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Monday Motivation

Sean Visintainer - 03/25/19

Idaho Westslope Cutthroat

Stay motivated!

Hey it's spring time! A very optimistic time of the year in my opinion. We have seven plus months of good fishing ahead of us!! Woohoo! Lots of bug hatches are on the horizon... we have skwalas, March browns, and bwo's up first followed by salmonflies, drakes, goldens, pmds, and caddis. Not too mention summertime terrestrials and then the bugs of fall. Lots to look forward too!

Conditions aren't totally prime yet, but some cutthroat are being caught on the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe. The pre-runoff time is a game of flexibility. You can't have your heart set on a river for a specific date because it may get crushed by mother nature's relentless desire to melt snow. Nonetheless there are opportunities for the willing.

Reports from the lower Coeur d'Alene were a bust Saturday with lots of debris in the water from rising levels. Other reports were better up higher. People are chomping at the bit to fish so don't expect to have this place to yourself, just saying.

I got out on the St. Joe for a float with longtime buddies Eric Neufeld and Tom Larimer. Water is a chilly 36 degree still so finding the right areas with slow, deep water is absolutely key to success. Both nymphing (euro and bobber) worked well and streamer fishing did too. I can't emphasis slow water enough with depths of four feet or more for success.

Bug hatches on both rivers were almost non existence this weekend. Water temps are cold and with the cool down in air temps that didn't help either.

Hey for coming out of a late winter I have no complaints!


St Joe River Idaho
St Joe River Idaho
St Joe River Idaho
St Joe River Idaho
St Joe River Idaho