The Deadly Pause

By Ted Eisele

Think back: How many times have you paused while retrieving your nymph or streamer and then immediately had a fish hit? Or, had a hit the moment you resumed the retrieve?

It’s a technique that’s worth including in your fly retrieval repertoire. It’s what I call “the deadly pause,” and it pays off in both lakes and streams.”

(Reprinted with permission from Salmon Trout Steelheader magazine.)

Read the full article by opening the following attachment:

The Deadly Pause STS articlePDF.pdf

Dave’s Strategy Session

by Dave Shuldes, shuldesd@gmail.com

The Arctic Grayling Challenge

One of many challenges that Boise Valley Fly Fishers offers to our members each year is the Idaho Arctic Grayling club. Details are listed at this link: Idaho Arctic Grayling Challenge.

There are currently 9 BVFF Grayling Club members, including Mike Mclean, Tom Old, Tim Old and George Butts from 2019-2023. At our BVFF club meeting in March, Jim Kazakoff recognized the new 2024 additions including Patti Bantam, Jill Bradley, Greg Hitchcock, Johnny Rogers and Lisa Szentes. Congratulations to all!

In short, the challenge is to catch, photograph and release an Arctic Grayling in Idaho. These beautiful fish with their neon blue sail fins are planted by the Idaho Department of Fish & Game (IDFG) in Alpine lakes throughout the state. Stocking locations and schedule can be found here:

1. Where have Arctic Grayling been stocked by IDF&G LINK
2. Where have Arctic Grayling been observed in SW Idaho LINK

A tip for our statewide members; the search linked above was set for SW Idaho. You will note that you can check off all the regions of the state you are interested in to expand the results for your area of interest.

During our planning for our annual backpacking trips, my hiking partners and I often research the stocking schedule for our destinations so we know what to expect. The Frank Church Wilderness, McCall area and Sawtooth Mountains are all good targets. These lakes are usually quite remote, so we often schedule an initial day to pack in and establish a base camp, then day hike to the lakes, which may contain Grayling and other uncommon species, such as Golden Trout and or Tiger Trout. Once established these species can over winter for years in the same high elevation lakes. Many of these lakes are unnamed and can only be referenced by their altitude.

Finding the location of Grayling is the key. Once you’ve found your target, the fishing strategy is similar to alpine lakes cutthroat and rainbows. I use a four or five weight rod, floating or sink tip line, a 9 foot leader and 4X or 5X tippet. My favorite fly patterns are a Gartside Sparrow pattern customized with black Krystal Flash in the tail and pointing toward the hook tip from the eye, or a customized Prince Nymph with olive brown goose biots. Hook size is #10, 2X long. I start with a 3 or 4mm tungsten bead head in bronze or olive, and finish with a subtle collar of red thread just behind the bead.

In the right conditions (generally low to no wind) Arctic Grayling will also feed readily on surface flies. A #14 or #16 Elk Hair Caddis, Renegade, or Flying Ant pattern will usually do the trick. When casting, I generally seek out deeper water. Underneath deep ledges and pockets behind boulders are common hangouts.

These Grayling, living in pristine water conditions, will live for many years if treated well. Use of barbless hooks and photographing the fish while they remain in the water are strongly recommended. Catching these relatively rare, colorful species in our Alpine lakes are one of the many delights of fishing in Idaho. There are relatively few places throughout the US and around the world where the right combination of wilderness preservation and wildlife management provide us with these fishing opportunities. We are very lucky to live in such a beautiful state!

Always bring the 10 essentials, travel with a partner, and be prepared for extreme changes in weather at these altitudes which often exceed 8,000 feet in elevation. Tight lines & good luck with the Grayling challenge!

Fun and Games!
by Michael Elsden, Fly Casting Program Lead

March 22nd saw our first ‘Casting Social’ and I’m happy to report that it was very well received by hardy club members who bravely turned out on a windy afternoon. The purpose behind this first event was to have some fun with casting games, get to know each other better, and discuss upcoming casting related activities.

