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<\/p>\nYou\u2019ve already been fishing for seven hours and haven\u2019t had a bite, with the exception of a suckerfish and a lot of cottonwood branches. The weather in central Idaho in November is usually pretty awful, and you might have a leak in the right foot of your waders. Luck might change by tomorrow but until then, there\u2019s no need to hang out in your humid tent as it pours rain. After a long day of pretending \u201cthere\u2019s fish in this river!\u201d thaw your frozen fingers enough to operate the turn signal in your rig and head into town.<\/p>\n
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A bustling metropolis of 3,100 people, 3,400 dogs and chickens and too many cows to count, Salmon, Idaho is a sleepy ranch town that draws out-of-towners twice a year: rafting season and when the steelhead run. Nestled near the confluence of the Lemhi River and the Salmon River with the Beaverhead Mountains as a backdrop, Salmon, Idaho doesn\u2019t lack in natural beauty and outdoor opportunities. But if it\u2019s raining and the fish aren\u2019t biting, make the best of your skunked and sulking mini vacation by finding Salmon\u2019s best restaurants, activities and to-dos.<\/p>\n
First, you\u00a0can only live on tortilla chips and Miller Lite so long. All I\u2019m going to say about the Pork Peddler<\/a> is: fried\u00a0macaroni and cheese wedges. Also, BBQ. Why are you still standing here? Sweet potato fries too! Catch Wednesday night trivia to see if you have more facts up your sleeve than the local fish biologists (you probably don\u2019t) and keep an eye on the specials board for something delicious dreamt up by Sarah and Devin themselves.<\/p>\n The Junkyard<\/a> is Salmon\u2019s other favorite lunch and dinner location, with a more diverse bistro menu including my favorite, the Coconut Thai Chicken Curry bowl. Hungry river guides flock to the Junkyard after trips on the Middle Fork to devour their favorite, the Junkyard Garlic Burger. But if you\u2019re one of those picky eaters, or you just like to have it your way (don\u2019t worry, I won\u2019t send you to Burger King), the Junkyard offers build your own pastas. You read that correctly, start with their classic marinara or alfredo sauce and add all the \u2018junk\u2019 you can imagine. From prosciutto to shrimp, asparagus to capers, bleu cheese to gouda, they have it all. (Although, I wouldn\u2019t recommend the Krab with a K, you are in Central\u2014landlocked\u2014Idaho, you know.)<\/p>\n After a hot lunch, the River Cinema<\/a> is a great option for an after fishing warm up or to help you forget you drove all the way to Idaho to sit in the rain and slap a line all over the river catching lunker branches and rocks. Walking down Salmon\u2019s Main Street feels like a stroll through decades past. The River Cinema is no exception. With only two or three movie options, I can\u2019t promise this week\u2019s showing will be a box office hit, but tomorrow could be a bluebird day and tonight\u2019s movie could be the latest Brad Pitt masterpiece. It could happen.<\/p>\n If the only movie playing is \u201cTrolls,\u201d or it\u2019s not free popcorn Tuesday, there\u2019s the option to go soak your tired fishing elbow. Somewhere in the general vicinity of Salmon, Idaho, nestled within the mountains, lie some beautiful natural geothermal hot springs. I\u2019m not going to post photos or mile markers, do you want me to get attacked the next time I try to walk down Main Street? With a little work you can find \u2018em yourself. Pack out all your trash and don\u2019t be obnoxiously [drunk, creepy, political, clothed, etc.].<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve had enough of hydrology in all its forms, swing over to the Salmon River Fly Box to shoot the breeze about the (dismal) fishing report.<\/p>\n I get the impression that Steve, owner of the Salmon River Fly Box<\/a> is a STEELHEADFISHERMAN. Any steelhead fisherman knows that there are \u201cpeople who steelhead fish sometimes\u201d and then there are \u201cSTEELHEADFISHERMAN.\u201d You know the difference.<\/p>\n Throughout the summer Steve stocks a variety of flies for the trout fisherman en route up the Lemhi or over to the Middle Fork of the Salmon. But as soon as September hits, he sets out the steelheading flies and is out swinging almost every morning before work. There\u2019s no better place in town to pick up a few extra supplies and wiggle around the latest fly rod models. I won’t tell you where to head out fishing (see earlier comment about losing friends and getting mobbed) but Steve might, in person. The Fly Box can also be a great place to hob knob with the locals and be invited out to a favorite run or get passed a hand-tied fly.