Woolly Bugger Meeting
Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 6:30 p.m.
Idaho Fish and Game Department Headquarters, 600 S. Walnut St.
Program: Archeology of the South Fork Boise River, the Danskin Rockshelter
“There is more to fishing than catching fish,” is the Woolly Buggers’ slogan. We believe it is important to know the history of our rivers, lakes and streams. Knowing what happened before our time adds to our enjoyment when we go fishing.
Four or five thousand years ago Indians lived at a place archeologists now call the “Danskin Rockshelter” on the South Fork of the Boise River below Anderson Dam. The Indians lived near the river under a natural rock shelter where they could keep warm and dry when the winter storms came. They were fishermen and hunters. Salmon was their main food source.
The salmon returned to their birthplace swimming over 800 miles from the Pacific Ocean. There were no dams to stop them. Also, there were steelhead (sea-run rainbows) red-band rainbows, cutthroat. bull trout and whitefish. There were no roads, no shopping centers, fly shops, graphite fly rods, Woolly Buggers or fish hooks. The Indians fished with spears, traps and snares. The people of the Danskin Rockshelter made arrowheads, flint tools, and bone-beads. They weaved baskets and fashioned pottery. Indian artists painted colorful designs depicting their lifestyle and history.
Archeologists collected approximately 600 artifacts at the site. Sue Osgood will bring some of the artifacts to the meeting.
