Fishing is heating up as the water levels in the Henry’s Fork starts to drop. What was outrageously high water as recently as three weeks ago has turned into perfection in the last few days. Couple that with the fact that the hatches are coming fast and furious, and you have a recipe for great fishing.
They’re seeing great success on the Henry’s Fork with brown drakes. During the middle of the day there are a few green drakes hatching as well, but the brown drakes are working all day. Up in Box Canyon the golden stones are working well as the stone flies start in earnest. Up on the Madison they’re seeing the beginning of the salmon fly hatch and fishing has been great up there as well.
Lakes continue to be spotty, with the best success coming early in the day. Island Park Reservoir is good down toward Trude’s and Henry’s Lake is good wherever it’s good today. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason (however a good place to start is on the South side near the cliffs.
Bring your pole and get up here!! Judging from the traffic already, this is going to be a good weekend. We hope you can be part of it.
While we haven’t seen the bear activity this year we did last, there are still bears in the area and to be safe, you need to be wise about how you police your campsite or cabin. Any food — any food however small, distasteful, unappetizing, etc., — is a magnet for bears. They can smell food a mile away (literally) and will come to get it.
It’s no secret that real estate sales have been slow nation-wide. That’s been true here in Island Park as well. When the sale of primary residences drops off, you can imagine what happens to the sale of secondary (vacation) homes. Couple that with the fact that much of the construction in the Island Park area was investors building “spec” homes, and you have the recipe for great bargains.
Organizers for the Sawtelle Fun Run, coming up on the 4th of July, have decided to waive the $10 late fee for this year. They have indicated that this is a way to help those affected by the sagging economy. Although that means that you can register all the way up to the day of the race with no penalty, organizers request that you register as early as possible to reduce the chaos on race day.
If you come to Island Park this time of year, you’re going to get a bite or two. You can slather on all the DEET-containing products you want. Somewhere out there waiting for you is a valiant soul willing to give her life (it’s only the females that bite, remember) for a drink of your blood.
Rain has continued in Island Park at a rate residents cannot believe. In fact, there has been talk around Macks Inn of beginning construction on an ark. We’ll keep you updated on that. But even with unprecedented rain, fishing is good.
This weekend (tonight and tomorrow night, the 19 - 20 of June) kicks off what will hopefully be the first of many free concerts here in Island Park. “Just Warmin’ Up,” a bluegrass band from Utah will take the stage tonight on the deck at the Landing restaurant (across the river from Macks Inn.)
For the last 40 plus years I have been a dedicated mushroom hunter. I suppose there may be better places to look for mushrooms than Island Park, but I don’t know of them. This is where I’ve lived and this is where I go hunting.
I just returned from a week in New York City. I enjoyed myself immensely among the culture and the diversity but found significant truth in the statement, “You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.”
If you’re tired of paying the exorbitant fees to get into Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, you’re in luck. The park service has announced they will be waiving the entry fee on one weekend each month this summer. During those weekends, visitors will enter for free!
If you are a runner who frequents the Island Park area, chances are you already know about the “fun run” on Sawtelle Peak. The event is organized to have something for everyone. There is a half marathon (13.2 miles) a 10K, a 5K and 1K for kids (I hope it’s kids of all ages, because 1K might be all I could manage.)
In a frenzied effort to follow the federal government’s example in taking away the freedom of the people, Fremont county is trying (in true Obama-fashion) to ramrod through a new ordinance forbidding residents from owning pit bulls (and other similar dog breeds, however that might be defined,) and requiring dog owners to keep their dogs in a “substantial” enclosure (as opposed to running loose.)
Normally you wouldn’t think we’d like to see snow in June (especially after 6 months of deep winter. But the skiff we got yesterday morning was welcome. You see, the mosquito season was just beginning. The snow killed the mosquitoes and we now have another week or two mosquito-free. Then we’ll need to pray for snow again. Hopefully that cycle will continue until the sap starts running in earnest in the pines and the pollen settles on the ground (and everything else.) Only then can we bid goodbye to the mosquito season for yet another spring. 
The water conservancy folks in our area are talking once again about rebuilding the Teton Dam. The dam, built in the early ’70’s failed catastrophically in June of 1976 wiping out a significant portion of the farms, homes and businesses in Southeastern Idaho. While cleanup was swift and effective, the scars from that tragedy run deep around here.
If you’re always wanted to live in paradise, there are still a few summer jobs available here in Island Park. Of course most are in the hospitality industry, but there are others as well. The great thing about jobs in the hospitality industry is they often come with some sort of housing. If you’ve been thinking about spending the summer up here, check now. Positions are limited and they fill quickly. The chamber of commerce can give you a list of people to contact if you don’t know anyone yourself.