Fly Fishing the West

Vol. 31, Issue 1

October 21-22 2019

Snake River below and above American Falls Reservoir, Idaho 

Monday Morning, October 21, 2019—Tyson, Paul and I arrived at Pipeline Campground at about 7:30 am. It is about 5 miles southwest of American Falls, Idaho, which is at American Falls Reservoir Dam. It is called Pipeline because there is a pipeline suspended across the river. There is a boat launch where the pipeline is. Upon arriving there were already several fishermen fishing at some rapids just upstream of the boat launch. We drove further upstream along a river road about ½ mile to a pull-off with access right next to the river. Tyson and I went upstream over a dry river bottom reaching out about 30 yards from shore to where the river flow narrowed to about 25 yards, see PICTURE below. Paul tried downstream. (See NOTES 1 and 2 below on wind and river level, which are key factors in our experience fishing this river.)

Tyson caught an 18” rainbow on a streamer (white, weighted he tied). I had a fly pole and spinning pole with me. Walking out over the riverbed I found a ~1/8 ounce yellow with green spots rooster tail lure in the rocks so I put it on. I caught a rainbow habout 20” long, see PICTURES below. Paul caught a rainbow about 14” on a black panther Martin lure,. The entire time the wind was blowing upstream. It was cold (about 38 degrees F). The wind started out at about 10 mph but picked up and by about 11 am it was 20-25 mph. This made casting hard. We left at 11:30 am.

Monday Afternoon, October 21, 2019—After lunch we drove about 40 miles from American Falls to Blackfoot, Idaho. About 2 miles north of Blackfoot we got on Porterville Road and drove to where it meets the Snake River. There is a bike path between the road and the river. We parked where there are a series of log jam/rapids. We fished above and below the rapids. I fished a deep (10-15 feet deep) stretch where water was being funneled above the rapids to a canal. One reason we tried this section of river was the wind was not a problem. I caught a 14” rainbow off the bottom on a size 12 tan elk hair caddis. Paul also caught a similar rainbow on an elk hair caddis there as well. We all fished below the log jam/rapids, see PICTURE below, with no luck.

Tuesday Morning, October 22, 2019—We decided to go back to Pipeline Campground. The temperature was pleasant at 46 degrees F at 7 am. We arrived at about 7:30 am at the same spot as Monday. The river flow was down from about 1,200 cfs on Monday to about 800 cfs. There was no wind. Again Tyson and I went upstream out over dry river bottom to where the river narrowed to about 25 yards. Paul tried again downstream. Tyson landed a rainbow on a streamer about 20”. I was a shiny, beautiful rainbow. I tried a 3” sinking rapala on the spinning rod and caught a 24” rainbow. This is the biggest rainbow I ever caught next to the second biggest ever the day before. (See PICTURE below). Tyson had assured us that there were 24” rainbows in there. He was exactly right. The wind started to pick up considerably again about 10:30 am. We headed home. What a two-day trip it was.

Other Miscellaneous Information/Observations:

1.    The weather was mostly very nice in Idaho in October. Monday was cold in the morning (38 degrees F) but warm in the afternoon and sunny (50 F). Tuesday was surprisingly warmer (46 F at 7 am). Monday morning the wind started out as a breeze (5-10 mph) when we arrived at the river, then slowly picked up and by 11 am it was up to 20-25 mph. When we arrived on Monday the cold temperature with even just a breeze made it miserable trying, for example, to keep your hands warm.

2.    Tyson planned this trip by closely watching the river flows. During the summer months Snake river flows below American Falls Reservoir (at Neeley, Idaho) run from 15,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) in June to 10,000 cfs by September. By mid-October flows drop to 4,000 cfs. When we arrived on Monday the flow was down to 1,200 cfs on Monday then 800 cfs on Tuesday morning.) Flows actually (as of Wednesday, October 23) had dropped further (to about 400 cfs) by the next day (after we were gone).

3.    The water in the Snake below American Falls Reservoir had a light green tinge to it. During very low water small pools left in the dry river bed were loaded with small green caddis larvae, as well as other aquatic life, including what looked like small scud or sow bugs and dark reddish-brown  sculpin up to 3-4 inches long. Above the reservoir by Blackfoot the water was much clearer and slightly green in deep holes. Even so, one could see the bottom through 15 feet of water. It is no wonder that trout grow to large sizes in these stretches of the river.

4.    We saw hawks, large white pelicans and huge flocks of seagulls sitting along the river. We also saw several brown sculpins in pools left on the rocky river bottom as water flows dropped overnight.

5.    Non-resident Idaho fishing license for 2019 was $22 for a two-day license.

6.    On the way home we passed by Samaria, Idaho. Samaria is nestled under the beautiful Samaria Mountain range and overlooks the fertile Malad Valley. John Evan Price was the first settler to inhabit the area. He, along with his two sons, arrived to the present site of Samaria on February 10, 1868. Eventually the area was settled by Mormon pioneers, mainly from Wales. Due to the hospitality of the inhabitants, the name “Samaria” was suggested by Lorenzo Snow, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints upon his visit to the area. John Evan Price had a great, great, great grandson named Tyson, who one day would pass through the area on a fishing trip (this trip). Tyson’s grandmother, Norma La Rue Bowen was also born in Samaria on October 16, 1924. She passed away January 6, 2015 at the age of 90 years.