Anglers ID

Southwest Idaho may not share the anadromous glory of the Clearwater runs, nor the fertile waters of the Upper Snake, but it holds some real treasures. Firstly among these is the South Fork of the Boise River. The South Fork Boise is  a desert tailwater on the edge of the Snake River plain which alone would surely give credence to the term "gem state." The density and diversity of the hatches, from spring to fall, and plentiful fat & feisty rainbows  make this a popular destination for Boise fly fishers. It isn't hard to understand given the fact t is just over an hour away from town, east of Mountian Home. Caddis hatches on the 'SFB' can be prodigous, and the Stoneflies are a hoot when they are out in force. There's also a brown trout fishery in South-Eastern Oregon that is worth checking out, in case you haven't heard. The Boise River flowing right through the State Captiol is a very decent stream filled primarily with stocked rainbows, native reproducing redbands, and every once in a while it will surprise you with a hatchery-planted adult steelhead or a  big "Downtown Brown." The Duck Valley Indian Reservation operates 3 pay-to-play lakes down on (and across) the Nevada border that are worth a visit, especially in the spring when their low elevation allows for an early season escape for the angler with a bad case of spring fever. Lake Lowell in Nampa, and large impoundments on the Snake River, such as C.J. Strike and Brownlee Reservoirs make numerous opportunities for warmwater game fish, and there are other jewels hidden in the desert of Idaho's Southwest corner if one does a little searching.