Targhee Creek - good fishing

When the weather gets hot so does the fishing at the mouth of Targhee Creek on Henrys Lake.  This week I fished and guided three days on the lake and had a great time.  Most of the fish we caught were brook trout from 15 to 22 inches.  Here is one of them.

Usually there are from 20 to 45 boats in a group around the mouth of the creek.

A few of the fishermen are catching a lot of fish while others are getting skunked or catching just a few.  Here are some tips to being successful there.  Start early.   Six or six-fifteen in the morning are great times to be fishing there.  You want to be in 7 to 9 feet of water, using a slow sink line like an Intermediate, Camo, Slime or a Wet Cel 1 line.  The best flies have been the Mity Mouse, Henrys Lake Renegade or a Light Olive CB.  At times a Hare's Ear or a Pheasant-tail works well.  Experment with your retrieve as two weeks ago they wanted a fast retrieve but last week they wanted a slow one.

The large cutts and a few hybrids have been hitting a little better than they were.  Here is a large cutt that hit for me.

One evening last week we did find some cutts and hybrids in nine feet of water off Duck Creek.  That could turn on this week.

Best of Luck fishing.  If you need any of those flies let me know.

Twin Lakes - Great fishing

Left home at 4 a.m. to travel to Twin Lakes near Preston, Idaho, for some bluegill and bass fishing.  As I pulled into the parking lot, the South Lake was calm and the mountains were reflecting off the mirror surface.  It did not take me long to stir the surface up as the bluegill were spawning and fighting mad.

The first pocket of them were all small, under six inches, but other pockets held some large ones - up to nine inches.  This one was just under eight inches, but was a keeper. 

Not only were the gills ready and willing to hit my Beadhead Mity Mouse, but the bass were also  into it.  Most of them were about eight to ten inches, but three were over 12 and this one was a 14 incher.

By 10:30 the wind was howling and the fish quit biting.  So I headed home with 12 bluegills and my wife and I had fresh fish for dinner along with salad from our garden.

Another great wild day in Idaho.

Henrys Lake - Damsels are starting to hatch

I fished Henrys Lake on Friday monring with good success.  Once again I caught more brook trout than I did cutthroats.

Several of the brook trout were over 18 inches with one over 20.  The best fishing for me happened off Targhee Creek in 18 to 15 feet of water.  Garth, from Rupert, Idaho, fished close to me and had a good morning also.

When I came back to the boat launch, I saw several damsel flies hatching on the boat docks.  That means the hatch should happen this next week and we should have great fishing on the west side of the lake in the County Boat Dock and A-Frame Bay areas.  Any of the damsel patterns should work well as soon as the fish start feeding on them.  It is great timing for the July Fourth Holiday.

Best of Luck.  See you on the water; or in the bushes with my camera in hand.