Tattered Fly | Forum

A Birthday Pay-To-Play Fishing Day;

It is a “Jewel” in a desert oasis. There lies a narrow valley along a river that stretches for many miles. A lush belt of vegetation; bordered by the contrasting view of sage brush, brown grasses, lava rock, and desert scenery.  Within this oasis lies a number of lakes, dotted along it’s length, the majority would call them ponds, because they average just a few acres in size.
 


Crystal clear pools as blue as the sky; cool and clean; an ever consistent temperature of 52 degrees. The lake is feed by huge springs that percolate straight out of the face of the cliffs a hundred feet or so above the base of the bluff. These cliffs run for many miles paralleling the oasis, with springs flowing from the cliffs along the way.

The source of this water is from a river some distance away, flowing across a beautiful desert landscape, before it disappears into the volcanic rock, where it enters an aquifer, that flows underground through the volcanic strata and empties it life giving waters into this oasis.  This life giving water is funneled through the fish nurseries that line the cliffs, using the waters to their benefit to rear trout for commercial sell to the fish market.

The significance of this story is the benefit that is derived from the secondary use of this water. The water supplies a fishing opportunity that can be taken advantage of year round. It is the “go-to” place as a winter alternative. It is the “go-to” place to teach a beginning fly fisher, and the “go-to” place for one that wants to just relax and catch some fish. I think everyone should visit this place at least once in a person’s flyfishing career.

It is a pay-to-play fly fishing oasis. You can find this oasis in South Central Idaho along the Snake River Breaks. Clear Lake can be found on the property of the Clear Lakes Country Club outside Buhl, Idaho. The lake is situated between the Clear Lakes Fish Hatchery and the 18 hole Clear Lakes Golf Course. After the water flows through the hatchery, it enters the lake at 10 or 12 points, creating currents that are reminiscent to a river or stream. When the water exits the lake; it follows a stream that flows a short distance empting into the Snake River. A person could probably stalk the creek and catch fish from it, although I have never done it.

These two picture show the amount of water entering the lake, also showing the amount of current generated.



The lake is stocked with fish that are bigger that average. The average fish range from 14 to 16 inches up to (I have been told of) 15 lb hogs. Any person with average fly fishing skills should be able to catch & release 40-50 fish in a day. The odds of you connecting with fish in the 20 to 24 inch class are pretty good.

I took my son to Clear Lake for the first time. He had a great time catching fish after fish. He said the coolest part of this trip was that He could see the fish take the fly. He said it was hard to not pull the fly away from the fish as they came to take the fly. No! This is not the first time he has been fly fishing. He and I have been fishing rivers and streams, and some of my favorite reservoirs, so he is an accomplished fly fisherman. In this picture he is 17 years old, this trip was for his B-Day. We were fishing in late Summer / Early Fall.




This Pay-To-Play Venue is very affordable at a cost of $6.50 per person per day, you can keep two fish one under 16” and one over 20”. You have to go to the Golf Course Club House Pro Shop to pay your entrance fee. It is worth the money to catch 50 fish a day. There are other P-T-P lakes in Idaho and Eastern Oregon that are not as affordable or in as close a proximity to the Boise area.

The flies we used were; Canadian Brown Leech 8-10 3xl, Pheasant Tail Nymph #12, Adams #10-12, Joe’s Hoppers #8, midge nymph #18, Wooly Buggers 6-8-10 3xl, it was more like trying to figure out which fly they would not take.

The pond runs from 15-20 feet in depth. There is a lot of water grass (moss) in the pond, which makes it look shallow. My son and I were using 9’ 6 weight rods with a matching floating line, 9’ 5X tapered leader. We used a stronger tippet in case we were to encounter one of those big boys that swim here. Also we carried a sinking line, but they were unnecessary on this day. All the fish we caught were on the surface or just sub-surface. We used nymphs with strike indicators. We also just watched the line, because the strikes were not at all subtle, mostly smashing strikes. You can use whatever technique you normally use, you will catch fish with it. Mostly just get the fly in the water, and you got it going on.

Here is a picture of my son hooked up.


The fruits of his labor; one in the bag. What a great way to spend the day and my son’s B-Day.


This is my pontoon boat and a fish in the bag.


It is awesome to spend your time with your son or daughter, but it is more awesome to introduce him/her to a new fishing spot. All the while you are watching them having so much fun. It is a memory that will always be locked in my cranium vault scrape book, and these pictures help also.

I personally believe that if every father was to spend quality time with their children by taking them fishing in places like this, those children will be happier and well behaved, being a beaming light of pride for their parents. It doesn’t matter if it is a son or a daughter, it could be a grandchild, niece or nephew, or your brother or sister, it may even be a great grand child, you can take your neighbors kids, or you can take your best friend children, helping him out with this job, if he doesn’t fish or doesn’t have the time to take his kids,
It is not about you; it is “all about the children” teaching them and touching their hearts with something that will stay with them for a long time to come, all the while making memories for yourselves, and just spending time with them is – “PRICELESS” This is a great way to get a kid started on the right path of life.

On one of our trips to Clear Lake, I brought my friend and his son Jessie, this was his first time float tube flyfishing; as well as his first trip to Clear Lake. As you can see he is one very excited & proud young man.



Some people may think that this place is not appealing to the eye, but to me it is beautiful. As I said earlier, it is a “Jewel” in a desert oasis. I think every part of Idaho holds beauty. When I look into the stark landscape of the desert, I find beauty. To most people the desert is dry and inhospitable, but I find it wonderful. Just like this oasis, yes it is in close approximation to civilization, but when you get on the water, you can just tune out the surroundings; suddenly you are in a secluded lake in a far off place. It is all in you; make it what you want it to be.

I try to slink off to this fishing oasis as often as I can. But when the cabin hee-bee gee- bee’s close in on me in the winter, I will shake it off, dust off the fly rod, load the pontoon, and hitting the road, spending a few hours pulling trout from crystal clear water.

If you live in the Treasure Valley or the Magic Valley and you haven’t visited this fishing hole, you really should give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.