Fly Fishing Idaho's Salmon River in a Wooden Drift Boat

Welcome to the MIDDLE FORK OF THE SALMON RIVER. Idaho's greatest fly fishing experience.
I take a backcountry plane from Stanley Idaho into the Frank Church Wilderness for 6 days of fly fishing on one of the greatest river trips in Idaho, the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. A 100 mile stretch between Stanley and Salmon Idaho that cuts right through the heart of the lower 48's biggest wilderness, the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.
On this adventure I join Helfrich River Outfitter, the first outfitter to ever guide this river, for their 100th year anniversary. One of the unique things about Helfrich are their beautiful wooden drift boats or McKenzie drift boats that their family helped design and that they still use today. Fly fishing on the Middle Fork in the Frank Church Wilderness by wooden drift boat!?! Sign me up!
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0:00 Backcountry Flight
1:26 Day 1
5:00 Day 2
8:12 Day 3
12:42 Day 4
14:25 Day 5
15:38 Day 6

[@mkoenig57]

Got to admit that I was skeptical when I saw this. "Oh great, another Middle Fork fly fishing video." To my surprise, you not only were able to tell a story, you really captured much of the essence of the Frank, and the essence of the river trip experience. I can appreciate the effort it takes to set up the night time lapse when you just want to get to bed, and getting that early morning hike to get a scenic view. Well done.

[@kopenick8454]

No way! Your uncle was my high school geology teacher, one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met! Great video man!

[@JonConti]

Haha that's awesome!

[@randalltom9750]

It's truly an amazing place! It's history, geology, floura & fauna, all under the canopy of star-filled skies.

[@danbentsen]

Very well done video. Nice to see some wood drift boats still runnin MF Salmon , thru no small effort of guides & outfitter. I was going down memory lane eye - ballin Those wood driftboats. They looked better than any I ever built. HRO knows how to get people down the river in style.

[@missourimole]

It’s been 21 year’s since I rafted the middle fork, thanks for taking me back. Also your Sawtooth series has inspired me to get out get hiking and do Alice Toxaway loop next year. Thank you all your video work is excellent!

[@JonConti]

Thanks Chris! Thanks for watching

[@TheGRider56]

Very awesome! Thank you so much for making and posting this.

[@aaronreiter7915]

I used your videos to plan a trip to Idaho. We went to the route of the Hiawatha, Wallace, coeur d'alene, white water rafted the Stanley river, Stanley, redfish lake, the springs, and finally Boise. The trip was great. Keep up with the videos.

[@JonConti]

O that's awesome Aaron thanks! Who did you raft with in Stanley? Did you go with the River Company?

[@aaronreiter7915]

The river company was booked so we used white cloud. We used row adventures on the Clark fork in Montana.

[@texassledder]

You do a great job capturing Idaho! Rock on!

[@JonConti]

Thanks man ✌️

[@veronica0406]

Beautiful video! I especially loved that Milky Way time lapse. Amazing work you do.

[@JonConti]

Thanks 🙏 I was testing a new camera for those, a little tricky learning on the fly.

[@ondafly6504]

Really liked your vid/ documentary. Liked the bit of history about The Frank. Great cinematography.

[@lindseys4978]

Amazing! Now I’m itching to go!! Thanks for sharing a bit of the Frank Church Wilderness with us and letting us know about Helfrich. My list of things to do in Idaho just keeps growing!!

[@JonConti]

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[@The800Dragon]

Wow! Another fantastic video!!!! Thank you so much.

[@mikekuczynski1552]

Lucky U to be able to go on such an adventure and be with someone you’ve known your entire life and to be able to share that experience. Happy Trails

[@hikingmule]

Fantastic as always! How you approach filming and telling the story is second to none.

[@JonConti]

Why thank you😀

[@joexumphonphakdy1767]

This looks epic!

[@jedimasterkyle]

I’ve lived in Idaho nearly all of my life and I’ve never wanted to visit the ‘Frank’ until now. I had no idea just how beautiful and pristine it is. Fantastic video! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@JonConti]

O ya it's an incredible place

[@ricardoallende2597]

Beautiful. I’m going to look into this for next summer. I’m only 150 miles away. Thanks for taking the time to share it.

[@JonConti]

Thanks for taking the time to watch 🙏

[@DennisDemori]

Love your videos man

[@JonConti]

Thanks Dennis ✌️

[@kbreezy004]

I need to move home to Idaho. Love the content, keep it up.

