To keep Boise River’s trout habitat thriving, this local club is pitching in
Every time I walk or drive past the Boise River, I’m reminded of how lucky we are to have such a beautiful, healthy river running right through the heart of town. I’m continually impressed by the Boise’s population of big, wild trout — especially considering how much fishing pressure it receives.
Like many fisheries, the Boise River needs a little help to stay healthy and productive. Years ago, Fish and Game implemented special rules between Barber Park and ParkCenter Bridge. When I had the opportunity to join biologists on an electrofishing survey of that stretch, I was shocked (pardon the pun) by how many big rainbows and browns we tagged and released.
This winter, another Boise River advocate is doing its part to improve the fishery. The Boise Valley Fly Fishers (BVFF) club spearheaded an effort to improve spawning habitat by adding 10 yards of small gravel to a Boise River side channel. Using gravel donated by Sunroc and partnering with Boise Flood District 10, members of the club recently distributed new gravel throughout the channel.
“The Boise River has a good population of both rainbow and brown trout, but their reproductivity is limited by the lack of smaller size gravel they need for spawning,” said Troy Pearse of BVFF. “By adding the spawning-size gravel, we hope to make the Boise River an even better place to fish.”
Because the Boise River in town is fed by a system of reservoirs, natural inputs of fresh gravels are limited. Supplementing gravels in key spawning areas provides continued habitat for future wild trout to build their nests. BVFF plans to monitor the side channel for spawning activity and will review trout fry survey results in the coming year. If all goes well, the club hopes to lead more projects in the future.
“Gravel augmentation has been shown to help trout, steelhead and salmon populations in rivers that have lost spawning-size gravels,” Pearse said. “Our local Trout Unlimited project has done several gravel augmentations on the Boise river with good results.”
I appreciate that BVFF members donated their time and knowledge to help the river and our fishing community with this great stewardship project. It’s a great way for the club to kick off its 50th anniversary year. To learn more about BVFF, visit www.bvff.com.
For those who don’t belong to a fishing club or have the time to help shovel gravel, there’s still plenty we can do to keep the Boise River thriving. Perhaps most important is practicing catch-and-release on large, wild rainbows and browns in order to sustain future generations of fish. Whether I’m fly-fishing or using spinning gear, I release 99% of the wild trout I catch. The Boise has plenty of stocked rainbows (learning to tell the difference is a useful skill), and those are the fish I’ll bring home for the frying pan.
Learning trout behavior is valuable, too. Rainbows spawn in spring (April/May), while browns spawn in fall (October/November). Staying out of the water during those times to avoid disturbing nests, also known as redds, is always a good idea.
It takes a village to maintain quality fisheries, and our Treasure Valley village is growing at a crazy pace. Kudos to BVFF for stepping up with a great project to support Boise River trout — and here’s hoping more of us will follow their lead. Tight lines!
A fishing class that’s Trout of This World!
Speaking of trout, my next fishing class, Trout of This World, is set for Thursday, March 18, at the Hilton Garden Inn Boise Spectrum. Idaho anglers catch more trout each year than any other species of fish, and this in-depth class will give you the tools and know-how to catch more and bigger trout year-round. Seats are going fast! Learn more and register on my website, www.tightlines208.com.
Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures, tips and tricks with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com or visit www.tightlines208.com.