It was only a matter of days following the last report that most of our area rivers froze up to the point where they weren’t fishable. In fact I have not seen, nor spoke to one single person that has cast a line in the last two weeks! With the holidays upon us, our low pressure patterns have returned and temperatures are beginning to warm slightly. The ice is letting go in many places and one thing is for certain, when we get an end to these major cold snaps, the fish go crazy! If there was ever a time period to be on the water it is right about now. Keep your eyes on the temperatures during the daytime and if you see temps in the freezing range or higher, you are going to be in for one fantastic day of fly fishing.

Silver Creek

The Nature Conservancy water are CLOSED to fishing. Anglers that want to check out spring creek fishing in winter can still explore below the Highway 20 bridge – through the Willows and Point of Rocks. The Creek below the Highway 20 bridge is open to fishing, but there has been major ice over on vast sections of the Creek in this area. The fish will be fine as they sit in the deep holes, and if we get a thaw and the ice breaks the fishing should be productive with streamers a few days after this. This area may be better left for a little bit later in the season, but if you have some snow shoes and a need to be alone for awhile it could be worth checking out if the ice is gone. If you’re in the area, stay off the ice, and keep pets off of it to. This is not like ice-over on a lake, the currents keep the ice thin and unpredictable, and one misstep could be big trouble. The closer to Highway 20 you are, the less ice you will encounter and there is currently some fishable water in this area. If you go, fish streamers, unweighted on a tight line swing.

Big Wood River

The Wood is starting to shed most of its ice as we slowly warm up from three weeks of sub-zero nighttime temperatures. As daytime temps continue to climb, the fishing should get extremely good. Focus your time on the afternoon hours and fish mid-valley between Hailey and Ketchum. Big Brassies are a good bet in Copper, Green and Red. Smaller midge patterns like Zebra and Disco Midges will work fine, but are probably unnecessary as fish are most likely going to strike whatever is put right in front of them. Black backed Hares Ears are also a great winter fly as are Chamois Flies and Prince Nymphs. If fishing is slow try streamers in olive colors with a single split shot placed right at the eye of the hook. Slow moving, waist deep water is where the fish will be actively feeding.

With warmer days we should also begin to see some limited surface activity as Midge hatches really kick into gear for the rest of the winter season. If you see fish taking flies on the surface, use Griffiths Gnats and any Trailing Shuck Midge pattern you can find. It is best to fish these in tandem as you will see the Gnat silhouetted against the glare and then simply set the hook on any fish rising near enough to it, to take the smaller trailing fly.

WATER CONDITIONS
Basin Precip. Averages
Salmon – 93%
Big Wood – 96%
Little Wood – 95%
Big Lost – 91%
Henry’s Fork – 108%

We are in our first real cold snap of the winter, which has followed our first real snow fall of the winter. The rivers are picture perfect settings for winter fishing, but you better be prepared for the temperatures. The fishing is quite good for a few hours everyday, as the fish have to eat no matter the temperature. Make sure your waders are free of leaks, have fingerless gloves, a stocking hat, a neck gator, thermal clothing and a windbreaker. The fishing remains primarily nymphing and streamer fishing, but with a huge lack of other anglers on the water the fish are responding well to small nymphs fished in slow water. Don’t forget, Silver Creek Outfitters continues to run our guide service throughout the winter months!

Silver Creek

The Nature Conservancy water are CLOSED to fishing. Anglers that want to check out spring creek fishing in winter can still explore below the Highway 20 bridge – through the Willows and Point of Rocks. This fishing will pick up as we move later into winter, but right now there are still Brown Trout looking to fatten back up after the fall spawning season. These fish are very eager to take well placed streamer flies fished close to the bank. Fish your flies non-weighted on a tight line swing, about 2 to 4 inches under the surface and then watch for the boil of water when the fish strikes. This is as cool and fun as streamer fishing gets! Don’t forget to use a minimum of 3X tippet or even heavier. Leader shy is not an issue when streamer fishing. It is also a good idea to tie the fly on using a loop to allow the fly as much freedom of movement as possible.

Big Wood River

The Wood is the fishery of choice these days. Fishing is very good with small nymphs like Zebra Midges and size 20 Flashback Pheasant Tails. The fishing is limited to the middle of the day, from about 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Before and after the fish may be biting, but so is the cold! The fish are really concentrating into the winter holding water. Try to locate slow, but moving water that is at least knee deep or better, and fish to the softer side of the main currents. This means if you see the traditional foam line that you normally cast into, the water on the wider side of that line (between the foam line and the widest bank) is where the fish should be holding. Our fresh snow fall means it is now easy to see where other anglers have been, and where no one has been at all. The fishing pressure, now that skiing has started in at a minimum, so fish are getting a nice break and are eager to take what is offered up. By the time the temperatures warm up closer to the forty degree mark in a few weeks, we should start seeing fish rise to take the midges off the surface, for now though, don’t count on surface action with any consistency.

If the fishing becomes very, very slow, than it is time to think about fishing the Wood River Sculpin imitations. Philo Beto is a valley favorite and will draw strikes when absolutely nothing else is working. A single small split shot placed right above the eye of the hook is all the weight you need when fishing the slow winter water.

Keep in mind, when fishing in these colder than normal temperatures, to try and fish the softest rod you own to prevent rods from breaking under the strain of fighting fish. This means fish a Winston if you have one, and think about asking Santa for one if you don’t. They are great winter rods and will serve you well on Silver Creek during the main summer season. Keep in mind also, that you need to land the fish as quickly as you can in these cold conditions, and DO NOT take the fish out of the water. Use a Ketchum Release tool or some hemostats to dislodge your barbless hooks while the fish is still under the surface. Enjoy your solitude on the stream and enjoy fishing under the white of winter!

Lost River

The Lost will fish well with nymphs in this tailwater, but driving the highway through Arco is the only access to the river. Call the Wagon Wheel, book a room and fish a couple of days to make the trip worth while. Try fishing Brassies, Prince Nymphs and Zug Bug.

South Fork of the Boise

Midges and infrequent Baetis hatches are the name of the game on the South Fork. Nymphing is the primary tactic with Midge patterns and Pheasant Tails being good choices. Fish shallow riffles and slow moving foam lines. The more structure like boulders you fish around the better.

WATER CONDITIONS
Basin Precip. Averages
Salmon – 116%
Big Wood – 120%
Little Wood – 114%
Big Lost – 111%
Henry’s Fork – 135%