Coeur d'Alene River Report 4.19.17
When I left work on Saturday, I somehow took a left onto I-90 east instead of going west. Instead of turning around, I took a 90-mile detour to get home and went about 30 miles up the Coeur d'Alene River. Maybe it was some of the reports coming into the shop over the past week, but more than likely it was newborn-induced sleep deprivation that caused me to make the wrong turn.
As soon I started to make my way up the river, I could see some mayflies dancing in the sunlight along the riverbank. Clarity is good and the fish are rising even though the river remains above 5,000 cfs. Find a soft seam along the bank and you'll catch some fish.
Curious how the river is doing? Check out flows here.
Fishing during the middle part of the day will bring the most dry fly action, with Skwalas, BWOs, and March Browns all on the menu. I was using a Skwala dry with a size 16 BWO Crust Nymph dropper and it was 50/50 split with fish taking both bugs.
Need to restock? Check out our fly selection here.
If you're into streamers grab your favorite sculpin patterns, find some of the featureless runs that a lot of people overlook, and swing away. I managed to land a bunch of fish on a freshly tied Smoke N Mirrors fly from Dirty Water Fly Company in one of these runs just as the sun was setting. A perfect ending to an afternoon of avoiding yard work and changing diapers.
The weather is looking great this weekend for you to take your own detour to the CDA or St. Joe River. Make it happen. You certainly won't regret it!