Is Idaho Cutthroat Heaven?

The start to what was sure to be a great trip.

I just returned home from a weekend of breathing fresh mountain air, wet wading a cold, clean alpine river, and sleeping under the stars. With North Idaho's playground in my rear view, I spent the majority of my three hour return trip home grinning ear to ear.

The rivers of North Idaho have underwent their seasonal flush and the trend seems to be dropping, cold, clear, robust flows, priming the rivers for some excellent early season fishing. Hopefully the beginning to a cool, wet summer.

I could not believe the variety of feeding behaviors we witnessed. Everything from lazy cutties riding the cushion of their bucket ready to chew a well presented dry fly to supercharged bank huggers chasing streamers out of their seam like a junkyard dog. The fish have had a steady food supply for a few months now and are on a metabolic high, in prime condition, coursing with aggression.

Combine that with sublime drifts and the deadly force of OPST single hand Skagit and you are in for a good time. The effectiveness of the commando head is almost unfair. Learn to use one and you will never float past and miss the bucket again.

I am now home, physically worn, and spiritually recharged. This place leaves you grateful just to be around and enjoy a little slice of Eden. A stimulation which cannot be created from the confines of your living room. It's been said if you could bottle that feeling and sell it, you'd be rich.

So don't forget to take a minute to realize how lucky you are and measure your wealth in days spent on the water with friends and family.