Ok, I survived Christmas. A few days before the holiday, my wonderful aunt Mary sent me this picture showcasing her undying Christmas spirit. I laughed and laughed! I must admit I sometimes feel an awful lot like this, too. But, as I’m sure you were told many times growing up, we can use our imaginations […]
Snow fell all day on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, there was 4-5 inches of fresh snow at our house–a welcome Christmas bonus. Basin-wide per cent of average for the date is about 120%. The north side of the basin apparently has more snow than the south side. The upper Middle Fork drainage seems to […]
The Salmon River near Salmon remains ice-free, and steelhead fishermen are still on the river. Today the river temperature is in the upper 30s. Yesterday it was 40 degrees at mid-day. Clarity is off a bit. Right now I would consider it fishable, but if the river got much darker I probably wouldn’t bother to […]
I hope this picture tells you a thousand words: My son is quite a character. He’s a VERY BUSY three-year-old, and great user of his mom’s extra time. If I am sporadic in posting here, you now know why. But anyway, let’s get back to the Middle Fork. I believe we were just finishing lunch […]
It’s December. I’m sitting at my desk, looking out my office window which overlooks the Salmon River. It’s snowing. I keep telling myself that this is a good thing: all those flakes are adding up to a few more drops of water for next summer’s river season. This time of year, when all this snowing […]
Dates and rates for 2015 are updated on the web site. Dates on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon are the same, except in September, because dates are assigned to us by the Forest Service. On the Lower Salmon, we can control our dates, and I align them with days of the week. Some rates […]
With recent moderate weather, the Salmon River has not been carrying slush ice in the Salmon area in recent days. In general, if the overnight low is above 20 degrees, there won’t be ice flowing. Based on that and the forecast, this week should be ice-free. Steelhead fishermen are picking up some fish. There aren’t […]
This morning the snow pack report for the Salmon River drainage shows 120% of average for the date. The fall was warm and dry until mid-November, then winter arrived with an abrupt cold snap. Temperature in the morning was O for several days, and ice began to flow down the river and jam. Temperature moderated, […]
Dates for whitewater rafting trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon during the summer are fixed, but post-season dates, after 3 September, change each year. In 2015, we have a launch date on 17 September. By that time, passengers will fly in to begin the trip, at Indian Creek, or another air strip along […]
I recently took my two-and-a-half year old on a six-day river trip. Two trips, actually. Since I was also in full-time guide mode, I had to bring help. The first trip was a total trial, but worked out far better than I could have imagined. My amazing friend, Lexi, came along with her almost-four-year-old, who […]
Salmon River temperature increased in the last few days, after the O weather the previous week, and the river is clearing of slush ice. The Deadwater ice jam extends several miles upstream from North Fork, but there is open water in the Salmon area, and a few steelhead fishermen are out. We are getting snow, […]
Today we flew over the lower Middle Fork of the Salmon, and back up the Salmon River to Salmon. There were numerous ice jams on the Middle Fork. The Deadwater jam on the Salmon below North Fork had backed up nearly to North Fork. It is winter in Salmon River country. It will be around […]
Ice is flowing down the Salmon River near Salmon this morning, as expected. It’s 0 degrees this morning. There likely will be some steelhead fishing opportunity after this cold snap passes, but it will be difficult to schedule.
The current cold snap is chilling steelhead fishing in the Salmon area. This morning the river was 34 degrees. Overnight air temperature is predicted to reach O, so I expect to see ice in the river soon. This cold snap is supposed to last several days. After things warm up, we should get some more […]
Steelhead fishing in the Salmon area continues, with water temperatures still in the mid-40s–warm for this time of year. Clarity is good. Success varies from day to day–hot one day, not so hot the next. Today, my boat landed four, lost another. The water temperature favors more fish moving into the area. Leaves are mostly […]
Today was a better steelhead fishing day in the Salmon area. River temperature was mid-40s, clear, mostly sunny day, leaves still yellow along the river. My boat had eight steelhead on, though we had trouble holding them–only landed two. Not many people on the river, as is common in mid-week. Weekends are pretty busy this […]
Steelhead fishing in the Salmon area was much better today than recent days. Several guides reported good catches this evening, including at least one boat limiting out. ‘Bout time.
Steelhead fishing in the Salmon area was slow in the last half of last week, probably because of wet weather coming in. The river was a little off-color, but not enough to restrict fishing. River temperature was 52 degrees the end of Friday afternoon, 50 on Saturday. Level is slightly above average. We are in […]
Today (Sunday 26th) was a good day to catch up on desk work–rainy, windy, generally unpleasant, new snow on the ridgetops. We have had unsettled weather the last few days, and fishing has been slower than expected for this time. The river was 50 degrees yesterday at end of afternoon, 52 the day before. It […]
We are proud to have Todd Lansing with us this fall. Todd is a Spey-only steelhead fishing guide. If you are looking for that coveted chance to swing for steelhead with the best in the field, come spend a day on the Salmon River with Todd. Todd spent the summer working with us on the […]
