WROUGHTS OF SPRINGS FLY FISHING IN IDAHO'S SPRING CREEKS NO EASY TASK.

Byline: BILL BECHER

You don't need a gun to hunt for big game.

A fly rod and reel, the right artificial bug and lots of skill and patience are what are required to pursue trophy trout on spring creeks.

Instead of heaving a worm in the water and wondering what you're going to catch, fly fishing a spring creek means spotting, stalking and casting to a single large fish.

I went hunting big rainbow trout on two of Idaho's classic spring creeks with friends from the Conejo Valley Fly Fishers. It was the most challenging fishing I'd ever experienced, far more difficult than fishing other types of streams or rivers.

Fly fishers classify moving water in three categories.

Freestone streams tumble down mountains and are the easiest for a fly angler. Fish don't have much time to inspect food as it rushes past them and often will strike at almost any fly.

Tailwater is the term for streams flowing out below dams. Tailwater supports such an abundance of trout that fishing often is relatively easy.

Spring creeks meander slowly from underground springs as the name suggests. Their clear water allows anglers to spot the big fish they want to catch.

But the transparent, unhurried flow means the fish can see the angler first and swim away, or just stop feeding. At times we literally crawled on our hands and knees to approach spring creek fish so not to spook them.

Insect life abounds in spring creeks. Trout can examine bugs on the water carefully, and will only take anglers' flies that look and behave like the real thing. As in a gourmet restaurant, presentation is everything.

Allow the fly to drag unnaturally on the water or choose the wrong color bug, and the fish act like a kid asked to eat broccoli for the first time.

All of this means spring creeks are the big leagues of fly-fishing for both anglers and guides.

We first tried our luck on Silver Creek near Picabo, hometown of the famous female ski racer Picabo Street. The Nature Conservancy owns the most popular section of Silver Creek. Anglers only need to sign in at the conservancy cabin to fish here, though donations are encouraged.

Silver Creek is restricted to catch-and-release fly-fishing only.

We walked along the grassy banks until we spotted the telltale splash and ring left in the water by a feeding trout. We managed to fool some of the smaller trout in the morning using Pale Morning Dun mayfly imitations, but by afternoon the trout were only eating spent adult blue damselflies floating on the water. We didn't have anything in our fly boxes that resembled the damsels and only could watch in frustration as the trout noisily smacked the big bugs.

Our next spring creek was the Henry's Fork of the Snake River at the Harriman Railroad Ranch in Last Chance. The river, now in a state park donated in 1902 by the railroad magnate, starts at Big Springs, where a half million gallons of water a day gushes out of the earth at a constant 52 degrees.

The river, 400 feet across and thigh deep in many spots, is perfect for fly fishing. This is where fly anglers from all over the world come to test their skills on some of the most selective big trout to be found anywhere.

We hooked up with guide Travis Smith, at 28 a nine-year veteran of guiding in the prolific trout waters of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, which he calls the Golden Triangle.

First we scouted a section of the Henry's Fork called the Gravel Pit and tried to get into position to fish, but the few rising trout were feeding sporadically. Next stop was a section of the river where big trout hang near the bank.

We followed a jeep trail then got out to hike along the river as the fragrance of mint and the burnt dusky smell of sage perfumed the hot July air. We shared the river and its banks with muskrats, ducks, marmots and some very big trout.

Walking along a cliff about 50 feet above the river we looked for large (over about 18 inches) fish that were regularly feeding. Then one of our group stayed on the cliff with a good view of the fish while the designated angler and guide climbed down into the water.

The fish spotter called or pointed out where the fish was if the angler lost sight of it. Angler and guide planned a stealthy approach, wading very slowly so as not to create a wake, approaching the fish from the best direction to be able to cast and have the fly float naturally.

It sometimes took 15 minutes or more to get into position. After that, it wasn't unusual to spend two hours casting different insect imitations to the same big trout. Henry's Fork is famous for its diversity of insect hatches, including salmon flies, Pale Morning Duns, caddis of all sizes, Brown Drakes and many other bugs. We try different versions of the bugs we see on the water, trying to please the large, finicky trout.

What about fishing the Henry's Fork for small trout?

``We don't fish to them. We think they should be left alone,'' said Rich Paini, one of the owners of the aptly named Trouthunter, an outfitter, lodge and fly shop on the Henry's Fork where Smith is a guide.

Anglers wanting to rack up big numbers of fish caught and released should skip Henry's Fork.

``It's a different fishery, and not for everybody,'' said fly-fishing guide John Harrington. ``If you tangle with a handful of big fish here, it's a good day.''

Harrington was guide for a number of years in Mammoth Lakes in the Eastern Sierras before moving to Idaho to guide for the Trouthunter. He said Henry's Fork is like moving up to the major leagues, tough fishing but the chance to work with some of the world's best fly anglers.

My two companions each hooked a big trout on the Henry's Fork. As for me, well it's back to the minors for some more seasoning. Hey, it took Paul Lo Duca 10 years to make it to The Show.

IF YOU GO

--Silver Creek Preserve is about 4 miles west of Picabo, Idaho. Catch- and-release fly fishing only, with free access, but sign in first at the Preserve cabin. Information: [phone] or e-mail mdavidson(at)tnc.org.

Season at the Preserve is from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to Nov. 30.

--The Henry's Fork of the Snake River is on Highway 20 in eastern Idaho, not far from Yellowstone in Montana.

The ranch sections of the Henry's Fork open June 15 each year and close Sept. 30 or Nov. 30 depending on section. Catch-and-release fly fishing only. Other sections are open year-round. Information: Trouthunter at [phone] or visit www.trouthunt.com.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Jimmy Toy of Westlake Village prepares to fly fish trout at Idaho's Silver Creek.

(2) Fly fishing is considered one of the toughest forms of hunting. Here, Jimmy Toy of Westlake Village fights a big trout on Henry's Fork in Last Chance, Idaho.

Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News

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IF YOU GO (see text)