Selway River Flyfishing - Overview
The Selway is Idaho's premier wild and scenic river. More than 120 miles in length, the Selway River winds through one of the largest and most remote wilderness areas in the lower 48 states. Some 75 miles upstream from the mouth, nestled in the deep cut wilderness canyons lies "Paradise". This is the base camp for World Class Outfitting Adventures, Inc., the premier wilderness provider since 1991. With exclusive guiding rights on nearly 15 miles of the Selway River and more than 100 miles of its tributaries, WCOA offers fly fishing for native west slope cutthroat in the finest pristine trout habitat in North America.
The Selway River is home to many species of trout including the native west slope Cutthroat, Rainbow (ocean run Steelhead), Bull Trout, Chinook Salmon (King Salmon), and many others. Although the Bull Trout and Chinook are protected, it is not uncommon to see them in the crystal clear mountain waters. The Selway River is the furthest inland Pacific Salmon run in the nation, with the Steelhead and Chinook making runs both in the fall and the spring. Both of these species are native to the Selway.
The wiley Cutthroat, however, are the trout we challenge to our dry fly patterns. These beautifully colored trout are pound for pound the feistiest trophy in the river, always aggressive and full of fight. With long time regulations declaring the Selway River as a catch and release river, one can always expect the next fish to bite to be the whopper that will bend your rod into two. 17 and 18-inch trout are not uncommon, however your day will be action packed with 12 to 14 inch fighters slamming your pattern.
In the warmer season of late August you might want to tie on your favorite nymph or bead head to reach into the deep holes and tempt the granddaddys for true fight.
The river is easily accessed from Paradise base camp, either by foot, mule, or a short drive on the corridor road. Possibilities include walking out from the camp, riding out on a trusty mountain mule. We have tried to make fishing do-able for all ages and abilities.