August 28, 2020 Can Fish Smell?

Can fish smell? I get asked that question while guiding. Today I decide to look it up, because the internet would know… right? Thank goodness for ‘Trout Unlimited’ and their ‘Stream Explorers’ page. While not all fish can smell, trout can. In fact, trout have a keen sense of smell.  I may have to stop using nail polish for head cement. Trout use their ability to smell to sniff out chemicals and find their way home to the very water they were born.

Enough fishy facts, here’s what’s happening on the Kootenai this week. Fishing has been pretty darn exciting, with many large rainbows coming to the net. Foam patterns continue to work against the bank and don’t leave the streamer rod at home, cast towards the bank in the deeper, slower water and strip back for some hits.

Weather for the next week is cooler, 70’s and low 80’s. Morning is calm, with winds picking up in the afternoon. The current flow at the Idaho state line is 9,030 cfs. The river will drop approximately 500 cfs on September 1st. Water temps are bouncing between 61 and 62 degrees.

Enjoy the last week of August.