Fishing for one of Idaho's most ELUSIVE fish | Bull Trout Fly-Fishing

Had a fun time chasing bull trout in Idaho's beautiful back country and really got to experience some amazing sights and fishing. I hope you enjoyed!

[@thomastero4662]

Really like your style of videography. Nice shots, nice angles, not overly reliant on drones, no pointless sequences of making breakfast or dudes sitting around a table talking into a microphone, no broken down vehicles and other assorted drama..........just great fishing and great locations. Your videos should have a much wider audience, they're better than folks who have many more viewers. But the best thing is your joy shines through so much. It's clear you are doing what you love most. Keep it up, the audience will find you.

[@movax_71]

Nice fish and beautiful country, being from Idaho I like to see it but hate you showing everyone else... HAHA ;-) Keep up the good work.

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you. I agree, and I try to be very careful with what I show. The beauty about this place in particular is it's lack of public recognition and remoteness so I generally feel it's a safe place to film, but still it can be a little iffy haha

[@ryangoesoutside]

Sweet vid man. Good shots, love the drone footage. Fun to watch and some sick music and epic looking river!

[@closeoutsaleusa5322]

Bull Trout (aka: Dolly Varden) used to be very common in Idaho. On Soldier Creek in Camas County, Idaho I used to catch them all the time around 1968 through 1970. Then the Fish and Game Dept decided to start planting hatchery trout into the stream and destroyed the Bull Trout and native cutthroat species. Now all we find on that body of water are small brookies.

[@triggatnizzle]

bull trout and dollies are two different species

[@skippylippy547]

@@triggatnizzle The two species have not been studied extensively. However in recent decades, Dr Eric Taylor at the University of British Columbia has used molecular biology as an effective tool to identify the two species. By identifying their genes, they are able to make accurate differentiation between the two species. In his recent co-published studies, he has found that the two species do interbreed and produce fertile hybrids. This makes visual identification even harder because of the intermediate characteristics. So, finally the mysteries are solved, now you will be able to distinguish between a bully and a dolly when you hook one of these magnificent fish in the Fraser River or Pitt River. Remember, these chars are slow growing fish, some large fish are up to ten years of age. All of them need to be released in the Southern BC. Please handle with care when releasing them.

[@adloutdoors]

FUCK THE IDFG!

[@bradlobdell]

The name has been used interchangeably forever and there is no sure way to differentiate the species so the term is basically interchangeable at this point.

[@davywalter]

I started coming to Idaho five years ago and have visited every year to spend as many weeks as I can fishing there and camping in the wilderness. Most times, I fish three or four rivers I've learned about and do really well with the cuttys, nymphing and dry-dropper. I also love streamer fishing and have learned tons already watching your technique with streamers. I hooked my first bull in Montana and have been obsessed with them ever since. If you ever have any recommendations of rivers or streams in Idaho, I'd just love to expand my knowledge of the place. I am obsessed with it, its rivers and people, and am thinking of devoting much more time there catching and releasing the beautiful fish.

[@chalillofviso8980]

I drive from Las Vegas to the Lewiston,Orofino area (some 16 to 17 hours) for Steelhead just to fish for a couple days in October. The Clearwater River is a awesome Big river the lower part and middle part is very popular for its salmon and Steelhead fishing if you keep driving up hwy 12 you will find and fish pristine and beautiful water full of cutthroat and bull trout!

[@skippylippy547]

Fantastic video. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us!

[@BlackRail33]

Beautiful country and stream! Love the bull trout.

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you!!

[@glennbuscher8003]

Thank you for sharing.

[@SC-rh5yo]

Great all around. Well done.

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you kindly!

[@NWoutdoorsadventures]

Love the video dude ! And congrats ! No easy task right there, specially early in the summer 😮.

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thanks man! I appreciate it!!

[@jordanwade3877]

Awesome video! Love your style and appreciation for the sport and countryside. Subscribed! And someone from Idaho it really helps me to be able to watch and learn some of your technique. Cheers.

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you very much!! That means a bunch for sure. We really live in a special place and are very lucky.

[@thewonderwok]

Nice one! Those bull trout are beautiful. cheers!

