I just returned from a 5 day float trip down the Lower Fork of the Salmon River
in Idaho.
I went on a guided trip (by Oregon River Experience www.oregonriver.com) with
some friends (12 in the group with 3 guides). ORE operates a "Row your Own"
(That is you get to row the boats ... not just be a passenger with a guide) trip
and provides 14 ft - 2 man catacrafts for you to float in. The boats fished
well and they accompany you with guide boats which carry all the
food/kitchen/toilet materials. ORE let me take my pontoon boat on the trip ( a
10 foot J.W. Outfitters Rio Diablo). They also had an inflatable kyak for those
who take turn from the larger catacrafts.
A number of us fished. Although it wasn't a fishing trip per se, I couldn't
spend that amount of time on the water without a fly rod in my hand.
We put in near White Bird, Idaho (Hammer Creek area) on the Salmon River and
took out at Heller Bar on the Snake River just after the Grand Ronde dumps in to
the Snake.
There is fair trout fishing at Hammer Creek, apparently they have stocked it
with some Kamloops trout according to Joe at Twin River Anglers in Lewiston.
They took dry's (stimulators and hoppers) but I did best on a tan and white
clouser.
As you descended the river, the water warmed and small mouth bass appeared.
Here clousers also worked, as did a crawdad pattern. I switched to a full
sinking line and did better with the small mouth. Lots of fun and nice to be
able to supplement the table fare with (all trout were released) . A friend on
the trip continued to pick up trout in the lower part of the river on a sunken
hopper (split shot weighted it down - floating line).
It was a great trip with wonderful beaches to camp on, great food, superb
nighttime star gazing, and fair fishing.
I was impressed with my smaller pontoon boats ability to handle the class 3 and
4 (snowhole) rapids. I would usually take the "whitewater" path through the
rapids instead of the easiest route. I didn't flip once and now feel confident
to handle most situations I might encounter in Washington streams.
A great trip to consider for a group or family!
I must also add a friend and I visited Kelly Creek at the headwaters of the
Clearwater river on the suggestion of list member Chris Armour and enjoyed 2
days of great dry fly fishing over native west slope cutthroat. There were LOTS
of stone fly skins on the rocks .... would have loved to have been there during
that hatch, which I suspect was a few weeks before.
Tight Lines....
Steve Egge
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