So what precisely is the point of Casting Games? At its most basic, it’s a way of practicing fundamentals with an added element of challenge and fun. Joan Wulff talks about ‘Picking Leaves’ where you select a leaf on a tree and cast until you hit it. Challenging and fun to do, but has the underlying purpose of developing loop control, accuracy, and hand/eye coordination. My own version of ‘tree oriented’ practice requires you to walk through a wooded area while keeping a fly in the air, sometimes casting sideways, always being aware of what’s in front and behind. For added fun, hold your favorite beverage in your line hand while walking/casting and if you make it through the trees without tangling or spilling, you can take a drink and start over.

                                                        

The ‘Roll, Baby Roll’ game (pictured above) is one I learned from Australian master casting instructor, Peter Hayes. Fiendishly fun, the purpose is to throw tight roll cast loops that will gradually wrap around the planted pool noodle. As the noodle gets more and more wraps, you get close to the target which is where you reverse and start unwrapping (and backing up). This develops tight and focused roll cast loops on both left and right sides.

These are all examples of ‘task based learning’. There’s a challenge, or task, that requires building and honing particular skills in order to complete the game. Fun! One idea we are working on is Fly Casting Golf where we select a Frisbee Golf course and instead of flinging a plastic disc, we cast at each target. Sometimes it will be a distance cast, other times roll casting because you are up against a tree, or maybe curve casting around an obstacle…

How about creating your own fly casting games? We’d love to hear your ideas, bring them along to the next Casting Social.

The BVFF website is filled with information about our Education, Conservation, and Access missions as well as our annual fishing Outings. Other information that you might find helpful includes contact information (email and telephone) for other members. You might wish to contact a BOD member or Officer, or someone you met at our member meeting to connect and have coffee or go fishing.

To learn how to access this information, follow this presentation:

BVFF Membership Hackle Bender Website Wonderings Member Contact Info.pptx

Only active BVFF members can access the contact information. Please be respectful of the privacy of our members and do not share this with anyone outside of BVFF.

For Publishing in the January 2025 BVFF Hackle Bender

Dave’s Strategy Session

by Dave Shuldes: shuldesd@gmail.com

The Back End of the Game

Among the many delights of fly fishing strategy are choosing where and when to fish, presentation of the fly, and landing a fish once hooked. Gear preparation is critical and it all starts with the front end – fly rod, line type, tippet selection, fly patterns, etc. The back end – reel, drag setting, and backing condition – is rarely on my priority list. Too often I consider the reel to mostly be a “line holder”, an oversight I recently came to regret.

On the front end I generally match the tippet to the size of fly – 6X for hook sizes 22 and smaller, 5X for sizes 16-20, 4X for sizes 10-14, 3X for size 8 or larger. I use nylon tippet for dries and fluorocarbon for nymphs and streamers. Anticipated size and weight of fish are another factor, but I rarely plan ahead on playing fish larger than 20 inches. A shout out to Cortland Ultra-Premium Fluorocarbon tippet as I find it has proven to have less risk of breaking off in smaller diameters – 5X and 4X in particular. I used to be big on use of 9-foot tapered leaders but these days the Airflo Polyleader in its various models, from the 6.5 and 8 ft. floating versions to the various sink rates, has allowed me to tie a single strand of tippet from the tippet ring to the fly. Less knots make for less potential weak points! This has improved my success in landing fish.

The “back end” has fewer nuances to it but it can become essential. As an example, I was fishing an alpine lake in the Pioneer mountains this past fall, targeting Arctic Grayling with good success. I was fishing a variation of a prince nymph pattern in size 10 with a red collar, 3mm olive tungsten bead, brown olive ice dub, olive goose biots and Krystal Flash in the tail. With this set up a floating line and leader was working well. The heavy beaded fly with 8 feet of 4X tippet was all I needed to gain plenty of depth. 16-18 inch grayling were finding it frequently and these fish were easy to play to the net.

