Synopsis

We’ve been writing a lot about Baetis lately and with the weather due here this weekend and coming week, we can expect to see a whole lot more. Indian summer has descended upon us and with the sporadic cloud cover predicted for the weekend the Blue Winged Olive should be out in force. If we see rain later in the week, don’t be discouraged, get to your favorite river with a rain jacket and appreciate the 60 degree temps coupled with dark skies. It should be one fantastic week of fishing.

Silver Creek

Baetis has been popping all week despite the bright skies and warm days. Callibaetis are also out in great numbers. Terrestrials are a fall favorite amongst the Creeks trout and the biggest hopper in your fly box will still take a lot of fish. Don’t forget your Ants and Beetles, but when the hatch is on, realistic Baetis and Callibaetis are a must. Don’t hesitate to tie on a bigger Callibaetis while the Baetis are hatching. The bigger fly will catch the greedy fish in the group, then you can switch back to the smaller Baetis pattern to try and hook a few more. The lower Creek is all but deserted these days and is fishing excellent, and the sloughs are also getting little pressure despite great fishing. If you haven’t spent much time exploring new areas on the Creek, the time is now. Cool temps make long walks in waders easier, and with fewer anglers about, some groups of fish feed all day long without ever seeing a human being.

Big Wood River

More of the same on the Big Wood these days. Anglers can prospect the water with big dry flies when the hatches aren’t coming off. A variety of Wulff patterns and Stimulators are all one needs, just cover a lot of water and don’t get locked into one small area no matter how good it looks. When the hatches of Blue Winged Olives and Western Red Quills are coming off it is time to slow down. Keep your eyes peeled in foam lines and the edges of eddies for big fish discreetly sipping away. There is something about the Fall Baetis that makes fish that may never feed off of the surface all season come out from under log jams, boulders and cut-banks to get this little insect. With a week of fair temperatures and cloudy skies coming, the Wood should really show its colors. Speaking of colors, one would be hard pressed to find a more beautiful time of year to be fishing this particular river. Take your camera!

Lost River

The Lost is getting some mixed reviews with reports of murky water coming through the dam. With the low flows happening, it is still worth an angler’s time to run some nymphs through the gravel troughs and be ready for the afternoon Blue Winged Olives to come off. Prince Nymphs, Pheasant Tails and San Juan Worms are all good choices. Be aware that many fish have seen many Bead Head Nymphs this season, and a straight non-beaded fly may look way more appealing to many of these fish. With practiced mending skills and a good amount of spit on your flies, it is quite possible to get the flies deep enough to hook some fish without having to put on a split-shot. Fly Tiers will have a big advantage over the rest of the fishing crowd as they are able to put their weight inside the fly, thus keeping the profile of the fly nice, neat and realistic. If you don’t tie your own flies, the coming winter season is a great time to learn. I would encourage anyone to speak with Brian Richter at the shop to get lined out on what you need to get started in this aspect of our sport!

Upper Lost and Copper Basin

Nighttime is the right time for anglers looking to do well on these deserted rivers. Well, maybe late afternoon until dark. With darker skies coming this week, that could change as fish that are shy about coming out in these low flowing, gin clear rivers may decide it is safe enough on a rainy day. Many years ago the Upper Lost was considered a Fall fishery, that mainly fished best when the sun left the water, we are seeing a return to that type of fishery this season, although now we can expect great fishing as soon as the flows become easier to wade in early summer. General Attractor patterns are all one needs in this area, but cover plenty of water!

South Fork of the Boise

It is truly amazing how this river was giant all summer and fished really well, and now the river is a trickle through the desert and still continues to fish well. The same stretch of canyon, yet two very different fisheries exist here most seasons. Please note that the river is not boatable at this flow. Last weekend many anglers obviously didn’t check the flows and showed up with their boats, only to find they would be wade fishing where they could park a trailer. Really look hard at the foam lines when the hatch is on and stair intently at the riffles. There is no river quite like this one, where really big rainbows know how to feed incredibly discreetly, just barely showing themselves when they sip tiny Baetis from the surface. Move slowly, and really watch the water to be successful. If you have walked into a run and haven’t taken at least 5 or 10 minutes to really give it a hard look before you cast, you’re cheating yourself out of some really cool opportunities.

Synopsis

Pick your favorite river in the area and then take your favorite Baetis patterns to that river and have a great time! Pretty much all our area waters are seeing great hatches that center around the Blue Winged Olive. With a mix of other bigger insects, cooling air and water temperatures, the fish are happily feeding away. This is not to say they are pushovers, in fact after a summer of being pursued they are attentive to sloppy presentations, heavy tippets and bad patterns. A little stealth, and patience to get well positioned to cast to your targets goes a long way right now!

