Fishing the lower canyon
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Running deep into the canyon
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Above the lodge but below the deepest and narrowest sections of the canyon, this water is more easily fished by boats coming up from Heller Bar. There is a lot more fishable water, and easier wading. In the long run, privacy and pressure are somewhat meaningless with moving, migrating fish. The fishing here is often just as good as running 30 miles the deepest heart of Hells Canyon.
As one runs upstream the canyon narrows, squeezing the river into long stretches of slow but very deep water. The vertical granite walls prevent any continuous foot movement along the river. We pass the mouth of the Salmon River (1:56) on the left, later the Imnaha River on the right (5:26). This was hunting season and deer and elk hunters were camping there Eventually we break out into a wider section with several large, enviably isolated ranches and a lot of good fly water. This time, the fishing up here was not as good as down below, but fish were caught. But this is what the Hells Canyon experience is all about.