The fishing report will be switching to Wednesday, starting October 6th. This will give weekend anglers in the late fall and winter months a more timely outlook. Locally fall fishing has gone into full swing. The Baetis (also know as the Blue Winged Olive) hatches are strong and anglers are doing excellent over these diminutive insects. We expect a few more weeks of this activity before that hatches begin to wane with the approach of winter. Great hatches of Mahoganies and Red Quills are still going strong as well. Always remember “Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.”

Silver Creek

Luckily anglers don’t have to adhere to Copyright laws, or we wouldn’t be able to cast beautifully tied imitations of the fall Baetis to eager and aggressive fish down on the Creek. Cloudy days are the best days to witness a huge Baetis emergence and many anglers have had the best days of the season in the last week under these conditions. Sunny days may provide less action with this insect, but the Mahogany Dun makes up for this. Try to fish a lot of hours when concentrating on this insect as it will appear and disappear in a matter of minutes. This fish will rise strong for five minutes, then quit for twenty, then come up strong again. Don’t ever give up on this hatch until the evening chill sets in.

Terrestrials are still taking fish, including Grasshoppers, Ants and Beetles in the mid to late afternoon hours. Slough fishing can also be very productive this time of year with good Callibaetis activity and fish that are feeling the coming effects of winter. Keep in mind, there are a few Brown Trout in the slough that don’t leave to spawn, therefore they drop eggs in a “broadcast” style, much like an ocean fish would do. The Rainbows will gather around them to take advantage of this food source, so if you see fish acting odd in the slough, try an egg pattern.

Big Wood River

The Wood is on fire! Red Quills and especially the fall Baetis are turning these fish on. With a combination of prolific hatches and cool nights the Wood River fish are getting gluttonous. Big fish seem to obsess over the little Fall Baetis and will move to the flattest water to find them and eat them one after the next. Well presented flies are a must with delicate tippets and a stealthy approach. Fish small flies like 22 and 24 sizes, but creep in behind the fish with a very low profile so you can keep casts short and see these little flies. A lot of patience and stealth pays off big time these days.

October Caddis are out and about and imitations of these, like Orange Stimulators, are good morning and evening choices when the fish are less active. The Western Red Quill (Hecuba) is also still prevalent and fish will continue taking big imitations of this insect well past the time we stop seeing them for the season.

Lost River

The Lost is very low and wade fishing is as easy as it’s been all season. A bigger variety of Baetis (sz 16) is the main player for dry fly enthusiasts as well as a late morning / lunch hour Trico spinner fall. These late season Trico rises are common on our two favorite tail waters, the Lost, and the Wood below Magic Reservoir. The fish love them because of the insects inability to dry its wings and fly away. Most of these late season Tricos get caught on the water until a fish gets them or they drown. Nymphing is productive with slightly smaller nymphs than the normal big beaded flies we cast on this river. Size 16 Pheasant Tails are a great choice fished in tandem or with an unweighted San Juan Worm.

Upper Lost River and Copper Basin

Imagine if you could find a fishery that is loaded with nice size and very catchable trout. Lot’s of variety of these trout, great fall colors, low flows for easy wading, no other anglers for as far as you are willing to fish and great dry fly action. This is the Upper Lost and Copper Basin. As usual this area has been all but deserted for the remainder of the season. Attractor patterns, and terrestrials are all one needs. There is mile upon mile of fishable water “up top” and no one fishing it. The light gets flat early in the Basin so get up there early and fish the middle of the day. The road in is pretty bad right now so give yourself plenty of time to get up there and please drive slow, or plan on a visit to the tire store when you get home.

Little Wood River

With Idaho Fish and Games – “Access Yes” – program, the Flat Top Sheep Company has become open to the public and much more of the upper Little Wood is now easily accessed by daily anglers. (With “Access Yes” it is implies we will be good stewards of the land, please tread lightly.) The fish aren’t huge, but the fishery is fun as it compares to fishing a smaller volume Big Wood River. Attractor patterns with droppers are the best way to fish this little stream above Little Wood Reservoir. It is a remarkably beautiful area that sees little fly fishing pressure. Drive to Carey, turn left at the sign for the reservoir and keep driving until you see the stream and camp grounds a few miles above the reservoir.

