BOISE, Idaho — Tight Lines 208 is dedicated to helping people become better anglers through education. The Cram Session is designed to give readers a crash course on a specific fish species or local fishery. Want to see a topic covered? Email tightlinesboise@gmail.com with your suggestion!
As the calendar turns to October, fall colors are starting to make their annual appearance. And while I enjoy the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows as much as the next guy, there’s one fall color that is especially near to my heart—brown!
I’m talking about the brown trout, one of Idaho’s largest and most aggressive river predators. And while the name might sound drab, brown trout sport a beautiful array of yellow hues and apple-red spots, especially during their fall spawning season.
Brown trout can be found in the Boise River and the Owyhee River in eastern Oregon—both of which offer an opportunity to catch a trophy-class fish north of 20 inches. They are also common in eastern Idaho, where they dominate stretches of the Snake River’s South and Henrys Forks.
In the Boise River, browns aren’t caught as often as the more common rainbow trout. The Boise actually has a very healthy population of browns—it’s just that targeting them often requires a slightly different approach. While anglers occasionally catch them on worms, Power Bait, nymph patterns and Panther Martin spinners, browns (especially the big ones) are highly predatory and are more likely to eat lures that mimic large prey like a fish or crayfish. Try throwing trout- or crayfish-colored Rapala crankbaits, jerk baits or large streamer patterns in deep, slower-moving holes, current seams and cutbanks. You may be shocked to see some of the monsters that lurk in the Boise, even right in the midst of downtown!
The Owyhee River offers a different take on brown trout fishing—it is generally slower moving as it winds through its desert setting in eastern Oregon. Here, browns are by far the dominant species. They are also catch-and-release only (and an Oregon license is required). The same tactics that work on the Boise River will catch browns in the Owyhee, but these highly pressured fish respond well to finesse presentations like tiny midge patterns and jig-and-bobber rigs.
Fall is a great time to fish our local rivers, as the flows and weather are usually ideal. Just keep in mind that brown trout spawn in autumn (usually during October and early November), so catch-and-release is recommended—and if you wade the river, keep an eye out for redds (nests) and avoid stepping on them. Tight lines!
Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters for 25 years. Share your fish stories, adventures and questions with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com, or visit www.tightlines208.com for the latest local fishing reports and upcoming class offerings.