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you very much!!

[@fuenstock]

I’m in Idaho and fish a few tiny creeks that are loaded with bull trout but their little, 6”-9” range. Still loads of fun a a short 3wt glass rod!

[@DougieBFishing]

Intro is absolutely fire

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you!

[@charlesspringer4709]

I had a bull trout like your big one grab a small cut I had hooked up and fight me for it! The cut survived. The bulls were on the bottom and accidental catch and in the tail-out like the placement of yours. South fork of the Flathead in September and we were the only ones on the river. Everyone else was elk hunting. (Work on your double-haul. Get your left hand up against the pole in between hauls. You are sucking the energy out by holding it out with the line at an angle. But if it works it works.)

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Good tips, thanks!

[@charlesspringer4709]

@@FlyAddict_Fishing In case anyone reads this who needs the info, practice double-haul without a pole. Hands up and together in front of you. Make the motions of casting and with the left hand quickly go "down-up" as you start to load the rod, and "down-up" as you start to load on the back cast. Practice until the rhythm is natural then go to the rod. A really great fly fisherman told me this and I won a couple salt-water distance casting contests! You do it quite quickly so most of the time your hands are together and ready to retrieve or fight. It is like pumping up a swing. Avoid holding the line out at an angle. That looses the advantage of the pole. Double-haul is not so great if there are bushes behind you. Same process for single haul or final cast for placement.

[@FreeFormFlyFisher]

Sick video. Well done

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you very much!

[@NonsenseTube1]

Nice video. I like your style and attitude toward the country and the fish.. Thanks for letting me tag along.

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

I appreciate you watching and thank you for the kind comment. It means a bunch!!

[@danthiry2894]

Cool video, nicely done!

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you very much!

[@billbedard2570]

Beautiful area, colorful fish and quality video. Lots of effort.

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

I appreciate it a bunch! Thanks.

[@williamlatshaw5708]

Nice video. Better every season.

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you very much! I don't get many of them out but they're fun to make

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

Fantastic editing skills! Great video!

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you so much!

[@marcburrows5783]

Great vid man

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you!

[@troutntrails]

Wow dude this was a sick one. Super well done on the production side and the fishing side! Bulls are high on my list but there aren't many places you can legally fish for them here in Montana. Keep it up dude, excited to see what else this summer brings for you!

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Yeah, outside of the flathead it definitely gets difficult haha!! Thank you very much for the kind words, it means a bunch. You should definitely make a trip out west just a bit, you don't have to drive far ;)

[@troutntrails]

@@FlyAddict_Fishing Definitely going to go after them someday here soon!

[@chuckmorgan3049]

Congratulations on your bull trout quest! Absolutely gorgeous country to explore. Wondered if you ever thought of using a trout spey with integrated line and even a poly leader or light sink tip for bulls when stripping streamers? Advantage of getting in tight places and making casts that would be impossible single handed.

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Yes, I actually got out with a buddy the following morning on an impromptu trip and swung a fly on his trout spey for a bit, it was awesome and he hooked into some awesome bulls with it. It is 100% next on my list!! Thanks for the kind comment aswell

[@movax_71]

Good choice, I prefer the switch stick. Great in between. I just change reels with different weights and lines. so easy for everything in places like this. Two hands are better than one. HAHA

[@connorquinn7727]

Nice fish man

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thanks buddy!!

[@romanmathez9259]

nice video .. 💪🏻💪🏻beautiful location( nature )👌🏻 all the best from switzerland 👍🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Hey thank you very much! I appreciate it!

[@rustyrodgarage2686]

Subscribed! Epic videography and beautiful fish.nice work

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you very much! I appreciate the compliment!

[@driftstone]

Stunning river and fantastic video. If you're ever down my way, I can show you around some places!

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you very much! And definitely vice versa!

[@georgeallee16]

You should look into fishing in Southern Argentina. I’ve heard the trout fishing down there is other-worldly. My grandpa goes there every year

[@719angler]

Awesome video man, subscribed ✅

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you very much!!

[@jamiegazzola2615]

Great video man. Audio makes u feel like ur there. Congrats

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you!!

[@bradlobdell]

Dolly Varden are plentiful in Idaho and should be able to keep a few.