The desert stretch below Carey and Picabo is fishing well for smaller fish as well, but always with a chance for a brute. Cool nights are putting the rattlesnakes to bed and the coming weeks should make this a nice productive fishery for those willing to explore.

South Fork of the Boise

Very low flows are making the river easily accessible to wade anglers and many of the rock gardens normally out of site during high water are exposed and make for some really cool pocket water fishing. Fall baetis rule the day down in the canyon, but not everyday. If the fish aren’t rising try Pheasant Tail Nymphs and Cased Caddis imitations in and among the rocky runs and riffles. If the fish are rising, use the same stealthy approach you would user on the Big Wood and get close to your target. Have some well tied imitations, it is probably a good idea to take your Silver Creek fly box with you if you go. Very few anglers get down there on a weekday, so take advantage of this if you can. The fish are big and taking them off the top with tiny dry flies is a great challenge and great fun!

Warm Springs, Trail Creek, North Fork of the Big Wood, Penny and Dollar Lake and Lake Creek Lake

These little waters are still fishing and are virtually deserted as well. The ponds still have plenty of stocked fish and a warm day and a bunch of kids are all that is needed to complete the circle of – trout and future trout angler- on all out little waters.

WATER CONDITIONS
Basin Precip. Averages
Salmon – 77% +1
Big Wood – 88%
Little Wood – 107%+1
Big Lost – 101%+1
Henry’s Fork – 89%+1

The leaves are beginning to turn color on the rivers here. Mornings are cool, darkness is falling quicker each night. River levels are approaching winter time flows, elk are bugling, chukars are chuking, and anglers are finding a few hours of Nirvana every afternoon. Autumn in the Rockies is an awesome time of year and those that are out immersing themselves in the warm sun and cool rivers are treated to great fishing and peace of mind that can only be found in the river bottoms of South Central Idaho.

Silver Creek

There are four insects to pay close attention to in the coming week. Fall Baetis, Callibaetis, Grasshoppers and the Mahogany Dun. The Fall Baetis is a prolific insect this time of year and an overcast day on the Creek can provide a memory to last a lifetime. This little insect must be replicated, keeping its diminutive size in mind. Fish size 22 and even 24 yellowish / green mayfly imitations. Fish these with lots of dry shake and a Duncan Loop, to get the fly pivoting on its hackle tips while it drifts. This will drive the trout crazy as it imitates the wiggling abdomen of the real insect. To read about this technique in more detail (and a few other secrets) you can check out “Lessons of Fairsized Creek” which is a book on advanced technique I wrote several years ago and is available through the fly shop.

Callibaetis is providing great afternoon action even on sunny days. Cripples and spinners are a good choice to imitate this insect, although a well tied Parachute Adams will also work good. If you fish the slower moving water make sure to fish slow and move slow. Big trout will often cruise about the slower currents picking off these insects as they find them, so unlike traditional dry fly fishing, the trout may not be sitting in one spot rising to the same position over and over. Try to see the fish underwater and cast in the direction of where he seems to be going next.

Grasshoppers are still effective this time of year. There are lots of downstream fish near the Willows and Point of Rocks that haven’t been fished to in awhile and are very susceptible to a Hopper presented with a good sized splash! The harder the fly hits the water, the more attention it’s going to draw. Remember – Long drifts and heavy tippets and set the hook hard!

The Mahogany Dun is one of our favorite hatches of the season, as trout seem to go nuts for these size 16, mahogany colored flies. This fly also is fun to fish in the sense that it can be a tricky hatch to see. Although the fly is big, under the flat light of fall, and with the coloring of the bug, it will often come off as a masking hatch when the Baetis are out. The hatch also has a tendency to come and go every few minutes, making anglers stay on their toes and keep track of what the fish are eating specifically. This hatch is found throughout the river, and is often ignored by anglers in the lower stretches of the Creek. Don’t miss this hatch!

