Fishing the Big Wood River

Lest we forget, 

here is the photo that Guide Andrew took of Jack with his large Silver Creek rainbow last Friday.

On Sunday morning we left the RV campground in Picabo and drove 7 miles to the small town of Carey, Idaho, where Carol had found a church to attend. As it turned out, the church at one time had been affiliated with Village Missions, the organization that sponsors our church in Oriskany, King Memorial, and many other churches in rural areas that can’t normally afford a full-time pastor. Larkin Memorial Community Church was friendly and unassuming. They obviously have a strong youth program, as about half the congregation of 40 or so were under the age of 17.

Larkin Memorial Church, Carey, Idaho.

After church we had a sandwich at the local gas station/diner (yummy freshly made sandwiches and salads) and then went back to the local outfitters in Picabo so he could buy new waders (we don’t want to risk another bout with hypothermia from his current leaky pair!). We saw Jack’s fishing guide Andrew Thomas at the outfitters with another group of fishing clients and we made a plan for him to meet us at 10 am Monday morning to fish the Big Wood River below Magic Dam, in his drift boat.

[Jack’s story of fishing the Big Wood River follows:]

“Trout Unlimited’s Guide to America’s 100 Best Trout Streams” by John Ross is the book I have used since it was published in 1999 as my “bucket list” of trout streams in America. When Carol and I started our current Epic Journey, I had 11 trout streams left to fish. Idaho has five of the Top 100 trout streams and I had already fished two. Last Friday I checked off Silver Creek and today I checked off the Big Wood River. ("Checked off" means I caught at least one trout in a stream.)

Tucked away in the book’s description of the Big Wood River is two sentences that read, “Below Magic Dam is a short tailwater that holds some of the biggest fish in the river. Despite heavy brush, the tailwater is well worth the effort.” I happened to mention this to Andrew, my guide on Silver Creek last Friday. Andrew said, “There are big fish in that stretch, but you can’t wade-fish the best part. I have a boat we can use to drift-fish that section if you want to try fishing there. I am available on Monday, but we need to find out when the dam owners are planning to stop the flow in the river.”

Andrew had already put me into fish on Silver Creek and although I didn’t quite understand about what he meant by the dam owners stopping the flow into the river, Carol and I signed up for a half-day of guided boat-fishing with Andrew. Andrew arranged to meet us at 10 am Monday at our campsite. The wind was very strong when we camped Sunday night. By the time we arose on Monday morning it was cloudy with a 70% chance of rain.

Andrew arrived early and said the dam owners had cut the flow in the river back a little, but that should not affect our day of fishing. I rode with Andrew while Carol followed in our RoadTrek so we would have a vehicle at the takeout point.

The three of us then drove in Andrew's truck to the site of the dam. The scenery was gorgeous. The whole area was covered by lava rocks and the canyon where we would drift-fish was lined on both sides by lava boulders, some the size of an elephant. Andrew spotted another two flyfishers already in the water in what looked like a raft (not allowed, Andrew said) but turned out to be a guide with his client using tubes to float the river (they are allowed). As Andrew launched his boat it began to rain. We quickly added more clothing, waders and rain gear.

Jack (left) and Andrew ready the boat. Note spillway on right.

Andrew rigged up a flyrod for nymphing and the three of us jumped in the boat. Water was being released from the bottom of the dam through what looked like a 6- or 8-foot diameter pipe which shot the water out into a large pool with a thunderous roar. We quickly passed a set of exciting rapids and I began to fish. Andrew clearly knew where the fish were lying in this stream. He directed me to place the nymphs on the right or left of the boat as needed. It was not long until I hooked into a hard-fighting rainbow. As I recall, Andrew said, “Little fish.” But it did not feel so little to me as it fought hard and when I got him to Andrew’s net, he looked to be at least 16 inches or so. “What did you mean by ‘little fish’?” I asked Andrew. “There are a lot bigger fish than that in these waters!” he replied.

Jack's first  "little" rainbow trout.

The largest trout I had ever caught so far was a 21-inch brown trout in the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River about 10 years ago, and I thought that was a big fish. We stayed in the first pool a while and I caught one or two smallish fish and then I hooked into a really big fish! I could tell it was big by the way it pulled on the line, bent the rod almost in half, and stripped line off my reel several times. After a long fight I got the largest fish (a rainbow weighing around 4 lb and measuring probably 24 inches) I had ever caught. High-fives with Andrew as I acknowledged that the earlier trout was indeed small by comparison.

Jack trying to bring the fish to the net. Note the bend in his flyrod.

Jack's big rainbow trout in the net.

The big rainbow in hand. Andrew on left, Jack on right. It's raining hard. What a beautiful fish!

While I continued to fish Andrew pointed out a peregrine falcon sitting at the top of a nearby tree. It was a beautiful sight along the lava rock-strewn banks of the river.

A few more strikes and misses and then a strange strike. At first I thought I had on a small fish, followed by a large tug on my line. A hard-fighting fish which stripped line off my reel swam deep and downstream. We could not see the fish as I tried several times to get it to the net. After maybe 5 to 6 minutes of fighting with the fish, I wondered whether he would play out before I did. I finally got him to Andrew’s net. It was the largest brown trout I ever saw. Easily 5 pounds and about 25 inches. Andrew and I were beyond ourselves as Carol snapped pictures. I could not believe in just around two hours of fishing I had not one, but two of the largest trout I ever caught!

Another big fish on.

Get the fish to net.

Two happy fishermen. A very big brown trout.

As we drifted further downstream the weather changed. It was still raining but now it was getting colder. I had on woolen gloves with finger-tip cutouts, but Andrew, who managed the oars, had no gloves on. Either I was getting cold or the weather changed the fishing, but I seemed unable to hook up with more fish, despite a few more strikes. We spotted a sizable bird in a tree and Andrew identified it as an American bittern. A little further downstream and I stopped getting any strikes. No strikes and getting cold, I suggested we stop fishing. Andrew rowed the short distance to the takeout.

As we entered the takeout area, we flushed out of the trees a large owl which we could not identify. I waited with the boat while Carol and Andrew drove back in the RoadTrek to the put-in area to fetch Andrew’s truck and boat trailer.

By the way, Andrew explained what was going to happen to this wonderful stream and the trout in it. On Thursday, flow to the creek will be stopped. Some of the trout will survive in the deeper pools and grow to be fished next year.

After loading up we drove to Bellevue to have a hot late lunch (or maybe we should call it an early supper) with Andrew, look at Carol’s great pictures and bask in the glory of one of the finest fishing days I ever had!

[Carol’s two-cents worth: A really fun time drifting the river and watching Jack catch spectacular trout, despite the chilly rain (which probably helped the fishing anyway). Andrew is a very knowledgeable guide who goes above and beyond the call of duty (and it also helps that he’s a Virginny boy and Va. Tech grad!). We’re now back at the campground, the rain has stopped for now, and we had a beautiful rainbow in the sky this evening, the perfect bookend for the beautiful one that Jack caught this morning!]

View from our camp as sky begins to clear. Another beautiful rainbow!