While the North Fork is not the Snake River after snowmelt, it can be difficult and dangerous in certain areas. The method that works best for me is to allow the person in front to fish through the slow areas and then help paddle through trickier water. The person in the back is responsible for getting the fisherman within casting distance of likely looking runs, holes, etc. and for keeping an eye out for fast water or obstructions up ahead. If you have a choice, try to choose a partner with some canoeing experience and a good attitude. I suggest you also try to practice turning, back paddling, and getting in and out of the canoe in slower water until you get the hang of it.

It is also important to prepare for capsizing your canoe. Tie or strap all loose items to the canoe and anticipate the chance that everything in the canoe is going to get soaked or lost if you capsize. Try to remember to close your fly boxes and vest pockets. I heard a sad story of a fisherman bending over in the river and watching his Wheatley fly box, full of years worth of tying, fall out of his pocket and gently float away, never to be seen again.

An important casting skill for float fishing is the ability to cast sitting down. I tend to rock forward and backward when I cast, this is not prudent in a canoe and can lead to capsizing. Start with short casts until you get the hang of balancing out the canoe during you casting stroke.

It is also useful to be able to cast across the front of your body. Your fishing partner will be your friend longer if you can avoid whizzing a size 8 woolly bugger with a size 10 tungsten bead headed Prince dropper past his/her ear. Note: This is also a very good reason to always wear a hat and glasses when fishing during a float trip.

Drag is probably the most common reason for not catching more trout. The obvious signs of drag are a down stream belly in your fly line or your fly moving at a different speed than the foam or objects on the surface of the water. When casting from a canoe, drag usually begins once the strike indicator or the tip of the fly line is behind the fisherman. Mending is just as important in a canoe as it is when wading to help increase the length of you drift. This is another reason a longer fly rod is recommended. The longer rod lets the fisherman hold more line off the water and have better control of the line that is on the water. A good thing about floating is that you are moving at the same speed as the fly most of the time and are able to maintain a drag free drift for longer periods of time.

The areas I have had the most success fishing have been where springs enter the river. This water is typically cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, which makes it a comfortable place for trout. I will usually try to get in a few good drifts along the seam where the spring’s current meets the river’s current. This is usually a good place to find trout because the seam creates a feeding lane where food is funneled to the waiting trout.

Other good areas are in front of and behind rocks, root wads, or other structures that break the current. You will also notice as you float over the North Fork the deeper channels are in the bedrock. These channels offer good holding areas to big trout. The only problem with these channels is that until you know the river, you don’t see them until it’s too late.