drift boat fishing Idaho Archives

The Wilderness Society benefit Middle Fork/Main Combo

February 11th, 2011

Join The Wilderness Society (TWS) on the Middle Fork and/or the Main Salmon River’s in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area, the largest roadless area in the US. Help raise money for TWS efforts as all proceeds from this trip will benefit The Wilderness Society. James Ellsworth, owner of Middle Fork River Expeditions and a member of TWS President’s Council, has donated this trip to TWS. Bill Meadows, President of TWS, enthusiastically endorses this extraordinary outdoor experience and encourages your participation. Bill joined the TWS trip in 2010 and his write up can be seen on the TWS website blog.

The Middle Fork of the Salmon and Main Salmon Rivers in Idaho are the premier wilderness rafting trips in the US. Join us in 75 miles of the Middle Fork and/or 60 miles on the Main Salmon River. These Wild and Scenic free-flowing rivers penetrate the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area, the largest roadless wilderness area in the US at 2.3 million acres. The fantastic river canyon is the second deepest in North America, deeper than Grand Canyon. The Middle Fork of the Salmon and the Main Salmon are unspoiled, remote and roadless so you can be sure you will “get away from it all”. Simply put, these are the best river runs in the West!

Middle Fork River Expeditions, a licensed and bonded outfitter, has run safe and well-managed river trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. We are celebrating our 31st Anniversary in 2011 and invite you to share this experience with other family or friends. Our equipment is specially designed for wilderness whitewater rafting, and offers mild and wild boat choices (Mckenzie Drift Fishing Boats, oar boats, paddle boats, inflatable kayaks and stand up paddling surf boards). Our river guides are seasoned professionals, licensed by the state of Idaho and First Aid Certified. They are expert river runners, magnificent cooks, great storytellers, and knowledgeable, helpful outdoorsmen.

Join The Wilderness Society and Middle Fork River Expeditions for a magical wilderness river vaca-tion in September 2011! Somebody said it from last years trip “It feels great to have an amazing vacation and know at the same time you are benefiting a wonderful organization like The Wilderness Society.” Come join us, there are no strangers here, only friends we have not met.

MIDDLE FORK SALMON ITINERARY
 Please arrive in Stanley, Idaho on August 31. Stanley is a 45-minute flight or 2 1/2 hour drive from Boise or a 1 hour drive from Sun Valley. We have a pre-trip orientation at the MFRE Warehouse at 7:30pm the evening before the trip begins. We will get acquainted, answer questions, invite a TWS staff person to talk about the region’s amazing wild lands, and have a short orientation to show you how to pack the waterproof gear bags we provide for your personal gear. Please note lodging in Stanley is on your own. We recommend the Sawtooth Hotel at 208-721-2459 or the Mountain Village Lodge at 800-843-5475.

Sept 1 – 3
We will take a short 22 minute flight (5 seater Cessna 206 or 9 seater Islander) to Indian Creek on Sept 1. Upon launching our rafts you’ll enter a river with sparkling clear waters that careen through boulder-choked rapids with names that guides speak with reverence, such as Jackass, Ski Jump, Dejavu and Tappan Falls. Stops at mountain hot springs and pioneer homesteads provide the perfect balance to the on-river excitement. Evenings find us relaxing by the campfire, playing horseshoes and listening to the river and watching for shooting stars!

Sept 4 – 5
As we drop in elevation, the river widens and the spruce forest opens to vistas of pine-studded mountains and we enter Impassible Canyon, where no trails can be cut as the sheer walls go up over 6,000 feet. Between rapids, you’ll drift quietly over deep pools of transparent water, home to native cutthroat and rainbow trout. Hikes underneath Waterfall Creek and up to Veil Falls are highlights for many of our guests.

