Hughes River Expeditions

Hughes River Expeditions runs multi-day wilderness float trips on Idaho’s Selway River, launching at Paradise and taking out 47 river miles downstream at Race Creek, a stretch that drops more than 1,300 feet for an average gradient of 28 feet per mile. The company describes the Selway as a blue-ribbon fishery for wild Westslope cutthroat trout, with rainbows and cut-bow hybrids also in the river and red band trout in the tributaries. Fishing is normally good from mid to late June onward and is best in mid summer; the most prolific hatches are stoneflies, caddis and mayflies, and the guides fish large, easy-to-follow dry flies such as Humpies, Stimulators, Sofa Pillows and parachute hoppers. Every Selway departure is outfitted for fly fishing, with fishing equipment and tackle included and guides on hand for instruction, and one dedicated fly-fishing trip runs each year in early August at one angler per boat per guide. Parties stop to hike and fish tributaries including Running Creek, Moose Creek and Three Links Creek, and the river is fished catch and release with single barbless hooks.