Then, with my line already cast out, a long torpedo of a rainbow suddenly emerged into view, swimming directly toward me along the near shoreline. I carefully maneuvered my fly to be visible in front of the fish. Once it saw the fly there was no hesitation. Something I love about alpine lake’s clear water is we can often see it all happen right in front of us!

The initial run after the hook set took the fish a good 20 yards away where it leapt into the air. At that moment I had a memorable, spectacular look at the specimen. Next was a run toward the center of the relatively shallow lake like I have never experienced before. The line was quickly out into the backing and I started to tighten the drag. Here’s a tough decision… how much drag is too much? What setting will allow too much line to escape vs. creating too much torque, resulting in a broken knot or hook release? The tippet strength rating was definitely less than the fish weight, I thought, so I erred on the light side, relying on my backing length to hold out.

Then my lack of preparation came into play. With more than 50% of the backing off the reel, it reached a spot deep in the arbor where the backing had overlapped on itself. The increased resistance was just sudden enough and strong enough that the fish was able to pull itself away from the hook. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I was out of breath. I slowly reeled back in… leader, tippet, knots and fly were all still intact.

I later checked stocking records for that particular lake and learned that Troutlodge Triploid Rainbows had been stocked there 8 years prior in 2016. Whew… I’ll never forget this long-time resident who took advantage of my oversight in not checking my backing for a smooth release. Could I have salvaged a landing with a tighter drag setting? I’ll never know… but I’ve replayed it many times in my mind. That’s the experience of fly fishing. The fish that win the game can be the most memorable. In the meantime, I’ve been through my reels and re-wound the backing, and I’ll now be doing that with my main reel of intended use before each trip!

For Inclusion in the Hackle Bender, Winter Issue, January 2025, Education Eddy

Casting Skills Development at Boise Valley Fly Fishers

I want to take this opportunity in the first edition of the new year to introduce myself. Brian asked me to step up when Don and Joy decided to take a well-deserved break from heading up Casting Skills Development at BVFF. Many thanks to them for everything they’ve contributed over the years. Big shoes for me to fill!

Some of you might recognize a slight accent as I’m from someplace east of here. I’m fairly new to Idaho, having moved here a year ago, so I’m definitely a novice when it comes to Idaho waters. Feel free to educate me! I do love fly casting, however… and I also love to teach. I passed my FFI Casting Instructor exam back in 2018 and the following year completed the Joan Wulff Casting Instructor School. I gotta tell you, Joan, despite being tiny and (now) late nineties, could strike fear into your very soul. Somehow, you can sense when she’s looking at your casts… then, when you turn around, she’s walking toward you (oh no)… and when she gets next to you and says, ‘what ARE you doing!?’ - boom! ---> crushed.

So, what do I see happening at BVFF in regard to casting skills development? We will continue to hold events for the excellent FFI casting skills program - foundation, bronze, silver, and gold. I’d love it if we got several through the gold level, as that expands our available team for future challenge events. In addition, Brian and I are thinking up some fun ‘casting socials’ for all skill levels where we can have informal casting ‘games’ aimed at building skills and camaraderie. We are open to suggestions too, so please let us know if you have any ideas. How about fly casting ‘golf’?

I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2025, and please stop by to say ‘hi’ at the expo later this month.

Michael Elsden

Hackle Bender Editor and Publisher – Each January, April, July, and October 1, publishes the Hackle Bender using MailChimp or another Board approved platform, receives and edits articles from individuals to include in the publication, produces articles, stays abreast of BVFF activities by communicating with committee chairpersons and publishes noteworthy information, etc.

Access Committee Chairperson - oversees all activities/projects assigned by the Board, sets monthly(?) meeting dates, reports monthly to the Board on progress for each activity/project, directly manages or delegates projects, researches and determines all public fisheries in the Boise River watershed and assesses current access and access needs, etc.

Education Committee Chairperson - oversees all activities/programs for our Education mission and as assigned by the Board, sets monthly(?) meeting dates, reports monthly to the Board on progress for each activity/program, directly manages or delegates programs, researches educational topics and opportunities, and develops programs beneficial to our members and the public, etc.