Sept 6
The last day has some of the best and biggest rapids of the trip, which is a wonderful way to end a week in the largest wilderness area in the continental US. We either continue (on Main Salmon River) or drive back to Stanley, arriving between 4-6pm for the night before heading home in the morning. Tonight join an optional “farewell” dinner in Stanley which is on your own. If you continue on the Main Salmon you will spend the evening in the canyon with the guides and await the Main Salmon River Only people the next morning.
(overnight in Stanley is not included)

FOR MAIN SALMON PARTICIPANTS ARRIVING SEPT 7
 Please arrive in Salmon, Idaho the night before the trip begins on Sept 6. Salmon is an hour flight from Boise, which costs approximately $190/person and can be arranged through Sawtooth Flying Service (800-798-6105). We have a pre-trip orientation at the Stagecoach Inn (208-756-2919) at 7:30pm the evening before the trip begins. We will get acquainted, answer questions, and have a short orientation to show you how to pack the waterproof gear bags we provide for your personal gear. Please note flight from Boise to Salmon and lodging at the Stagecoach Inn is arranged on your own.

MAIN SALMON RIVER ITINERARY
SEPT 7- 10
Upon launching our rafts at Corn Creek, 3200 feet above sea level, we journey into the pristine heart of the Frank Church Wilderness, each day brings new discoveries: exciting rapids like Salmon Falls, Big Mallard and Growler, historical sites such as Buckskin Bill’s homestead and Jim Moore’s place (maybe you’ll find the fortune he buried in the hillside!), and the much anticipated Barth Hot Springs. Avid hikers may enjoy a challenging climb to Rabbit Point, where the beautiful views are well worth the effort of getting there. The fishing is excellent during these days, and on trips in July and August, warm air and water temperatures encourage frequent refreshing dips in the river. Evenings find us relaxing by the campfire, playing horseshoes and listening to the river and watching for shooting stars! On Sept 10 we overnight (or camp tonight based on availability) at the Mackay Bar Ranch for showers and beds and a festive farewell dinner with the guides.

Sept 11
We say farewell and take a morning flight by Cessna 5 seater airplanes to the Boise Airport. We should arrive by 10-11am so schedule your flight after 12 noon. If you drove to Salmon for the meeting and did not drive we can fly you back to Salmon instead of Boise, just let us know.

COST
MIDDLE FORK ONLY – 6 days
Sept 1-6 – $1850*
$125 for flight from Stanley to the river at Indian Creek

MAIN SALMON RIVER ONLY- 5 days
SEPT 7-11 – $1500*
$200 for flight from Mackay Bar Ranch to Boise International Airport.

MIDDLE/MAIN COMBINATION TRIP – 11 days
SEPT 1-11 – $2500*
$325 for flights above.
* plus 3% USFS user fee & $4.00 per day USFS fee demo

What to Expect on the Main Salmon River

February 9th, 2011

WHAT TO EXPECT
Expert Leaders
Middle Fork River Expeditions attracts gifted guides for whom leading trips is their passion. Middle Fork River Expeditions guides positively elevate your experience by being educators, companions, and the best of friends. Most MFRE guides have 10 or more years experience on rivers and all are First Aid Certified and licensed by the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board.

Boats & Rapids
The Middle Salmon rapids are rated 1 to 3 on a scale of 1 to 6. You’ll run these rapids with the aid of ex-perienced, professional, licensed guides. Most guests ride in our oar powered self-bailing rafts. For the more adventurous we run a paddle boat, no experience required as your boatman steers at the stern while you and your newfound friends paddle. And when water levels permit (usually in July and August only) you can try out our single or 2 man inflatable kayaks. This year we are bringing along an inflatable stand up paddle board to try around camp and in some of the flatwater sections. We bring on some departures a wooden dory and also a fishing drift boat. We will rotate in/out of all boat types throughout the trip. Of course the Stand Up Paddle Board is optional!

River Requirements: Minimum age is 12 in June, and 5 in July and August. Please note, all participants must be able to swim, be in good physical shape and be able to self rescue.

