My wife and I just moved from Pocatello, Idaho, to Rexburg, Idaho, for my wife’s schooling. Both cities are in eastern Idaho, and they’re about an hour and fifteen minutes apart. Not a big move, but I thought it would be interesting to talk a little bit about what the move will mean for my tenkara videos and my fishing in general.
Rexburg is not in the mountains. It’s on the Upper Snake River Plain. So there isn’t really small mountain stream fishing—true tenkara—within 45 minutes or so of town. But once you get to that 45-minute mark, you start to get the mountains, and then it starts to get really good. The west side of the Tetons is an hour away. And West Yellowstone, one of the entrances to Yellowstone National Park, is only an hour and twenty minutes away. Jackson, Wyoming, is an hour and a half away. Within an hour and a half, which is about what I’m willing to drive for a day trip, are hundreds of fishable tenkara streams. I’ve been mapping them out for months. I’m ready.
Rexburg may be a bit of a drive from the mountains, but it’s not far from good trout fishing. The South Teton River runs through town. Two world-famous trout rivers are very close by: Henry’s Fork (10-minute drive) and the South Fork of the Snake River (15-minute drive). These are big rivers with big trout. I don’t normally fish big rivers or target big trout. But with these two rivers so close by, I’m going to start.
Oh, and I’ll also be within biking distance of some perch and bass ponds.
So here is my plan for my fishing (and fishing videos) this year:
- Still lots of small mountain stream fishing. This is what I love most, and this is what I’ll continue to do most.
- I’ll be fishing in Idaho a fair amount still. There will be less fishing in Utah and more fishing in Wyoming and Montana.
- More fishing on bigger rivers for bigger fish. One of my goals this year is to get a new PB trout. My current biggest is 18 inches. I want a 20-incher. There’s going to be a lot of trial and error here, because I have no idea what I’m doing.
- I’ve been getting more into spin fishing lately, so you might see the occasional spinning video.
I also have plans to catch more bull trout, grayling, and golden trout in addition to the usual brook, brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout. And I’ve actually never caught a whitefish, so that’s one of the goals this year too.
I hope that all sounds interesting to you. I’m beyond excited. Exploring new waters is my favorite thing, and I now have lifetimes worth within a few hours. Stay tuned for lots of great fishing adventures to come.
Congrats on the move! Sounds like interesting times ahead for you and your wife. Wish you both the best of luck!
Really enjoy your style of fishing. Also SUV travels. I bought a Mizuchi rod, have not been able to try it out as they postponed the opening of trout fishing till June 1st. I live in June Lake in Eastern Sierra. If your in the area get in touch with me maybe by than virus will have eased up!
Good luck with the move!
I have twice had success on trips to Yellowstone National Park to catch both Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Grayling. I am a fat old guy who barely gets around, and the clumsiest fly fisher in the history of fly fishing. Or of history for that matter. Point being that with a modest amount of effort, the goal of catching native, wild grayling in their native habitat is quite achievable. Good luck and have fun, Sir!
I just came across this. I assume you’ve gotten the whitefish by now – right?
If not I can put you on a small river/ big creek with meet large cutthroats and a good population of whitefish, near you