EIFTE & Fishing Report

Boy, it feels like spring never arrives😟As some put it on social media, it's not "winter keeps coming back" rather "winter never left😰"................ I agree. It's cold, wet, unpleasant, discouraging, certainly annoying and frustrating😡 However life has to go on.........

Sorry for the gloomy introduction..............
It's time of the year. I'm heading to Idaho Falls for East Idaho Fly Tying Expo for the four consecutive years😁 It has become one of my favorite annual schedules. It's a great time to catch up with some of the greatest tyers in the West. And this year marks the 25th Anniversary. I bet it will be a good one☝
And I will keep myself super busy😬

• For the first time ever, I will dress Atlantic salmon fly at the floor; Friday 20th 3-6pm & Saturday 21st Noon-4pm
• Friday 8am to 12pm, I will do a workshop: New Flies for Livingston's Spring Creeks Volume 2👏Come and sign up!!
• Saturday morning will be equally busy😬 I am assigned one slot for Fly Tying Theater for an hour (TBA). I will show an Atlantic salmon fly here as well. 
• Also during Saturday morning, 10am to 11:15am, I will do a Destination Program presentation; How to Fish Paradise Valley Spring Creeks😲It will be a great introduction of spring creeks, filled with guide tips. Come and join!!

Also my lovely wifey will don an educational booth about Aquatic Invasive Species😘
Then we like our neighborhood community of Idaho Falls and surrounding area. It'll be another great time❗❗
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As mentioned in the introduction, weather is not ideal for pleasant fishing days, but some of us have urges that we have to go fishing before runoff start. Runoff = no fishing, Winter/cold spring = brave some inclement weather and fishing is doable😅
I hit the spring creek with my good friend & neighborhood spring-creek fisher, Lester.
While Lester chose tough spots with challenging trout, I chose much more friendly spots😅
Either way midge hatch was great enough to bring up some nice trout on our dry-flies👏

This was a really high-shoulder and good-colored brown😲

Then we hit the road to Bighorn River. Les updated his blog with more details, please refer over there. Here I introduce a few pics from my camera, then go over a short overview.

Staples😏

We were able to hit some major spots!!

So the Bighorn is anticipating another big water, following the last year. However, this year, dam flows are managed differently from last year. Reservoir = Bighorn Lake is much more emptied than last year this time to accommodate anticipated runoff waters from Wyoming. Will this work? It's a sensitive issue as this river involves two states and Bureau, then after all, even though it's a tailwater system, mother nature = snowpack & weather patterns are unpredictable and oftentimes beyond our reach. All we can do is just wait and see how it unfolds🙏, then adjust our attitudes and methods😬

With 7500 cfs as of Wednesday, water is running big but clear. Nymphing is very doable and productive. Also, if anglers are observant, midge & baetis hatches plus rising trout can be found, like we did😏See more details at Lester's report.

Again, it's hard to say or guess from now, however considering the similar amount of snowpacks in Wyoming ranges as the last year, I could say flow is managed better..........so far............ then again let's see how it rolls🙏  I'm sure it'll be a good summer over there again. Time to plan your trips and booking lodges and guide trips😀