Hiking & Hot Springs
There is plenty of time and numerous opportunities to hike during your trip. Among the river’s points of interest are the Golden Eagles nestled in the ledges above Little Squaw Creek; Barth Hot Springs where the early scow captains soaked their tired muscles; Campbells Ferry Pack Bridge; Jim Moore’s Place an early day prospector and trader; Lemhi China Bar where from 1882 to 1884 oriental miners worked this bar extensively and Five Mile Bar the home of the river’s most famous resident, “Buckskin Bill”.

Fishing
The Main Salmon has some great fishing opportunities. Fishing is for Cutthroat Trout, Rainbows and Small Mouth Bass. An Idaho State fishing license is required and may be purchased in Salmon, Idaho before the trip. Kids 14 and under can fish without a license. Spinners or Fly Rods work.

Fishing Dates
If you would like to do a fishing only trip just call and we can provide drift boats for easy access to the best holes on the river.

Camping
This is one of the best parts of the trip, to be lullabied to sleep by the sound of the river. We provide all camping gear for you, including sleeping bag, 2 pads, pillow, 4-man tent, rain gear tops and bottoms and all camp equipment. In the evening, we set up a camp and have chairs to relax in for meals. We bring along a wilderness porta-potty and place it in a private place with stunning views. We practice Leave No Trace camping ethics, so you are sure to learn a lot about this on the trip and be able to take some of these new skills home with you. The Main Salmon is a very pristine river and there is no bathing allowed in the river and must be done above the high water mark with biodegradable soap. We do bring along a cou-ple of sun showers for you to use if you wish.

Food
We provide healthy and delicious meals, accompanied with lots of salads, fresh fruits and vegetables. We also use as much organic produce/products as is available in central Idaho. Our goal is to have you eat healthy meals so that you feel good and refreshed during the day with lots of energy for fun in this remote wilderness setting. If you would like a copy of our menu please call us. Vegetarian’s welcome and meat eaters alike! There are also always snacks available during the day.

Eco Focus
MFRE carbon offsets all our river trips through the purchase of Green Tags, which accounts for transpor-tation to/from the river, as well as how much charcoal we burn. We also recycle everything from the trips (glass, plastic, aluminum etc.), including food waste which is fed to pigs at a local farm and/or composted or used in worm bins. We also recently purchased a 60 gallon vegetable oil tank to burn used cooking oil from the Mountain Village Restaurant in Stanley in our Ford F350 Diesel truck used to transport our equipment to/from the river. We also follow Leave No Trace Ethics and purchase all guest households a yearly membership to Idaho Rivers United, a non-profit organization whose focus is Salmon Recovery on the Salmon River.

Weather
Idaho weather can be variable and vigorous. So come prepared with warm and cold weather clothing. There is no such thing as bad weather if you bring the right clothing. Synthetics are best for layering and keeping you warm in all weather conditions. Weather during the daytime is 75-95F and evenings 40-60F, depending on the weather. All June and Sept trips are typically cooler at night and you must bring warm gloves, ski hat and long underwear synthetic bottoms.

Main Salmon Dories = Pure Elegance on the River

February 7th, 2011

We have brand new Fly Fishing Drift boats on the Middle Fork and wood Dories on the Main now, so it is a really amazing new way to experience the rivers. The drift boats on the Middle have large fishing casting braces that are padded for easy casting.

The huge rocker on the wooden Dories makes the wave trains on the Main Salmon just amazing. It feels like being in a gondola in Venice but you are floating on a historic wooden boat in the largest roadless wilderness area in the us, seeing incredible historic relics of a time past and meeting present day pioneers along the way. Dave and Sue at Yellow Pine Bar makes knives with mountain mohagany handles all from the old cable at Campbell’s Ferry. Heinz and Barbara at Buckskin Bill’s and Phyllis and Doug at Campbell’s Ferry share their intimate knowledge of the canyon with us. After riding a Dory on the Main you will think the elegance and grace and style of the Dory is far superior than a rubberized raft. In fact I’ll make a bet with you that you even call regular rafts “ugly” after riding with us down the Main Salmon.