Silver Creek

A great combination of fewer anglers and a plethora of insects are waiting for you on the Creek right now. Let the air warm up a bit and then head down with a plan to stay well into the early evening. Baetis hatches and spinner falls are happening with the weather. Intermittent sun and clouds mean anglers need to be patient between the strong feeding activity periods and trust that the show isn’t over. Callibaetis are still in the mix and the Mahogany Dun remains a must have in your fly box. Leader length should start at about 12 feet, but if you can accurately cast more, do it. 6X tippet is plenty light, just keep the drifts short.

Big Wood River

The Wood is still a strong fishery right now with anglers catching plenty of fish, including the rivers biggest fish. The tactics are similar to Silver Creek, with longer, finer leaders coming into play. The most important thing to keep in mind while fishing the Wood right now is your position. With fish using the edges of the Stillwater, your casts need to be accurate and your drift needs to fool some educated fish. Take the time to analyze your choices and then go slow and be stealthy when getting into a casting position. Anglers with strong dry fly presentations learned at Silver Creek will excel on the Wood this time of year. Baetis, Western Red Quill (Hecuba), Terrestrials, and small, well tied Pheasant Tails should all be in your assortment. This is also a great time of year to use small attractor patterns on the Wood, start thinking about large Gray Wullfs, Royal Wullfs, H & L Variants, Stimulators, and Trudes. If you don’t want to get locked over some tricky rising fish, try searching long stretches of water with these big patterns.

Lost River

The Lost below Mackay Reservoir is running at a steady 400 CFS and as everyone predicted it is fishing really well right now. Hatches of Blue Winged Olive (Baetis) are coming off in the afternoon and providing fun fishing as these normally hard fighting fish get to use a nice current to fight even harder. With the Kokanee continuing to spawn above and below the Reservoir, anglers going subsurface can bank on the color red right now. Any Egg patterns, San Juan Worms, Red Zebra Midges, fished in tandem with a little bead-head Pheasant Tail to take them under, can be a great set up. Really look hard at the tops of the buckets for the fish lying on the gravel bars. During big hatches look at the smooth water and the seams for risers. Like all the rivers right now, plan to stay late, throwing that extra sandwich in the cooler before you drive over isn’t a bad idea!

Upper Lost and Copper Basin

Like every year on this body of water, that for many years was a true Autumn fishery, the area is seeing little use from anglers. This is due to hunting season and the fact that with all our area waters fishing so well, no one seems to want to make the drive over those tire shredders up there. To find success in this area during the low flows this time of year anglers need to concentrate on late afternoons and evenings and match the hatch, which is predominantly Blue Winged Olives. If you are there during the brighter part of the day, it is imperative to fish the structure with an eye out for the overhanging tree branches. Get upstream of these spots and cast down and across to get your fly a small drift in these pockets. These can be tough rivers for fish to find good cover under riffles and rapids in the fall, so they like to use the natural vegetation to stay hidden during the bright hours. Hoppers, Ants and small Attractor patterns are all one needs for flies, but take a few Gulper Specials for those big Baetis hatches you may encounter.

South Fork of the Boise

The SF of the B is down to a seasonal low of 300 CFS for the past few days and the Blue Winged Olive is coming off in good numbers. Wade anglers are in heaven at this flow and late afternoons on this river can turn into very memorable events when the insects and the trout meet at the surface of the numerous riffles that run the length of the river. Good Baetis patterns are still necessary as well as fairly long tapered leaders, but most fish can be cast to from directly behind. Don’t forget to hard in the shallowest of waters for big, discretely rising rainbows.

Synopsis

Expect a cooler week this week and expect this to turn the fishing on even more. We’ve been getting reports of some of the season’s best fishing in every direction, and can’t hardy imagine a better week, but once these fish feel the chill in the water this weekend they are going to get voracious! A combination of big bugs and little bugs will get the job done. Use little Blue Winged Olive patterns while fishing to rising fish and use bigger bugs like Hoppers and Wulff variations when searching for fish. Be ready for significant emergences of the Western Red Quill (Hecuba) as well!

Silver Creek

Baetis and Callibaetis rule the day on the Creek. Hoppers will still take fish, the occasional Trico is still in play, especially in the mornings as their emergence happens closer to early morning then late night. The cold air leaves them stuck on the water and very vulnerable. Mahogany Dun should be making an appearance soon. Remember despite their size these dark mayflies can be incredibly hard to see on the water and they come in waves, so if you are fishing Baetis and are not getting strikes off of good presentations, take a closer look at the waters surface and double check for these little insects. Be ready to switch back and forth between them and the Baetis every few minutes if necessary.

