The Experience

I have always loved fly fishing the waters of Idaho. Just one time and I was hooked. It’s hard to believe that one fit-full day was actually one of my best. Yes, “fit-full” is right, I spent much of the day fixing my line, replacing flies and just trying to stay on my feet. My supposedly best friend through high school, Chris spend his day catching fish and laughing at me. He definitely had a good day. Chris and his father caught fish all day and I, well I caught nothing. I was completely smoked by these 2 fishermen who let me borrow the gear to make my first attempt at fly-fishing. I cannot thank them enough.

The efforts that accompany fly-fishing are what make it such a great sport, actually catching fish is fun but there is just so much more to this experience. You get to learn how to handle the high quality equipment so it can be used to its true purpose, travel to remote locations with few people, explore valleys to find the perfect fishing spot and even more important, actually seeing what you are looking at.

Fly-fishing is a study of your surroundings, especially the river and shoreline. You can become absorbed in the mesmerizing beauty of the flowing water, seeing what only an experienced fisherman can see, noting how the waters flow, drop, pool or glide over unseen obstacles below the surface that fish call home. There are moments in days like these that you look up and are astounded with beautiful scenery, shorelines empty of anything man-made, rolling mountains covered with dense stands of trees, mist rising from the waters and wildlife cannot be more abundant. Amazing moments of clarity and beauty appear and they are so powerful they stay with you forever.

The waters of north Idaho produce records so frequently, it is hard to keep up with the stats but you may be able to get your name on the record books, at least for a time. Just imagine standing in the cool, crystal clear flowing water of a pristine mountain stream tipping your fly rod back just one more time before releasing your carefully chosen fly out over the gliding waters. Your fly needs to land right above that submerged boulder. Just a moment ago, you saw the silvery side and flash of red from a Cutthroat Trout rising for a caddisfly. Now your locally hand-tied fly has landed gently above the small eddy and is being swept into the small pool where that monster Cut waits. You have a moment to savor the clear air and fresh breeze blowing slowly along the valley floor. Your feet are planted carefully in the swift waters that harbor these elusive Cutthroat Trout. A small trail of smoke has followed you down the river as your family sits cozy by the fire wondering why you would be waist deep in the cool mountain stream at such an early hour. Then you see the rise again, and this time he is coming for your dry fly

The Family

Taking long days to feel the joy of nature and explore a stretch of seemingly untouched shoreline is a wonderful way to spend time with a loved one or teach a child a new skill. These long days may not seem so important during your vacation but they remain some of the most memorable for a lifetime. Your trip to one of Idaho premier lakes or rivers is just a vacation right? Not really, it’s a chance to spend one of those extremely important first 18 summers with your children, deeply and intensely focused on an activity that touches our hearts forever.

Mothers and fathers know that time spend doing things together is how you really reach your children. Sure a good talking to is important now and then but nothing takes the place of long days spent together doing the things we love to do or even learning something new. Create those memories now, in those first 18 summers.

Now, if you ready to go fishing in Idaho, visit our more informational website were you can find a great lake side cabin, read about our fishing and book your trip to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Crystal clear waters, majestic mountains and long fun-filled days await.