Our annual Return to Duck Valley Fall outing is back! October is a great month to fly fish as the fish are feeding aggressively to fatten up for the lean winter months.

Host, Ron Kaye, and co-Host, Nute Davis, are excited to bring you this outing. Both are exceptional stillwater fly anglers and will gladly share their knowledge about the Duck Valley fisheries.

If you have never fished the reservoirs at Duck Valley in the Fall, you are in for a treat. The reservoirs have some of the best, if not the best, stillwater fly fishing in Southwest Idaho. Come join us for a wonderful time together.

Go to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes website HERE for more information and to reserve your campsite.

Following is an MSWord document with the detailed information regarding this outing:

BVFF Outing Information Form For Return to Duck Valley v.2.docx

We look forward to seeing you there for On The Water With BVFF!

This year's in-person derby was held in memory of Steve Banks, BVFF member and winner of the 2023 derby. Steve passed away in September 2023 and those present at this year's derby made a toast in his honor. He is remembered as a wonderful person and an exceptional Euro nymph angler.

On March 23rd, 14 hardy souls met at the Village Boat Launch on the South Fork of the Boise River to pit their nymphing skills against the  formidable whitefish. The weather was frigid with rain turning to snow and strong winds ablowin'. 'Twas possibly a better day to have stayed home and cleaned the oven... Nah!

Join BVFF as we head east to the Henry's Fork to fly fish this world famous river. Fly anglers come from far away places to test their skills against some rather large and wary trout in the legendary Harriman Ranch section of the river.

Look for fly anglers sitting on the bank searching for trout heads to pop up signifying a rise to eat an adult insect. They are "Head Hunting" and studying the fish's patterns to then wade out and cast a dry fly imitation hoping for a take. Proper angling etiquette is to ask them what fish and water they are targeting. Please avoid disturbing "their" water by getting out of the river and walking around them to open water away from the fish they are hunting.

Nearby waterways also offer great opportunities to fly fish and see this absolutely beautiful part of our great state of Idaho. They just might be less crowded than the Henry's Fork. These include the Warm River and Henry's Lake to name just a couple. The Teton River and South Fork of the Snake River are a bit further drive, yet could be well worth it if Spring runoff has ended and the rivers are at a fishable level.

Take the time to visit Upper and Lower Mesa Falls as they are a wonderous sight to see.

See the posting from our 2023 Henry's Fork outing HERE.

This year's volunteer host is Paul Gray. Thank you, Paul, for your efforts and pre-scouting for this outing. Paul has organized some detailed information for you regarding the 2024 outing. It can be found in the following MS Word document:

BVFF Outings Information Form Henrys Fork June 2024.docx

We hope you join us On The Water With BVFF for this exciting fly fishing adventure.

Host, Mark Aldridge, has  put together a terrific outing over the July 4th weekend in Lowell, Idaho. This is a beautiful part of Idaho located in the North-Central part of the state.

The rivers we will fish are known for Westslope cutthroat, bull, and rainbow trout. The Westslope cutthroat is 1 of 4 sub-species of cutthroat trout you'll find in Idaho and is part of our Cutthroat Slam (learn more HERE). Come join us for a wonderful outing in a magnificent setting.

Following is an MSWord document with the detailed information regarding this outing:

BVFF Outings Event Information Form Selway Lochsa Clearwater Outing 2024.docx

We look forward to seeing you there for On The Water With BVFF!

Our annual Spring 2024 outing for Duck Valley is set for April 25 thru 28. Our Host, Mark Aldridge, has been exploring the new system in place for reservations at the Mountain View Reservoir campgrounds. Spots are filling up fast and might already be gone. Go to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes website HERE to check for availability.

The reservoirs at Duck Valley have some of the best, if not the best, stillwater fly fishing in Southwest Idaho. Come join us for a wonderful time together.

Following is an MSWord document with the detailed information regarding this outing:

BVFF Outing Information Form For Duck Valley.docx

We look forward to seeing you there for On The Water With BVFF!

