Middle Fork Magic: An Intro to Fly Fishing Idaho’s Salmon River

A Week of Fly Fishing on the Middle Fork of the Salmon Delights Anglers

“Hubbada, hem,” Greg says from behind me in his quiet voice. “What?” I respond casually, pushing my oars into the water and moving my boat steadily through the canyon. “Hubbada, hem,” Greg says again. “What?” I repeat, his meaning as indecipherable as the first time. I turn my head in time to hear him politely ask, for the third time, “Can I have the net? I got a bull.”

I scan the clear water of Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon River, and see the large, handsome bull trout Greg is slowly reeling in on his fly rod. I hastily ship my oars and grab the net for him, trying not to tremble with excitement as I lean over and net the fish. Greg’s son, Brian, brought in a bull trout a few days earlier, making this the second of the rare fish to be pulled into my boat this week. I’m ecstatic.

“Greg!! It’s so beautiful.” And it is, truly. Although the Middle Fork Salmon is famous for its Blue Ribbon cutthroat trout fishing, there’s something about the elusive bull trout that feels extra special. It’s the perfect fish for the last day of the trip, a cap on a fantastic week of fishing. I’ve spent most of the trip with Greg, Brian, and a few others, peeling away from the main group to spend hours floating slowly along the shoreline, casting flies against the dreamlike background of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

Dry fly fishing is my favorite. It always has been. There’s something so mesmerizing about watching a fish rise to your fly, counting down a few seconds in your head, then setting your hook. I’ve been river guiding with OARS for more than six years, and have learned first-hand that dries are extremely effective on this stretch of the Salmon River, whether you choose to imitate the hatch or do some experimentation. Common dries on the Middle Fork are colorful Chubby Chernobyl, hopper and other terrestrial patterns, but the fish are infamously not picky and will rise to a lot of different flies.

My friend and fellow guide Pelle echoed my sentiment when we reminisced about fishing on the Middle Fork this past winter. “You can throw out any generally fuzzy thing and the fish are going to be like, ‘Wow that looks pretty good, chomp,’” Pelle laughed.

Brian put Pelle’s comment to the test, taking advantage of the 100 miles of river to try a lot of different flies. He tied on purple haze and parachute Adams, caddis, stimulators, hoppers. When a golden stonefly hatch appeared, he tried anything yellow and fuzzy, resulting in a lot of fun, constant action.

For those with a bit more patience, however, streamer fishing is the sure way to pull up the biggest fish. Greg was a master streamer fisher. Although less engaging than dry fly fishing, where you might be getting hits all day, a streamer will reward the determined fisher with large, deep-water fish. 

“In certain spots, especially down towards the lower part of the river, streamer fishing can really draw up some huge fish, probably some of the biggest fish in the Middle Fork,” according to Pelle.  “Not to say you can’t catch them on dry flies but when you start ‘chucking the meat’ with streamers, you can get into the 20-inch-plus range which is just awesome.” 

Greg, in his quiet, dedicated manner, caught the biggest cutthroat of the trip on a minnow imitator during a winding, slow, and fabulously fishy stretch of river.

The Middle Fork of the Salmon is a special habitat for fish. There is a small Chinook salmon population that still spawns on the Middle Fork, and at certain times of year they can be spotted in the river, although we never fish for them. There are also native cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and steelheads, hybrid fish known as “cut-bows,” whitefish, sculpin, and the elusive bull trout, which used to be abundant, but are now considered “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.

Early on in our Salmon River fishing trip, Brian and I started joking about how we’d never seen a small bull trout. “They have to exist,” he insisted. “Don’t they?” Our question was answered after Bernard Rapid, when Brian, having some fun and throwing out a different fly every half hour or so, pulled in a 6-inch bull trout. The distinctive yellow and cream spots were unmistakable. The bull trout that Greg caught a few days later was on the larger side, about 18 inches.

The most fun fish to catch on the Middle Fork is the cutthroat trout. They are known for their explosive takes and aggressive fight on the line. It sometimes feels like you’re fighting a 20-inch fish, and it’s always shocking to see when it’s a little 14 incher that gave you such a hard time. Since I’d felt this phenomena, I was fascinated when Pelle explained the “why” of the big fight to me. 

“The Middle Fork is mostly a constant gradient river, as opposed to a pool and drop, which means the current is always flowing,” he said “That is a direct reason why the cutthroats fight so hard.” 

On a more typical river, fish will find calm spots in the water, sitting behind rocks or on eddy lines. The cutthroat on the steep, swift Middle Fork of the Salmon hold themselves in current, building up strength that translates into their big fight.

Although not quite as frenzied in their feeding habits, the rainbow trout and steelhead on the Middle Fork are an equally strong and elegant fish. The rainbow and cutthroat trout often interbreed, and the hybrid “cut-bow” is increasingly common. Though it’s hard to truly identify a cut-bow without doing DNA testing on the fish, you can visually identify some by their rainbow-esque spotting paired with a red slash under their jaw. 

Late season fishing trips on the Middle Fork Salmon, which OARS has been running for decades, are often my favorite trips of the year to guide. It’s cool and quiet, and the burst of summer traffic has dwindled. The bite of fall air, the early dusk, all create a sense of magic out there. Top that off with big, fat, hungry trout, and you’ve got an absolute wonderland. 

“There’s the occasional big fish that makes you say, ‘Oh wow, that’s maybe the biggest fish I’ve caught,” said Henry, a fellow OARS guide.  “I think typically on a Middle Fork trip I end up saying that twice per trip.” 

When is the best time to fly fish the Middle Fork of the Salmon River?

The most popular time to fish is the mid- to late September when the flows are lower and the water has begun to cool. Trout tend to feed heavily in the fall and put on some extra weight before winter. The fishing on the Middle Fork is still great in the summer, though warmer water temperatures with lower levels of dissolved oxygen makes it harder for fish to recover after a hard fight. During the spring, swift high water makes it more challenging for dry flies, but other methods can be successful.

What are the best flies for the Middle Fork of the Salmon River?

Fishing guides’ favorite flies for the Salmon River vary depending on the time of season, but the list below are generally reliable options. Combinations like dry droppers and nymph rigs under an indicator can be successful, too. 

Dry Flies:

• Chubby Chernobyl
• Morrish Hopper
• Fat Albert
• Dave’s Hopper
• Purple Haze
• Elk Hair Caddis
• Parachute Adams

Nymphs:

• Pat’s Rubber Legs
• Pheasant Tail
• Hare’s Ear
• Copper John

Streamers:

• Muddler Minnow
• Sculpin
• Baby Fat Minnow

What are the fishing regulations for Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon River?

All fishing on the Middle Fork of the Salmon is limited to catch and release, with single barbless hooks. No bait is allowed.  Anyone 14 years and over needs to have a fishing license to fish. Children under 14 do not need to buy a license, but they must be accompanied by an adult from their party with a valid license. 

Non-residents of Idaho can buy a short-term fishing license by calling 1-800-554-8685 or you can purchase online through the Idaho Department of Fish & Game. Additionally, licenses are available in Salmon, ID at Salmon River Fly Box.