[@liamkingsbury7438]

Love the video dude! What weight and length rod, and also what was your line and leader setup?

[@coreyjbeats1357]

Welp, I guess you gotta start somewhere. I really didn’t expect seeing this channel having subscribers only in the hundreds. In a blink of an eye, this’ll be in the hundred thousands then a milli!

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Haha, I really appreciate the encouragement!! Thank you!!

[@Powerharp62]

I didn’t take time to check all the comments to get your location. What stream were you fishing? I grew up in Headquarters ID not far from the North Fork of the Clearwater River. We called the bull trout, Dolly Varden, when I was living there.

[@30YCS]

21:16 Niiiiice!

[@keos9388]

Great video man and what a fun looking river! Bulls are truly a baddass fish for sure. Ive got some tanks over the years my 3 biggest ive weighed were all just under 17 pounds. Tight lines!

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Wow, that's absolutely incredible... I'm jealous haha!! My biggest is like 25... 25 inches haha

[@nickp.2432]

Hands down my favorite species to hunt for. Shame they had such a bad reputation in older days. Glad they are protected. Can't tell you how many people don't know how to identify and keep them because they think they caught a brook trout. 👍👍🇺🇸

[@jeremiahjasso8591]

Would you say that bull trout mostly only bite on streamers? I live in North Idaho and catching a bull trout is on my bucket list.

[@SpaceBoots64]

What a beautiful spot, I have never been anywhere in Idaho that green. You really found an amazing spot so free from fishing pressure.

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thank you very much. This place is definitely special to me and pretty unique, I hold it close to my heart for sure.

[@adloutdoors]

HAHAHAHAHA, OK!

[@aaronwickett8688]

Great video man. We share home waters from the looks of this video and other videos.

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thanks! Very cool! We are lucky to live in the place we do.

[@alexalbin1187]

Wow! What river is that? I’m in Idaho! 🇺🇸

[@jacobmcdonald2367]

I know they like cold oxygenated water. Where do they go when the water warms up? You said this was June, so where are they in July/August?

[@benjy468]

People shit on the squirmy but it catches more bulls than anything I've tried after running a streamer through.

[@ianf2021]

What rod and reel you rockin for streamers?

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

A sage payload 8' 9" 6+ weight and a sage reel, I forget the name specifically but it's either their lowest priced one or second lowest

[@Robert-fs1pb]

Helgramite imatations work.well or streamers helgramite larvae.

[@aidanwoods3370]

I’m glad people think Idaho is a real place too fish for bull trout😂

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Not 30"+ fish for sure.

[@ammon8974]

Where is this at Fairfield? Stanley? Salmon?

[@Lochsa89]

Fairfield.

[@imraduin]

Nice video, loved it. Beats me why they are called trout when they are clearly a char species though!

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Thanks! Great question, I think about that a lot too haha

[@Vincenteckart]

Have you ever fished the kootenai?

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

No, but it is 100% on my list one of these summers for both bows and bulls. Would love to get to the part of it north of the border too

[@Vincenteckart]

I stumbled across your channel looking for fishing videos and I love the videos I have watched so far

[@corydronen6023]

I live in the north puget sound so I am no stranger to bulls. I don't think there is a better fish for streamers. They won't hesitate to try and chomp the 15" rainbow on your line either!

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Oh I know! Its crazy. It's always a shock when you're fighting a 12" cutty on your 4 weight then the rod doubled over and drag starts peeling. It's very fun😂

[@Belbivdevoe]

Put on a nymph catch a dink

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

That's how it usually ends up working out haha

[@closeoutsaleusa5322]

Is this the Selway River?

[@MTmixer84]

I am really confused how this is legal

[@idahoman325]

Although I loathe our state being seen by nonIdahoans ,it's wonderfully done so thanks for a great video. Curious county 🤔 bonner yes ?

[@davehallett2977]

super easy to catch here in bc. 15lbs isnt rare

[@FlyAddict_Fishing]

Yeah, I wish it was like that here. Used to be.

[@Lochsa89]

I wish we had they same restrictions on non-residents that BC has, then we’d still have 15 pounders.