has large hatches of mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies that provide excellent dry fly fishing opportunities. Many anglers rank it at the top of their list of fine tailwaters. The river has some very large pools and some long fast water riffles and runs. In many areas the river is broken up into braided sections by islands creating a very diverse fishery. Fly fishing the South Fork of the Snake River can be challenging at times, but like any river worth fishing, it’s the challenges that make fishing exciting. The South Fork has a population native Fine Spot and Yellowstone cutthroat trout. In recent years the rainbow trout population has caused some concern because it has grown to the point is has affected the native cutthroat population. The native cutthroat trout attain a very good size with the cutthroats ranging from fourteen up to twenty inches. The brown trout also grow large, commonly exceeding twenty inches. The population of brown trout increase in the lower section of the river. The upper section of the South Fork, approximately half of the part extending from the Palisades Dam to the Conant Valley boat access, is fairly narrow. There are a total of four public boat launches in this area of the river. This section is approximately fifteen miles long. Below the Irwin Access, the river widens out and becomes much shallower. It meanders through the Swan Valley with many side channels and shallow water riffles. There are some of the South Fork’s best wading opportunities in this section. It also provides some of the best dry fly fishing.From there, the South Fork enters a large canyon. It begins at the Conant Valley boat access and extends downstream to the Byington boat access. There are two additional public access in the canyon section of the South Fork – Cottonwood Access and Wolf Access. This section is about fifteen miles long but once you decide to float it, there’s no point to get out of the canyon. There’s no other access points in the canyon. The canyon section is the most beautiful section of the river. It is also the most fun section to fish in our opinion. The water doesn’t normally drop to where wading anglers are not at a disadvantage until the month of September. Autumn is the best time to wade the South Fork. This large tailwater is generally best for float trips. Many areas are just too deep and swift to wade. Numerous boat and foot access points are found along the South Fork of the Snake River’s length from the dam to Lorenzo near the point it joints the famous Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. When your fishing the South Fork, please always keep in mind that swift currents, deep water, irrigation diversion dams, and other hazardous situations exist. Always exercise caution whether your wading or floating the big river.