Outings Committee Chairperson - oversees all monthly outings, the Yea Buddy/Member Meetup program, and any other outing assigned by the Board, sets monthly(?) meeting dates, reports monthly to the Board on progress for each outing and needs, directly manages or delegates outings, ensures that all outings are posted to the BVFF website in a timely manner, researches new fisheries for outings, plans outings well ahead of time (one year suggested), timely communicates the planned outings with the Monthly Membership Meeting Presentations/Demonstrations Lead to coordinate presenter topics with the upcoming outing, etc.

Communications Committee Chairperson – oversees IT/AV, Publications (Quarterly Hackle Bender and Monthly Member Update (except when Hackle Bender is published), Marketing (BVFF Website, Expo Website, Social Media Outreach/Postings) and any other related items assigned by the Board, sets monthly(?) meeting dates, reports monthly to the Board on progress and needs, directly produces content or delegates responsibilities, etc.

Individuals to participate on each established committee – participates in monthly committee meetings, manages/completes activities/projects assigned (they volunteer to do this rather than be assigned?) by chairperson, etc.

Substitute Instructors for Fundamentals of Fly Fishing Program Classes – teaches one of the four classes that have been developed for this program. Communicates with the class developer to obtain class syllabus and maintain consistency in materials/information presented. Primary instructors who developed a class and the classes are:

Brady Kallas – Equipment - Rods, Reels, Fly Line, Leaders, and Tippet

Troy Pearse – Entomology (and Imitative Flies)

Joy Knickrehm – Fishing Knots

Tom Governale? – How to Fly Fish (Now that I know all this stuff, what do I do with it? Where do I find the fish and how do I catch them?

When headed out fishing, it is helpful to understand the weather and water conditions, so you can be prepared as well as make smart and safe decisions.

For weather, I find NOAA’s forecasts the most accurate for our area and includes forecasts for the “Dreaded W”. I use the app “NOAA Weather Unofficial” which gives an hour-by-hour temperature, “W” and precipitation forecast that is very useful. Here is an example that shows when a recent storm is expected to stop raining. (Update: Looks like this is an Android only app--sorry. Here is a link to the app developer's page.)

Another handy tool for checking the weather is the Bureau of Reclamation’s Hydromet website which includes weather sites at many dams and rivers. For example, in the winter it’s nice to see when the air temperatures got above freezing the last few days, and it’s always good to see how much rain the Owyhee got before you head over, as larger rain events can cause a dry side canyon/creek to blowout.  

One tip about fishing in “the W”: It can be difficult, but river canyons like the SF Boise and Owhyee have protected areas that make it easier to cast, depending on the direction of the wind. Make a “W Plan” by paying attention to how much grass and tree movement you see when you’re driving along the river and make notes of these areas.

Understanding water flows and water temperatures is also very important. Spring runoff can make rivers dangerously high to fish and rainstorms can bring flows up on freestone rivers. The NOAA River Forecast page will give you an idea of how the river might come up from forecast precipitation and how the current river flows compare to the average (median) flows. Upcoming changes in dam outflows are also shown in the river forecast, which will let you know when flows are expected to change. Here is an example that shows when the Middle Fork of the Boise River will drop after our recent heavy rainstorm.

There are some good apps to track river flows. I like “Rivercast” and “Riverflows”. BVFF’s “Local Waters” web page is extremely helpful as it includes links to river flows, forecasts and water temperatures. As well as reservoir levels and Bureau of Reclamation’s Boat Ramp page that lets you know if you’ll be able to launch at your favorite boat ramp.  Bookmark it and make a habit of checking it before you head out on your fishing trip.

You can also sign up for USGS “Water Alerts” and get notifications for changes in water conditions based on thresholds you choose. For example, I have a water alert set for the SF Boise to let me know when flows have gone above or below 600cfs (note, to avoid duplicate notifications I set it for flows that are greater than 400 and less than 500 ft^3/s – daily). Similarly, I have an alert set on the Owyhee river for “Discharge is greater than 75 and less than 100 ft^3/s – daily”.