September 15 to 18, found about 12 BVFF members and their guests back in eastern Idaho. This time we were fly fishing the renowned South Fork of the Snake River. This is an annual trip each September we take to this extraordinary river.

Thank You! to Mark Aldridge and Kent Black who hosted this year's outing. 

As Mark writes:

We had a successful outing on the SFS this year. 12 of the 23 members registered for the event showed up. The weather cooperated and we had clear blue skies with a gentle breeze. The Friday night meet and greet at the Hover Camp provided an opportunity for some early lying. Saturday evening, we cooked and ate some tasty sausages and enjoyed a number of delicious side dishes provided by the members.

The fishing was good, but the catching was on the slow side. Most members reported 2 to 5 fish per person per day. The fish didn't just eat any fly drifted overhead. Streamers and or nymphs under a big hopper brought the most fish to the net. Jeff Jones reported great fishing from first light for about an hour and then during the last hour or so in the evening. Fishing during the remainder of the day was slow.

Discussion amongst members on the outing favored moving the event up next year to the salmon fly hatch in the summer. Look for an event posting for this trip to be held in either July or August. In summary, a good time was had by all!

Very respectfully,

Mark Aldridge

The Teton River in Driggs has some terrific cutthroat fishing and word is that some impressive brown trout have moved upriver from the Henry’s Fork. My wife and I tested this waterway on Saturday and had a wonderful time with our guide from Idaho Anglers. The fishing was fantastic, catching not so much as we missed hooksets on many fish. A cow and calf moose also shared the river during our float.

The results are in and they indicate this year's Henry's Fork outing was a resounding success. Thank you to all who submitted a survey!

And Thank You to John Proveaux and Scott Lieberg for hosting the event!

Here is a summary of the survey results:

1. Level of satisfaction with communications - 4.3/5 - Comments - more details at and near the event, notice of the pot luck dinner came late, e-mail communcations need an overhaul - use of frames is 20 years old, there seemed to be last minute changes to the plan - establish a plan early and stick to it,
2. Each evening, the hosts provided an informal setting to gather and socialize. Except for the pot luck dinner on Saturday, none were well attended,
3. On Saturday night, BVFF hosted a pot luck pulled pork dinner. Level of satisfaction was - 4.8/5 - Comments - fun time and met new friends, a great deal of food!, is there a way to have a social event without all the work for the host?, great job for an informal gathering, it needs to be earlier and specific, I liked the talk about yourself around the campfire as it helps people become familiar with others,
4. Level of interest to do the Henry's Fork in June each year - YES!
5. General comments - Concise information about group activities. Perhaps schedule some social time before dinner. Some were cooking and eating before others arrived. Perhaps some useful links to articles, websites etc about the specific area;Keep up the good work. What about some outings that are closer to home. I'm new member and am surprised that most of the outings are 3-5hrs from Boise, would love to learn about places that are closer to Boise; It was serendipitous that the trip coincided with the Green Drake hatch as well as it did. Perhaps that was part of the plan, but the timing seemed good; My wife and I had a really great time and got to meet some great people.

This feedback will be reviewed by the Outings committee and used to improve future outings. We value your input and want to provide the best possible experience during these events.

On September 16, 2022, I began a journey that set a lot of firsts for my wife and me that continues today. You would have found my wife, Lynda, and me fishing the famed South Fork of the Snake River for the first time ever. This was our first time in a drift boat . Our first BVFF Outing. Our first guided fishing trip. My first Cutthroat Trout.

That first outing with BVFF is one filled with many memories. It wasn't just about the fishing. It was more about the experience and opportunity to connect with others who share the same passion for the spectacular world we live in. A chance to get to know others in the club in a setting where your thoughts are about the next cast, the amazing waterfall, the terrific food George and Linda Butts prepared, or who made that amazing broccoli salad?