[@JonConti]

Thanks Alex 🙏

[@benramosactual]

I watch all of your videos and this one was the best one yet! Thanks for doing what you do 💯🤜💥🤛

[@JonConti]

Well that's good! I hope I'm getting better the more I do this. Thanks for watching

[@OutdoorsAllie]

That was incredible. Nice work!

[@JonConti]

Thank you 🙏

[@JonConti]

Teach me to hunt I’ll shoot the video for you 🙂

[@mhurbi]

We did the last trip with Helfrich in September two years ago. It was amazing. Caught tons of fish. Kidd was the lead guide and was great.

[@JonConti]

Kidd Youren himself. I'm sure the trip was awesome!

[@Momentumwisdom]

Awesome 👏

[@TanataRondanelli]

Always class act videos! Incredible cinematography and great balance of educational info and just glorious scenery. Lived in Stanley many years and always wanted to take one of these Middle Fork trips. Thanks for taking us all along and hope your channel blows up as your work deserves to be seen!

[@JonConti]

Thanks 🙏 ya the one thing I forgot to mention in the video was the permit system. I recorded it I don’t know why I left it out. It is tough for people to access this stretch. Trips are expensive and permits aren’t guaranteed. But if you’re from Stanley you must know someone you could hitch a ride with right!?

[@TanataRondanelli]

@@JonConti hi yes if only I still lived there! Idaho always has my ❤️ in its wild nature that I think is the most beautiful in the world. So glad to experience it again in your fantastic videos 👌

[@chuckmckenney4491]

I've done a few trips on the Middle fork on private trips. I absolutely love the place. You did it justice! Very well done.

[@JonConti]

Thanks Chuck 🍻

[@texassalt8999]

Contacted Helfrich yesterday. Planning my trip for June. Once again, thanks for your amazing videos and giving me trip ideas.

[@JonConti]

Ha! I might be on it with you. I'm taking a trip with them at the end of June. Let them know you saw the video!

[@texassalt8999]

@@JonConti I talked to Kelsey and let her know that's how I found them. Totally gave you props. I would LOVE to be on the same trip as you!!! I'm a solo traveler so she gave me the dates of June 8-13 for a single.

[@JonConti]

@@texassalt8999 Damn I'm the week after! Call Kelsey back and tell her to put you on our trip I'm sure they'll accommodate. Just say you spoke to me and being a single you wanna be on a trip with someone you kind of know. If there's anyway they can make it work they will that's how they are.

[@gnericnuser]

Amazing scenery I gotta make it out there sometime

[@natehoover5266]

Just found your channel and dude you're living the life bro! Makes me wish I chose a different path in which I got to do more things like this but definitely makes me want to take a trip to Idaho asap.

[@iflanzy]

Now this is a trip I'd love to do with my dad at some point. And seems like you get some cool bonuses on this trip like those hot springs and petroglyphs.

[@JonConti]

O ya it's the trip of a lifetime!

[@ZeigerDRB]

Great video. Makes me want to go there

[@HikingwithGus]

OMG soooo jealous. Awesome video and now I have one more thing on my bucket list...

[@JonConti]

How's the smoke in Washington right now?

[@HikingwithGus]

@@JonConti Not bad on the west side of the cascades. But that can change in a matter of hours. Our 2 biggest fires are about 90 miles east of me and the winds are pushing the smoke north I believe.

[@misterjaayy6156]

You always do great work Jon. Beautiful camera work and editing. Keep it up!

[@JonConti]

Thanks!

[@bh2472]

Awesome

[@JonConti]

✌

[@adventuresnorthwest3643]

Awesome production Jon. The video pulls at an individuals desire for nature and adventure.

[@JonConti]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it ✌

[@chriswright.t3phase857]

Great video. Such a beautiful river and mountains

[@JonConti]

Ya it’s a great place

[@relaxingvideosnorthwest3646]

Awesome video!

[@JonConti]

Thanks!

[@kenpetty]

Great camera work. SUPERB editing. You got talent, my man.

[@JonConti]

Much appreciated! Thanks Ken

[@rawclavdia6349]

I like your choice of music.The scenes are from movie scenes.

[@JonConti]

Why thank you 🙏

[@lnazworth]

That's some beautiful country! Great video!

[@JonConti]

Thanks 🙏

[@TheFishingJunky18]

Damn that place is amazing! 👌 Awesome video bro, I very much enjoyed this one!!