Big Wood River

The Wood is in fine fall shape. The Western Red Quill or Hecuba in some circles, is showing up and should become more prolific in the next two weeks. Big dries like Adams, Quill Gordons, any left over Green Drakes from the spring, and Royal Wullfs and Grey Wulffs will imitate this fly well. Blind fish these patterns and show them to fish rising to the Fall Baetis as well.

The Fall Baetis is showing occasionally and brings fish out in the open that often spend their whole season sitting under logs and banks. The hatch is just that prolific! Gulper Specials are our favorite fly to imitate this little bug. Dave Faltings in the shop also has a few favorite patterns for this fly and can get you set up with some winners.

The October Caddis will be making an appearance soon, so have some Royal Stimulators in your fly box. Much like the big Stoneflies on the Wood, the October Caddis goes under the radar. You won’t see loads of them flying about or hatching, but the fish know they are there and will take an imitation opportunistically.

Lost River

The Lost is finally at a very wadable flow. Nymphing is the name of the game below the reservoir. Two fly rigs are your best bet. Try to sight nymph fish off the gravel bars at the head of the pools. If that doesn’t work for you fish the pools a little deeper. Keep an eye to the back of the runs as well, as these fish will often slip into the glassy tail outs of the runs when enough Baetis are around. The more baetis you see, the more you will want to turn your attention to using small Pheasant Tails.

Upper Lost River and Copper Basin

Low flows, few anglers and plenty of action can be had with basic attractor patterns. Parachute Adams, Royal Wulffs, Grasshoppers, Royal Stimulators, Red Humpies, Yellow Humpies, and Parachute Ants will all take fish. Lower flows means the lower water will fish better as fish move to the deeper areas in the system with the approach of winter. It was about this time last year when we had two reports of Grayling being caught in the system. If you catch one of these please let us know, also try to get a photo and we’ll make sure it gets on this report!

Little Wood River

The Little Wood is fishing well for mid sized fish with Grasshoppers and Caddis patterns. Swinging streamers this time of year may also produce good sized Browns in the desert, and good sized Brookies above the reservoir.

South Fork of the Boise

Some great Fall Baetis action has been reported on the South Fork. The flows are wadable and fewer and fewer anglers are around. Weekdays can be deserted. Look in the long flat glides for rising fish in the mid to late afternoon. Size 20 Blue Winged Olives (baetis) will take most of these fish when well presented. If you find fish in the side channels, be sure to approach them with a lot of stealth. Long leaders tapered to 6X are not an uncommon choice when fishing the little Baetis on this river at low flows.

Warm Springs, Trail Creek, North Fork of the Big Wood, Penny and Dollar Lake and Lake Creek Lake

There are some fish in these little waters still, and they can be great places to find solitude and beautiful fall colors this time of year. Basic attractor patterns are all one needs. October Caddis can be big players on these little streams this time of the season, so don’t hesitate to throw good sized Royal Stimulators.

WATER CONDITIONS
Basin Precip. Averages
Salmon – 76%
Big Wood – 88%
Little Wood – 106%
Big Lost – 100%
Henry’s Fork – 88%

Goodbye summer, hello fall! There is no greater time in the Rocky Mountains to be a sportsman than the autumn. The crowds of tourists are leaving, the locals are going hunting and the fish are beginning to feel the nighttime chill in the air which will set them off on a feeding frenzy for the next month and a half.

