In-Person Whitefish Derby Continues a BVFF Tradition 

Full disclosure - No records were broken during our annual In-Person Whitefish Derby; however, about 24 fly fishers enjoyed a day on one of the premier rivers in the United States. Weather played yet another crucial role in the fishing success. No, not fishing, catching success.

I send out a bolded THANK YOU to Glenn Anders for coordinating this year's outing and serving a fine chili and hot dog meal at the end of the day!

We were met by blue skies with scattered clouds and rather calm winds. The cold temperature is what made catching challenging. Ambient air temps were in the mid-20's to begin the day and kept water temps below 37F for much of the fishing time. The water temps didn't get over 38F until around noon and catching began to turn on a bit.

The last hour from 2-3 PM found water temps getting near 39F and the catching really ramped up. Of the 13 fish I landed, 7 came to my net in that last hour. Remember this when you are fishing. Water temperatures are what matters The fish begin feeding actively at around 38-39F temps. Not only does their metabolism increase, the insects they eat also get more active and are readily available. But I digress.

At the end of the day, we all gathered back at the Village Boat Launch and enjoyed hot chili with hot dogs and told tales of woe about how challenging the fishing was. The longest fish was recorded by Brian Martin at 17.5" and Bert Hammond came in with a 17.25" fish to claim second.

Thank you to all who registered and came out for a fun day of fishing and connecting on a very special river. 

Virtual Whitefish Derby V

For the past four years, our virtual derby has kicked off the fishing outings in the unpredictable weather month of February. Not unlike past Februarys, this year showed that Old Man Winter wasn't quite ready to lie down.

The fishing conditions were challenging until the final week (more like the final 2 days). Of the 11 fish entered, 7 were caught in those last two days when the weather had warmed and water temperatures had risen.

The longest fish was recorded by Johnny Rogers and measured 17.5". Jeff Jones landed the shortest fish at 12".

Thank you to all who registered and participated in less than ideal conditions! You are hardy souls and dedicated fly fishers.

Take a look at the final leaderboard:

Approved by the BOD on April 3, 2025

Committee Lead

• General management of outings
• Work with the committee to develop an annual plan
• Recruit individual coordinators/hosts for each outing
• Review with BOD
• Prepare and Manage Budget
• Post Outings on BVFF website (need admin. access)
• Support Outing Coordinators/Hosts

Coordinators/Hosts

• Above all – Get Out and Fish!
• Detailed management of outing
• Understand the outings’ process and guidelines (see attached document)
• Set the outing agenda and details
• Complete outing form and submit to committee lead for posting on BVFF website
• Manage the outing communications
• Work to maximize the outing experience for the attendees
• Record event planning and outcome for future use/Archive outing documents for reuse in the future
• Plan, manage, check, update per Tom’s proposal (see attached)
• Plan and purchase outing dinner, if applicable
• Submit reimbursement form to treasurer for dinner reimbursement, if applicable (see attached form)
• Recruit Outing Buddies to assist new members or those members unfamiliar with an outing location
• Connect Outing Buddies with members that need a little additional assistance on an outing

Outing Buddy

• Provide additional assistance to a new club member or a member unfamiliar with the outing location
• Assistance is primarily in the form of information
• You are not a fishing guide and there is no expectation that you will fish with the club member

Attendee/Registrant

• You are your own guide - Coordinator/Host/Outing Buddy is not a your “Fishing Guide”
• You may know more about fishing the body of water than the Coordinator/Host. Offer to assist and perhaps co-lead the outing
• Ask the Coordinator/Host for assistance or an Outing Buddy if needed. Outing Buddies may not be available on all outings
• Do some of your own research about the area fisheries
• On Friday evening, plan to connect with the group for an informal gathering and discussion of weekend plans or needs
• On Saturday evening, if a group meal is planned, join the group for community and connection
• Provide own:

⮚ Equipment – rod/reel, waders, float tube/boat/pontoon/kayak, flies, etc.

⮚ Lodging, Transportation, Meals

⮚ Fishing locations

⮚ If needed, hire a guide

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.