Taking The Middle Fork: Salmon River Fly Fishing

February 5th, 2011

Middle Fork Salmon River fly fishing is one of the most popular activities in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. Fly fishing can be a challenge, but it’s also one of the most rewarding hands-on experiences nature can provide. Here are a few things that might help you get the most out of fly fishing Idaho or anywhere else for that matter.

Try Different Retrieves

Most fly fishers cast, and then they pull back their fly with the same speed, the same smooth motion, and the same pacing that they’ve used for years — for many of us, it’s second nature. But while this might work often, sometimes you just run into a batch of fish that’s feeling lazy. They can’t be bothered to charge after a bug that’s zipping long at what they see as a rapid pace. Similarly, some fish want a fast-moving, energetic bug to snap up.

The end result is that, if your normal retrieve isn’t working, you should switch it up. Mix up the speed — make it quick and jerky, or slow and smooth, or slow and jerky, etc. Twitchy retrieves work particularly well on fish that can’t be bothered to do any chasing
and want to snag something that looks injured.

Change depths

Some days, fish hang out near the surface — other days, not so much. That means that if your floating line isn’t working, it’s time to grab one of those sinkers that will have your fly slowly moving toward the bottom until you start your retrieve. Wait different amounts of time on each cast until you figure out where the fish are sitting today.

Fish Downwind

If there’s a decent wind blowing, go to the downwind side of the river. It’s a small effect, but the wind tends to blow the bugs and other fish food, and the fish often gather on the side of the river that has all of the food blown over to it. This move alone can mean the difference between wasting your day and hooking several decent ones in an afternoon.

Main Salmon River Details and Itinerary

February 4th, 2011

The Main Salmon River Details are as follows.

MEETING PLACE: Stagecoach Inn, Salmon, Idaho (flight is $190 from Boise)
MEETING TIME: 7:30 PM, the evening before your trip
RETURN PLACE & TIME: 10-11 am arrival at Boise Airport by Cessna Airplane from the river
RIVER RATING: Class III
RIVER MILES: 56 river miles
PUT-IN: Corn Creek
TAKE-OUT: Mackay Bar Ranch
AGE LIMIT: Minimum age is 5 (12 at high water)
TRIP LENGTH: 5 days

ITINERARY
 Please arrive in Salmon, Idaho the night before the trip begins. Salmon is an hour flight from Boise, which costs approximately $190/person and can be arranged through Sawtooth Flying Service (800-798-6105). We have a pre-trip orientation at the Stagecoach Inn (208-756-2919) at 7:30pm the evening before the trip begins. We will get acquainted, answer questions, and have a short orientation to show you how to pack the waterproof gear bags we provide for your personal gear. Please note flight from Boise to Salmon and lodging at the Stagecoach Inn is arranged on your own.

DAYS 1 ~ 4
Upon launching our rafts at Corn Creek, 3200 feet above sea level, we journey into the pristine heart of the Frank Church Wilderness, each day brings new discoveries: exciting rapids like Salmon Falls, Big Mallard and Growler, historical sites such as Buckskin Bill’s homestead and Jim Moore’s place (maybe you’ll find the fortune he buried in the hillside!), and the much anticipated Barth Hot Springs. Avid hikers may enjoy a challenging climb to Rabbit Point, where the beautiful views are well worth the effort of getting there. The fishing is excellent during these days, and on trips in July and August, warm air and water temperatures encourage frequent refreshing dips in the river. Evenings find us relaxing by the campfire, playing horseshoes and listening to the river and watching for shooting stars! On night 4 we overnight at the Mackay Bar Ranch for showers and beds and a festive farewell dinner with the guides.

DAY 5
We say farewell and take a morning flight by Cessna 5 seater airplanes to the Boise Airport. We should arrive by 10-11am so schedule your flight after 12 noon. If you drove to Salmon for the meeting and did not drive we can fly you back to Salmon instead of Boise, just let us know.

