Boys Gotta Fish

Spring and Summer on the Water

By David E. Metcalf

I was about ten when I first went fly fishing. We traveled from our house, which was a short distance from the Snake River near Homedale, to the North Fork of the Boise River. I went with my older brother Ferris, his family, my mom, and brother Loren. To reach Robert E. Lee Campground, about thirty-five miles northeast of Idaho City, we had to bump along a dusty and narrow washboard road over the mountain and down the other side. Ferris was prepared to pull over as far as he could without driving off a cliff if a logging truck came along but fortunately, the road was almost empty.

The campground was near a marsh, and the mosquitoes made bug repellent a must, but the insects and the remote location meant not many other campers were around. The morning after we arrived, my brothers and I grabbed our fly rods and headed to a nearby bridge, which we crossed to reach a large black rock that sat on the riverbank. Fish fed on the surface of a large pool next to the rock. My brothers told me if I quietly cast my fly to where it would float across the pool, I’d likely get some action. My first cast was a little off, so I tried again. This time, the fly landed just right. I felt a bite but then it stopped. Another try and nothing. By this time my older brothers had each landed a rainbow trout about nine or ten inches long.

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David E. Metcalf

About David E. Metcalf

David E. Metcalf was born and raised near Homedale and has raised a family with wife Darla in southwestern Idaho. The youngest of nine children, David enjoys writing stories about life in Idaho, childhood memories, and other inspirational topics. You can find him at davidsdocs.com and on Facebook.

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