Fly fishing on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River

Whitewater Fishing Adventures in the Idaho Wilderness

The Middle Fork is famous for its fishing. Using spinning or fly-casting equipment, you can catch and release for cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, and whitefish.

You can fish from the boats, camps, or the many stops we make throughout the day. If you are just learning the art of fishing, our guides are willing and knowledgeable instructors.

If you like to fish, it doesn't get any better than this, using a fly rod or spinning gear. The worst day was better fishing than I have experienced anywhere else. I even learned a few things about great Dutch oven cooking. - Larry Heathington

The snow run off and high water usually occur in late May and early June. As soon as the water begins to drop and clear, the fish begin to bite. From late June throughout the rest of the summer and early fall, you can expect clear water, hungry fish and a quality fishing experience. On occasion, brief rainstorms can cause the water to turn cloudy. This may postpone your fishing temporarily. Fortunately, it doesn't happen very often nor does it last long. You can expect to catch plenty of trout varying in size from fingerlings to 18 inches. We recommend all line and leaders to be at least 4 lb. test. These fish are very aggressive and unlike the fishing many of us are used to elsewhere, the best fishing on the Middle Fork is when the sun is on the water and large flies are used. For your own safety, as well as your fishing tackle's, we don't fish from the boats the first day leaving Boundary Creek. You may fish at any of the stops as well as when we arrive at our campsite, mid-afternoon. The rest of the trip, you may fish to your heart's content.

The Middle Fork is a Catch & Release river. This means you cannot keep any trout from the river or it's tributaries, there are no exceptions. It also means you cannot use bait. All lures and flies must have a single barbless hook. If you wish to use a lure with a treble hook, we simply use our needle nose pliers to pinch one barb and break off the other two hooks to make it legal. With single hook flies, we pinch the barb as well. You will be expected to treat caught fish carefully as to assure their best chance for survival.

Everyone 14 years or older must have a fishing license, if they want to fish. The cost of this license is $10.50 for the first day and $4.00 for each consecutive day after that.

The guides will be happy to assist you regardless if you are a beginner or an expert. Please follow our Fishing Gear List.

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