That river is totally underrated, in my opinion. That being said, it fishes very differently from other rivers in north idaho. Plus the smallies are a lot of fun!
Really good video, and I'm anxious to see what content you've got in the future for that spectacular looking fishery. It's also really cool to see you nailing them on twitched jigs in the current. I'm pretty much exclusively a twitch jig fisherman for Trout and Salmon, stillwater and streams. You should get into tying your own jigs, although I warn you, it's a serious addiction. Sadly as far as fishery situations it's the same thing out here on Vancouver Island; we have some world class Coastal Cutthroat fisheries that are also shadows of their former selves. Nonetheless I had a phenomenal go at them this February, with 4 PB's from 21" up to 23"+ on my most recent outing and also a PB 20" wild Rainbow. I really wish we could do more out here in BC for them though. Our federal and provincial governments have had a pretty pitiful track record for management of the entire Oncorhynchus genus, especially when it comes to ocean and river management. Personally, since I feel like it's too late for me to get into academia and biology in order to pursue a career in conservation; I've been considering getting involved with a more grassroots volunteer organization that directly involves itself in habitat restoration or something similar.
Twitching jigs is so much fun! Although many of our Fisheries for Trout and Salmon are not what they were historically. The fact that these fish still persist is an incredible miracle. If we give them half a chance they can make it. As long as there are people who care about these fish, they still have a chance.