Silver Creek

Callibaetis and Hoppers still rule the day on the Silver Lady. Morning insect activity of Trico, Baetis and P.M.D. are waning, but still strong enough to produce a late morning rise. Terrestrials like ants and beetles are also prominent and a great choice to fish this time of the year. The Brown trout population is beginning to stage in deep pools for the upstream migration to favorite spawning areas and with this migration comes fish looking to fatten up for the event. Big Browns can be caught midday with Grasshopper patterns fished with long drifts on heavy tippets. This is also a very effective technique well into the evening hours. Keep your eyes on local weather patterns as a calm and overcast day on the Creek in the fall can mean huge emergences of the Fall Baetis. Have some very tiny Baetis patterns for this event. Size 20, 22 and even 24 are not too small to match this hatch. The fish are rarely picky about the shape and color of this pattern, but will key on the minute size of the insect. Have some Mahogany Duns in your fly box for the first of these hatches in the coming weeks.

Big Wood River

The Wood is starting to produce big fish again as the fall activity begins on this river. Trico action in the morning in some areas is bringing up nice fish and Baetis activity is growing in strength. Gulper Specials are the best fly to imitate this hatch on the Wood. Hoppers are still an excellent way to fish midday and some of the best action can be had fishing basic attractor patterns like Wulffs, Trudes and Stimulators. When things get tough, make sure you have a supply of bead head and non-beaded Pheasant Tail Nymphs. Try fishing these under a strike indicator in sizes 16, 18 and 20. Fishing two sizes in tandem is always effective. Tie on the biggest fly first, then tie 18 inches of tippet to the bend of the hook on this same fly, then attach the smaller fly to this tippet. Set your indicator to one and a half times the water depth and get ready for some great fall fishing. The evening and nighttime occurrence of size 20 flying ants is in full swing. A few areas of the river have had fish rising well into the midnight hour. Your favorite Trico patterns are a good imitation of this little insect. It may be little, but the fish love this ant! If you are looking to stock up some flies for the coming weeks I really encourage the use of the biggest Royal Wulff and H and L Variants, especially as the emergence of the Western Red Quill draws near. You can also fish these big, bushy dry flies all the way up to Thanksgiving day with surprising results! Even after the seasons hatches have dwindled to almost nothing.

Lost River

The Lost is fishing well with standard “Lost River Nymph Rigs.” This means a nice big bead head fly, like a Prince Nymph, fished in tandem under a strike indicator with your favorite Red Nymph pattern. Beaded San Juan Worms are a great choice. Skating Crane Fly imitations is still effective on some days. Fishing above the reservoir is still good as the Kokanee migration hits the river. Many of these fish are already well upstream, but egg patters and San Juan Worms are still effective in the deep slots and heavy riffles in the area above slack water.

Upper Lost River and Copper Basin

Our best fishery of the season is still producing nice hook ups of Snake River Fine Spotted Cutts and Rainbows. Attractor patterns are the name of the game in these high elevation waters, with some success being had on Pheasant Tail droppers fished shallow under a dry fly. Parachute ants are also a great choice when fishing up here. Try trailing one behind another dry fly, like a size 14 Parachute Adams. This area should become virtually deserted in the next two weeks. It’s a great place to find miles of water to walk without running into another angler.

Little Wood River

Plenty of 8 to 14 inch fish are active on this little stream if you are willing to cover a lot of pools. Grasshoppers are the only fly one needs here right now. The desert stretch remains as deserted as usual with no reports on the activity here. If you go, take plenty of big Hoppers and cover a lot of water.

South Fork of the Boise

Fragmented Pink Albert activity can still be found on the right day, but Hoppers are the best fly right now, especially the Chernobyl variety. With flows at a wadeable level anglers can access plenty of water. If given a choice to fish there now or in coming weeks, one might want to consider waiting for the emergence of Fall Baetis on this river. Certain October and November days can find every fish on the South Fork rising to Baetis, with few to no anglers, seen anywhere.

Warm Springs, Trail Creek, North Fork of the Big Wood, Penny and Dollar Lake and Lake Creek Lake

Many fish are still around to catch on these little bodies of water and with the fall flows there are only limited places for these fish to find deep water, thus making the fish easy to find. Fish attractor patterns and small Hoppers.

WATER CONDITIONS
Basin Precip. Averages
Salmon – 77%
Big Wood – 89%
Little Wood – 108%
Big Lost – 101%
Henry’s Fork – 88%