Main Salmon River in Idaho

February 2nd, 2011

Idaho’s rivers access some of the most pristine terrain in the country. They are home to abundant flora and fauna, an impressive network of hiking trails, and some of the country’s best whitewater. No river displays all these characteristics quite like the Main Salmon River. The Main Salmon is the longest un-dammed river in the U.S.A, and also boasts the second deepest canyon. The Main Salmon offers free-flowing Class III whitewater that’s great for any age and experience level, big sandy beaches perfect for camping and playing, beautiful mountain scenery, abundant wildlife, and a natural hot spring are all hallmarks of the Main. Perhaps inappropriately dubbed the “River of No Return” by early river runners, the Salmon is in fact a river you’ll want to return to again and again.

Trips are 5 days of exciting river rafting, wilderness camping, fine fishing, and visiting historic home-steads along the way. Our equipment is specially designed for wilderness whitewater rafting, and offers mild and wild boat choices (oar boats, paddle boats, inflatable kayaks and stand up paddling surf boards!). We also bring along an 18 foot Wooden Dory named Hen Wen and fishing drift boats on most departures. Our river guides are seasoned professionals, licensed by the state of Idaho and First Aid Certified. They are expert river runners, magnificent cooks, great storytellers, and knowl-edgeable, helpful outdoorsmen.

Join Middle Fork River Expeditions for a magical wilderness river vacation this summer!

Steelhead Fishing, Idaho Style: A Story

January 28th, 2011

Let’s take a trip town to Riggins to do some steelhead fishing, Idaho style. The nights are cold this time of year, so we can’t expect the fishing to be anything other than tough, but sometimes the river just calls. When that happens, you don’t have any choice but to make do with what the river will give you.

The drive out to Riggins will be relaxing; the snow is receding and the deer and elk are out in force by the sides of the roads — nature is getting in on this little trip long before we’ve gotten anywhere near the river. Did you bring binoculars, or a spotting scope? There’s a magnificent bull elk that hands out regularly at the rest area just this side of Rapid River; if you’re lucky, we’ll see him along the way.

Once we get to Riggins, we’re going to be putting down in a couple of places: Short’s Bar and the Riggins Park. Each is teeming with steelhead, but getting a bite won’t be as easy as it sounds in this weather; everyone’s feeling conservative in the cold, even the fish. The gentle breeze combines with the midday sun to make it actually pretty warm out, but we miss the first hit of the day because we’re distracted by a deer.

Finally, a few hours and a couple of lure changes later, the first hit! It’s a small crappie jig, so we have to fight the steelhead carefully — and fight it does. Several minutes later, certain of our victory, we start to reel the tired fish in, only to have the hook go straight on us, and the steelhead start making its way back to the Pacific.

As the evening starts to set in and the midday warmth leaves, we huddle in and devote ourselves to fishing Idaho‘s most elusive steelhead until we have something to bring home. Finally, an hour later, as the first drips of what promises to be a small monsoon start to fall, another solid hit, and this one doesn’t seem to have the will to fight — good thing, too, because neither do we. But our desire to put this trip in the ‘win’ column wins out over our fear of getting wet and the steelhead’s determination to be anything other than our dinner.

Victory is sweet.

MFRE is Dog Friendly on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers

January 27th, 2011

If you wish to bring your pooch on the Middle Fork of the Salmon or the Main salmon this summer, it is possible with MFRE. You just need to give us a resumer for your pooch and see if h/she is a good fit for a river trip. If they are, then they need a life jacket and we need to double check everyone else on the trip is ok with a dog on the trip. We sometimes bring along Corndog, Dusty’s Dog or Sammy, Scott’s dog. Dogs must be well behaved and not beg and be good with people of course. It is a great way to bond with your dog and the family. They are great to have along, we are dog friendly. That said, we have only had a few trips were people brought there dog, and it always works out that the other guests love them.

Come join us this summer and don’t leave your well trained dog at the kennel!