This September, BVFF's annual trek east to the beautiful Swan Valley in eastern Idaho is fast approaching. There are 17 members and guests registered with plenty of time and room for you join us. I hope you seriously consider making this year's outing.

This outing is being hosted by Mark Aldridge and Kent Black and takes place on a world premier fly fishing river with Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, and Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat. You can get your start on the BVFF Cutthroat Slam.

There are also myriad other rivers and streams within a short distance. The Teton River and Henry's Fork are not too far. Many small mountain streams flow into the SF Snake and Pallisades Reservoir and offer the best chance at the Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat. The Salt River flows in at the head of the reservior.

Join us this year and start your own firsts, meet others from the club, and make memories that will last your lifetime.

June 21 to 25, found about 24 BVFF members and their guests in eastern Idaho fly fishing the world renowned Henry's Fork of the Snake River. This was the first outing in quite a while (maybe the first ever) to this extraordinary river.

Many thanks go out to hosts John Proveaux and Scott Lieberg for their efforts during the past year to coordinate this wonderful outing. The information they provided regarding hotel accommodations, campgrounds, fishing guide services, fishing the Henry’s Fork and other area rivers, etc. proved invaluable. THANK YOU!

John Proveaux               Scott Lieberg (near)

The weather was a bit sketchy with rain and scattered thunderstorms on Friday and blue skies on Saturday. The overcast skies on Friday provided for a Green Drake hatch and some terrific fishing. Many fish were boated and then released for the next fly fisher to catch. Each evening after a day of fishing or sightseeing, we’d sit around a warm fire and tell stories of the day’s adventures.

Tom Old, Scott Cheser, George Butts, and John Proveaux

Talk around the fire on Saturday was that Bob Law had the magic flies and not only caught the most fish but also the largest. Supposedly, while his guide and boatmate were breaking for lunch, he continued to fish and hooked a 20" rainbow. The guide had to leap 20 feet from the shore into the Henry's Fork to net the fish. (Distance of leap and length of fish may be exaggerated).

Bob Law preparing for an epic day of fishing

For those not using a guide, there were myriad tributaries of the Henry’s Fork to explore. My wife and I tested our skills on the Buffalo River for small brookies and rainbows. Using a #10 Green Drake dry fly and #18 PMD dry fly, we managed to land a few although setting the hook on these small fish was challenging. Imagine a 6” brookie aggressively taking a #10 Green Drake and trying to get a hook set. Needless to say, we had more takes than catches and the action was non-stop for a couple of hours.

On Saturday evening, the entire group met at Ashton Logs Cabins (the host site) for a meal of pulled pork sandwiches and wonderful pot luck side dishes. It provided a terrific opportunity to meet BVFF members and their families and friends.

Let’s plan to do this outing again in 2024!

In May we had our annual trip to Bruneau Dunes and our combined potluck with WFFI. Gove Arms was a hot lake, both for fishing and temperature.  Bert Williams, White Spider, and Mike Kingston, Green bug, were the flies to use. The quest for the crappie on a popper continues for many chasing the BVFF Popper Slam Challenge.

On May 25^th, 20+ members met to prepare the 18-month Outings Budget, 2023 -2024, and draft plan. In 2022 we had our first 18-month planning process.  From that meeting came the plan to have a BVFF Outing at Ashton on June 21^st to June 25^th; the outing information was posted 12 months ago to give members the time to plan. Our Outing Host, John Proveaux, will be communicating with the registered members on events and providing information on fishing in the HF area.

The outing is posted at:

https://www.bvff.com/event-4858037

In June, Mike McLean will present an update on High Mountain Lakes in the McCall region. Only 100 miles from Boise is this wonder land of summer fishing. The meeting information is at:

https://www.bvff.com/event-5099002

This presentation was part of our 18-month plan, and we will have an August outing to fish the lakes, rivers, and ponds in McCall. Between the presentation and the outing, BVFF is working to get you on the Water.