[@JonConti]

Thanks man! Thanks for watching ✌

[@SR-rh8ir]

Nicely done! Ima goin next week. Yeah me!

[@JonConti]

Sweet!

[@rawclavdia6349]

Do It!

[@miketaylor6700]

Brilliantly done. Everything you just said is MY favorite thing to do too, every day! Bahahaha

[@JonConti]

Ha! That’s awesome. I’ve seriously thought about just working as a videographer for river company’s so I can do it all everyday.

[@beach4me2007]

What a great Video!

[@JonConti]

Thanks ✌

[@brethowell2311]

Great Video.

[@JonConti]

Thanks ✌️

[@nathanleeper4519]

What was the name of the song at the intro great vid

[@seizethekarp123]

I came for the wooden boats and stayed for those stars! What card game is that? Some sort of rummy?

[@JonConti]

Cribbage! One of these days I'm gonna do a video on how to play.

[@abdivergreg]

We will be going with these guides on September 20. It will be our first time!

[@JonConti]

Enjoy

[@morganhillbilly1475]

Well done Mr. Conti……

[@JonConti]

Thank you sir! Have you gotten out much this year since we bumped into each other? Found any cool hikes?

[@Fizzyfuzzybignbuzzy]

What’s a trip like this cost roughly? I know it can vary depending on time just wondering. Their site is down just looking at a ball park

[@chrystalynnkelly5325]

I have always wanted to go salmon fishing and never have had the opportunity, thank you again for the video. Why aren't drones allowed in the wilderness, and what was that thing on the end of the string to release the fish?

[@JonConti]

So first off it’s trout fishing on the salmon river (I know confusing). It’s mostly cutthroat trout you catch a type of rainbow trout. Drones are considered motorized vehicles and motors aren’t allowed in the wilderness typically. And that thing was a tool invented by Helfrich to release the fish without having to touch them. Keeps them healthier 😀

[@chrystalynnkelly5325]

@@JonConti 😁😁 my bad. Trout fishing is so much fun. That's to bad that they consider a flying object as a motorized vehicle, I think it's no different than an air plane flying over. That piece is so neat, a great invention.

[@Borok85]

Awesome video brother. I've been killing it on the Henry's fork and some local areas around Poci. Do you have an Instagram?

[@JonConti]

Thanks! I do, it's jon_conti

[@TopSecretVid]

looks more like Grand Central Station.

[@lukesavage4001]

Best kept secret is the middle fork. And the falls and cliffs and hikes and Indian hieroglyphs.

[@JonConti]

Ya I'll have to get back in there with the backpack someday. This is the only way I've explored the Frank so far.

[@weinerdog137]

Long week?

[@lakepowellwildlife386]

How much does is cost on average to float the middle fork

[@JonConti]

Once you factor in tip, lodging, shuttle it’s not cheap. I’d say 5k a person. That does include everything. All your meals, gear, fly rods etc.. Of course if you pull a permit and do it yourself it’ll cost you a whole lot less. But it’s not an easy river. We had a rafter die two weeks ago on it.

[@lakepowellwildlife386]

Alright thank you

[@braccobaby]

What kind of tent is that?!?!

[@JonConti]

I think they're Eureka's

[@bjonh3099]

Long week? Funny

[@Yenko1992]

Believe it or not I've never had a fresh caught trout cooked over a fire I'd like to change that

[@JonConti]

Definitely do it once, but it's overrated. Lots of bones, not much meat.

[@69adrummer]

haha the ONE thing you didn't get right is LOOKING AT THE LENS OF THE CAMERA.......... NOT "OVER THERE" at the viewfinder!!

[@Belbivdevoe]

2 flys on the line! No fucking way

[@user-bj2uu6cf2g]

How is that game called?

[@mikamikamoomoo1]

4:33 what’s the name of this game?

[@andreameigs1261]

7:08 distribution of a non-native plant species. That was a cute shot, but it always makes me sad to see non-natives (and especially invasives) in a place that seems untouched.

[@noel3422]

So only jet boats and airplanes, hmm......

[@baseballdiamondhead]

Not many views that’s probably a good thing don’t want everyone flooding Idaho.

[@shahroseamir]

Remove that MF music from the video.

[@JonConti]

Sure let me get right on that 👍

[@KayeandRemo]

Awesome video!

[@JonConti]

Thanks!