Exploring Idaho’s Backcountry Waters
If you’ve followed my channel for a while, you already know I’m obsessed with exploring the unknown and finding the next hidden backcountry stream. There’s just something different about hiking miles into a drainage where almost nobody else fishes.
I get asked all the time where I find these remote streams, how I research new spots, and what flies I’m throwing back there. This post breaks it all down.
How I Got Into Backcountry Fly Fishing
I really dove into backcountry fly fishing when I met my buddy Noah. We both worked at Cabela’s. I worked in the fly fishing department and he worked in archery.
All summer long customers would come in showing photos of giant trout caught in tiny creeks. It didn’t make sense to me at first. How could fish that big live in water that small?
But I knew right away I wanted to figure it out.
Noah is a wizard when it comes to research and finding hidden water. I asked him to look into bull trout opportunities and within days he had maps marked and spots picked out. Some were total busts, while others led to the biggest trout I had ever caught at the time.
Hiking for Big Trout in Tiny Streams
One trip stands out the most.
We hiked five miles into what looked like nothing more than a trickle on the map. Standing there, we honestly felt ridiculous. There was no way big fish lived in water this small.
Later that same day we both hooked bull trout over 25 inches. (Watch video here)
One of those bulls, ran through logjams and heavy current while we sprinted down the bank trying to keep up. It felt more like chasing steelhead than fishing a creek.
We were instantly hooked.
That summer we explored creek after creek, learning how to read water and unlocking new spots most people hike right past.
Why I Don’t Share Exact Locations
I get tons of messages asking for exact spots.
Here’s the honest truth. Many of these streams are tiny and fragile. The fish only use them for short seasonal windows and they simply cannot handle heavy pressure. A handful of anglers can completely change a small fishery.
If you put in the research and hike the miles like we do, it is absolutely fair game. Protecting these places matters more than easy waypoints.
How I Find Remote Trout Streams
Finding backcountry trout water is half the adventure.
Mapping tools like OnX, TroutRoutes, and satellite imagery are huge. Many streams are technically labeled as small or overlooked entirely.
I study structure first. Deep pools, logjams, bends, choke points, and colder tributaries almost always hold fish. These features save you from hiking miles of empty water.
Most importantly, I try to think like a predator. If there is food, cover, and cold water, there are probably trout nearby.
Bull Trout Fishing Tips, Behavior, and Diet
Bull trout are one of the most predatory freshwater fish in the West, they'll even eat mice... video here!
When they are young, they mostly feed on aquatic insects, sculpins, and small baitfish. As they grow larger, their diet shifts heavily toward eating other fish.
Adult bull trout become almost entirely fish eaters. They prey on whitefish, juvenile trout, kokanee, sculpins, and sometimes even smaller bull trout. The bigger they get, the bigger their meals.
That is why streamers work so well.
White flies have been incredibly consistent for me. On bright summer days, stripping a big white streamer past a logjam will almost always get a follow. Sculpin patterns, articulated baitfish, and heavier flies for deep pools are all staples in my box.
If you are fishing a more pressured area, bull trout can get picky. They did not grow big by being careless. Downsizing or changing colors can make all the difference.
Don’t Sleep on the Cutthroat Fishing
As much as I love chasing bull trout, the cutthroat fishing in these remote places is just as addictive.
There is almost nothing better than throwing on a big dry fly and watching a cutthroat slowly rise from the bottom of a crystal clear stream to sip it off the surface. No splash. No rush. Just a calm, confident eat.
It is one of the purest forms of fly fishing there is. (My favorite cutthroat adventure)
Why Backcountry Fly Fishing Is Worth It
The long hikes, the unknown water, and the chance at a fish of a lifetime are what keep me coming back.
Backcountry fly fishing in Idaho is not just about catching trout. It is about exploration, solitude, and earning every single fish.
That is what makes it special.