Certainly, no one in their right mind would claim the Snake as a “secret water,” but I do believe that most Idaho anglers forsake the Snake when it comes to what I believe to be the most game freshwater fish in America -- even if carp are considered trash fish by most American anglers.
I also hold to the notion that carp are perhaps the ideal freshwater fish for fly rodders -- their general wariness combined with their liberal diet provide challenge and opportunity all at once.
Carp were first introduced into American waters under the U.S. Grant administration -- they were brought in as a source of protein for a developing nation. Since they were first stocked in a pond in Maryland in the 1860s, they’ve spread to every state in the Lower 48 -- and Idaho enjoys a thriving population, particularly in the carp-friendly waters of the Snake River as it flows along the state’s southern third.