<\/p>\n When it\u2019s time to cuddle up and dream of ocean-run trout, the best accommodation in Salmon is to make friends with that local you met at the fly shop and sleep in their guest room. You\u2019ll probably get to drink beer on their nice porch and listen to stories about their day at the \u201coffice\u201d rock climbing to find a wildfire charred bighorn sheep collar. If you\u2019re more the hotel type, however, there are a variety of options in Salmon. The Stagecoach Inn<\/a> is where all the river companies put up their guests (read: closest to a Holiday Inn). While the Bear Country Inn<\/a> and Sacajawea Inn<\/a> give more of a funky \u201cI didn\u2019t know appliances like this still existed\u201d vibe. Really, it\u2019s all about the hot shower and if you were a real STEELHEADFISHERMAN you\u2019d be suffering out in the rain so don\u2019t get too picky here.<\/p>\n After a good eight hours you\u2019ll be ready to hit the river again, but not until you\u2019ve indulged in a hearty breakfast. Incontestable fact: Oddfellows Bakery<\/a> is the best bakery in Idaho and probably Montana too. It\u2019s so good the owners can shut the doors every October for vacation, leaving the entire population of the town in a gluten-less panic. When you spot a local muttering about \u201c80 Mile Bread\u201d and \u201cMuffaletta Sandwiches\u201d you\u2019ll know why. Luckily, they ramp back up for the steelhead season in November and open early so you can hit the river with a sandwich and fancy latte in hand. Or, uh, I mean some black coffee and grub.<\/p>\n If your travel companions want to get out\u00a0of your boat and explore Salmon\u2019s other outdoor options, the Hub<\/a> can outfit them for a day of mountain biking on Disco Hill and Rawhide Outfitters<\/a> offers whitewater rafting and horseback riding depending on season.<\/p>\n Turns out a bit of R&R and a lucky muffaletta sandwich is all you needed. The sun pops out from behind the Beaverhead Range and your friend had some duct tape for that leaky wader. You catch the fish of the year, snap your photos, high five your bored travel companions and promise to come back every year until the end of time.<\/p>\n When your fly connects with a steelhead, no matter how many hours it took, you deserve a successful-steelheading-trip brew. Bertram\u2019s Brewing<\/a> is located in the old Redwine building built in 1898. It\u2019s a working brewery, pumping out eight different, handmade craft brews, including my favorite, award-winning Mt. Borah Brown, and a rotating seasonal beer. In full-disclosure, Salmon has almost as many bars as it does chickens, but if you\u2019re not a tobacco fiend be careful in your selection\u2014Salmon ordinance still allows smoking indoors. Check out the Owl Club<\/a> for a low-key vibe or hit your Patsy Cline high notes during karaoke at the Salmon River Inn.<\/p>\n Steelhead season is open in the Salmon area from early fall until late May, although fishing conditions will vary greatly depending on how the steelhead are migrating. A popular season is late October to mid December, or so I\u2019ve heard. Check out the Idaho Fish & Game Regulations<\/a> for closed seasons and additional permit information. The Idaho Fish & Game Fishing Report<\/a>, which includes creel study data regarding hours fished per caught, is also helpful.<\/p>\n Good luck, tight lines, and don\u2019t let the big one break you off!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A bustling metropolis of 3,100 people, 3,400 dogs and chickens and too many cows to count, Salmon, Idaho is a sleepy ranch town that draws out-of-towners twice a year: rafting season and when the steelhead run. Nestled near the confluence of the Lemhi River and the Salmon River with the Beaverhead Mountains as a backdrop, Salmon, Idaho doesn\u2019t lack in natural beauty and outdoor opportunities. But if it\u2019s raining and the fish aren\u2019t biting, make the best of your skunked and sulking mini vacation by finding Salmon\u2019s best restaurants, activities and to-dos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47949,"featured_media":10030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":[25,328,59],"class_list":["post-9902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-explore","tag-fishing","tag-idahome","tag-travel","post-grid"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Photo:](\"https:\/\/d2kl15j267vxtq.cloudfront.net\/duct-tape\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/31184504\/Salmon-Dest-10_web.jpg\")
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