Spent the last three and half days fishing the Clearwater in Idaho.
The water level had dropped from 12,000 cfs to 6500 cfs earlier in
the week and was remaining steady. . . until we arrived. On friday,
Dworshak Dam cut it's flow to 200cfs. That left the water from the
southfork, which was 72 degrees three weeks ago, to make the river
flows at Spaulding 3000 cfs.
The steelhead chose the cooler water of the slow, marginal frogwater,
rather than the oxygenated runs. I put away my dryline and wakers and
fished sinktips, which to me was close to sacrilege, in the bellies
of the pools and ignored the heads and tailouts. It was fruitless and
I am quite concerned as to what may happen to the largest return in
ten years.
Shrimp and bobbers. . . hmmm
Leland.