Knowing water temperatures can help you anticipate what bugs are hatching and help you choose where you want to fish. For example, in the early summer fishing the lower end of the MF Boise will have warmer water temperatures and better fishing. But by mid summer the lower MF Boise can get too warm for fishing and you’ll have better luck moving upstream to cooler waters. For more details on how to use water temperatures to improve your fishing, see this previous blog article .

Showing up at a river when it’s not in prime condition can ruin your fishing day. Spending a few minutes checking the river flows and forecasts will make you a more effective fisherman.

EXAMPLE FISHING CONDITION QUESTIONS

• What are the flows on the Boise River in town ?
• How will the MF Boise River respond to the rainstorm?
• Is the boat ramp in the water?
• What were air temperatures on the S.F. Boise yesterday?
• How much rain did the Owyhee river get last night?
• What are water temps in the Boise River in town? 
• What will "The W" be like on the SFB today?

Dave’s Strategy Session

The Flow of Fly Fishing

By Dave Shuldes

shuldesd@gmail.com

“The more I know, the less I understand. All the things I thought I knew, I’m learning again.”

Don Henley, The Heart of the Matter

The other day I nearly lost out on a memorable fish by giving up too soon. I was standing in a familiar drift on the Boise in town, tight line nymphing with a reliable #18 midge pattern. The technique and fly I was using had results for me in this run at this time of year countless times. I worked the run hard, several dozen drifts, and my busy mind told me it was time to move on.

Fortunately, I needed to add some tippet. While digging around in my sling,  a fly sitting on my foam pad stood out to me. It was a #14 caddis pupae pattern. Chartreuse and black “Houdini weave” abdomen with a green Ice Dub thorax.

I paused and relaxed for a minute. My first thought was “March… it’s still too early for caddis”…. (Pick up the story here) But then my intuition drifted to the recent weather pattern – a lot warmer than normal for this time of year. Well, it seems futile but why not? The first drift through the exact some run was just as the previous dozen casts… BAM! A heavy fish took me deep into the reel, almost to the backing. A delightful battle on what would never have happened had I acted on my habitual thought.

Whether it’s fly fishing, or nature in general, often what I think I know stands between an impatient move and allowing the flow of the situation – the river, the weather, the season, what I’m seeing and hearing – to guide the next decision. Being in a hurry to make things happen is all too frequently my frame of mind. I’m learning slowly in fishing (and in life) that slowing down can have good results.

Regarding strategy, I’ll always start my plan with my past experience and instincts. But flexibility is paramount – especially in shoulder seasons where entomology cycles are evolving. Weather changes and transitions in time of day also can change the game. As I write, runoff time is almost here, and the river flows are coming up. Other than our freestone streams, it’s time to gear up for spring stillwater season. Hope you enjoy the warming weather and all the options that Southwest Idaho fishing has to offer!

That time of the year is coming. You know what I'm talking about. The fish are getting more active and eating regularly and often. So too are the anglers (well, at least the getting more active part).

You arrived early at your favorite spot on the Owyhee and... someone else is already there. So you move on to your second choice and... same thing. Third choice... more of the same!

What a conundrum. You've driven all this way to fish and the fish are rising everywhere you look. There's also an angler behind every rock and in every good drift. What do you do?

The simple answer is to either fish less desirable water, wait for another angler to be done fishing, or head home with the plan to return another day (arrive at dark thirty to get your spot or wait until the afternoon/evening after others have gone home).

Following is information from BVFF's Conservation mission:

Boise Valley Fly Fishers Creed

1. Take care of the fish.
2. Respect other anglers.
3. Leave it better than you found it.

Find more information regarding Angling Etiquette and Ethics HERE.

Be safe out there and please avoid confrontation with another angler. A fish isn't worth getting hurt over!