In today’s episode, we’re fly fishing Idaho with Ed Anderson from the McCall Angler. He takes us to the McCall area in West Idaho where we touch on the Payette, Boise, and Snake rivers for rainbows, browns, and bass. Find out why McCall was described as “the place of windows”. We won’t reveal those secret fishing spots but Ed tells us the best times to fish up there and some more useful tips.
We also dig into Ed’s art – his role being the Creative Director of West Mountain Drifters, and how he got picked up by Gray’s Sporting Journal for multiple cover projects.
Click below and listen to the Podcast about Fly Fishing Idaho with Ed Anderson:
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(Read the Full Transcript at the bottom of this Blog Post)
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Fly Fishing Idaho Show Notes with Ed Anderson
03:30 – Ed used to work for Jackson Kayaks – James McBeath from Jackson Kayaks was on the podcast at WFS 248
04:00 – McCall is located in Southwestern Idaho, 2 hours North of Boise, pinned between the Hells Canyon and Frank Church Wilderness of No Return – Frank Church is the largest wilderness area in the Lower 48 and Hells Canyon is the deepest Canyon in America
09:10 – The Payette and Boise rivers are Ed’s home water
10:30 – The Payette and Cascade reservoirs are gigantic reservoirs – people go wakeboarding there
11:55 – Boise is now the fastest growing place in America
12:30 – Boise gets about 300 days of sunshine
13:50 – Summer is not a good fishing time in Idaho because the water level is low. Ed’s favorite time to fish is when the snow is still on the ground – end of March going April.
17:05 – In Snake River, people go bass, carp, and sturgeon fishing. The largest sturgeon that was ever caught in America was in the Snake River at 117 inches
18:20 – Ed prefers the Boise over the Payette river, he says it’s a more consistent cool-water fishery. August and September are Ed’s preferred times to fish the Boise river because the water level stays the same for a number of days.
22:15 – On the Boise river, they get a little of the caddis hatch and primarily they’re euro nymphing or streamer fishing
24:50 – Fish and Game Idaho plant steelheads in the Boise river from time to time
31:50 – Ed used to use a Coosa by Jackson Kayak
34:40 – Ed’s got an Adipose skiff
35:10 – NRS Raft is a raft company from Moscow. They’re coming out with a whole new line of rafts this year.
35:25 – Ed also loves Link Jackson’s Stream Tech Rafts. It’s a Maravia boat too.
39:50 – Ed talks about carp fishing
41:00 – Bass fishing is consistent in McCall fisheries, especially in the summer. There are some tiger muskies there too. Ed chooses bass over trout because he wants to get away from the crowd.
45:55 – Ray Troll, who is also a fish artist, was on the podcast at WFS 299
46:30 – We dig into Ed’s art. You can check out his artwork on his Instagram at @edandersonart
48:20 – Ed created multiple cover artwork for Gray’s Sporting Journal
49:30 – Ed and I met through Nick Torres of Waterworks Lamson. Nick had been on the podcast twice at WFS 304 and WFS 213
52:20 – Ed works with West Mountain Drifter as the Creative Director
59:30 – McCall Angler also works with Drift West
1:01:08 – Ed’s go-to fly is a Yellow Sally.
You can find McCall Angler on Instagram at @themccallangler
Their website at TheMcCallAngler.com
Check out Ed’s artwork on Instagram at @edandersonart
His website at EdAndersonArt.com
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Read the Full Podcast Transcript Below
Fly Fishing Idaho Conclusion with Ed Anderson
So there you go..
If you are from Idaho or near that area and want to enjoy some great fishing spots, you can reach out to Ed and the McCall Anglers crew. They’re committed to making your experience on the water 10 out of 10.
You can also reach out to Ed about artwork projects. If you need a cover art or a logo, he’s the guy for you. Check out his work on Instagram at @edandersonart and send him a DM there to connect with him.
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