Yours for rivers, James

Steel Head, Drift Boat: Idaho Awaits

January 21st, 2011

If you’re into steelhead fishing from a drift boat Idaho has some of the best places in the world to get your lure on. Drift boat fishing is probably the most common method used to catch steelhead, but it’s also one of the hardest to get good at. You’ve got to have the right equipment, a clear understanding of how steelhead move and think, and the ability to distinguish between hooking a steelhead and bouncing your lure off of a rock or a log.

That last part is the hardest. When you’re dragging a piece of lead with a lure and hook attached across the bottom of one of Idaho’s hundreds of lakes or rivers, you’re always going to run into natural debris at the bottom of your waters of choice. Even steelhead fishermen with decades of experience have been known to pull up their line after what they thought was a simple rock bump and found evidence of a bite that they simply misread. The mastery of this skill is beyond the scope of this simple article, however: you’re just going to have to learn through experience.

Fortunately, while the skills may take a lifetime to master, you can get started drift boat fishing Idaho with a small investment in the right gear.

The Rod
Your drift boat fishing rod needs to be firm enough that you can feel the bottom as you bounce over the rocks and gravel, but flexible enough to not snap when a big steelhead starts fighting you from 30 or 50 yards out.

The Reel
Your reel needs to match your rod. A bait casting reel — or level wind — takes some getting used to, but they are very effective drift fishing tool, as they let you release additional line while maintaining control. If you’re using light lures or fishing from the banks in areas with lots of natural obstacles, a spinning reel can be the superior choice.

The Line
Your line can be braided or mono according to your preference, but should generally run at least in the 10- to 15-pound test range.

Leaders
When drift boat fishing, you’ll always want a leader that’s lighter than your main line, because the chances of getting snagged on something and having the line break are much greater than in other styles of fishing.

All of the other gear choices are essentially matters of opinion, but follow this advice with your gear, and learn to master the art of telling a bump from a bite, and you’ll be well on your way to drift boat fishing Idaho like the veterans.

Exploring The Many Idaho Whitewater Rafting Adventures

January 14th, 2011

Idaho whitewater rafting means exploring more than three thousand miles of rivers — more than any of the other lower 48 — through trips easy enough for a five-year-old and trips that will challenge the best whitewater rafters on the planet. The mighty rivers of Idaho can be tamed in rafts, kayaks, canoes, drift boats, jet boats or whitewater dories. Idaho also offers hundreds of experienced guides and licensed outfitters to help you get your whitewater on no matter what level you’re at.

The trips can last anywhere from six hours of drifting down a river, to week-long camping trips that stop at some of the most astounding natural tourist attractions in the United States. The longer trips involve everything you associate with traditional camping, from gourmet fireside cooking to fishing for your supper.

Here are some of the best Idaho river journeys the Gem State has to offer:

Snake River

The flatlands in southern Idaho lull you into a false sense of security as you watch the beautiful scenery float by…and then, the Snake plunges you into Hell’s Canyon. The South Fork will show you some top-notch fly fishing and pleasant rafting trips until you hit the rough-and-tumble Murtaugh area just east of Twin Falls.

Payette River

Just north of Boise, the Payette offers fairly easy paddling, with the South Fork fairly calm and the North Fork offering up Class III rapids at the worst — an area known as the Cabarton Run. The Payette also offers top-tier half-day trips for beginners and families.

Salmon River

The Salmon River is by far the best. Known as the “River of No Return” for some of its dangerous stretches, the Salmon also offers long, beautiful stretches of easy drifting if that’s your speed. Famous as one of the best catch-and-release trout fisheries in the world, the Salmon runs through the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, the single largest designated wilderness areas in the lower 48. The Middle Fork of the Salmon offers trips of 3, 5, and 7 days that explore this heartstoppingly beautiful area.

No matter which river you pick — even one of the dozens that aren’t mentioned here — a single Idaho whitewater rafting trip will etch its mark upon your heart for the rest of your life.