Big Wood River

Call the fire department because the Wood is “On Fire!!!” Many anglers are raving about the quality of fishing on the Wood and believe it or not, we do expect it to get even better! Baetis, Western Red Quills, October Caddis, Hoppers, Trico, Midges and several other random insects are all contributing to the fishes dinner plate this week. We expect this action to continue with a reduction in Trico and Hoppers with the cooler weather and an increase in the October Caddis and Midges. Have some little Gulper Specials for rising fish and search the water with the other patters, although you may find a hatch of Western Red Quills (Hecuba) in which case show them this bigger pattern.

Lost River

The Lost above and below Mackay Reservoir is fishing really well. Anglers need only fish a nymph that is red, or tan. These colors imitate the eggs, and flesh of the Kokanee trout that are spawning right now. As these fish spawn and die, trout will eat their flesh and steal their eggs. Color is more important then pattern, but try to keep the size reasonable. A size 16 or 14 is about right. Try sight nymphing to the greenbacks sitting behind the red backs, or just blind nymph in the buckets. Anglers are still catching fish on top using Parachute Adams and Grasshoppers, but the real action is subsurface!

Upper Lost and Copper Basin

This area is seeing very little angling pressure and is home to one of our better October Caddis hatches. Searching the water with Orange Stimulators is an excellent way to go. Hoppers are also effective as well as Baetis, Ants and your favorite Attractor Patterns!

South Fork of the Boise

Wade fishing time has finally arrived on the South Fork and just in time for the blanket Baetis hatches that will be occurring occasionally through October. No rush getting to the river as most action is happening mid to late afternoon. Take a good selection of size 18 and 20 Baetis with a lean toward those patterns with a little bit of flash in them. Fish upstream to rising fish, and if they aren’t coming up, prospect the water with Hoppers and Pheasant Tail Nymphs.

Synopsis

With little significant change in our great local fishing this weeks report will take a lean towards fall tactics on your favorite water. One thing to keep in mind, have plenty of good, small baetis patterns. Get quite a few small, well tied Pheasant Tail nymphs, size 18 – 22. Try to fish a four weight if you have one. Make sure your 6X tippet spool is full. Move slowly and try to spot your fish. Keep you Green Drake flies handy in case you see a hatch of the Western Red Quill. This is a great opportunity to recycle a few patterns from June.

Silver Creek

Blanket Baetis events on Silver Creek can be found quite often this time of year on Silver Creek, with action peeking toward the end of the month, but with some consistency all the way into November. Fishing the Fall Baetis on the Creek can be maddening as the fish target the wiggling motion of the Fall baetis abdomen. To imitate this action while fishing to your target, find a small baetis imitation that is tied in a Thorax style. When you go to tie the fly on to your 6X tippet, use a Duncan Loop or your favorite loop knot instead of the common Improved Clinch Knot. This will allow the fly to pivot on the water as the tippet will have little effect on the flies resting position on the water. To achieve even more boogie in your fly, apply a generous amount of Frogs Fanny dry shake to the pattern, paying extra attention to the hackle tips. Now, cast down and across to your favorite target, land your fly about 8 to 12 inches above his head and let your fly dance on down to his mouth. Then once he takes, give him the gentle, but purposeful “Silver Creek Lift.”

Big Wood River

When the Fall Baetis comes off on the Big Wood many of the fish will take advantage of the flat, glassy water in the tail outs of the pools in order to see this little insect and hungrily eat it in numbers. When you approach any pool in the Fall, do not rush in. Carefully inspect all the edges of the pool paying close attention to the tail out. Many fish will sip Baetis very discreetly in these areas. These are often the biggest fish in the river. Generally speaking 6X is a must. Catching these fish is not very difficult. Finding them without scaring them can be. Use all the available cover when inspecting the pools. If you have a high point, like a ledge or tree that you can use to get a look from above, take advantage of it. The real key is not rushing into the pool. Taking ten, or even twenty minutes to carefully inspect your target area, for actual targets, can be a rewarding and an eye opening experience.

Upland Bird Season

Dove and Grouse season opened last week in Idaho. Locally we had very mixed reports coming from hunters. Grouse limits were taken by quite a few hunters and their canine companions on the opener, while a few other hunters like myself, could hardly find a bird. Since the opener we have heard sparse reports of any significant numbers of birds being found. Then again, with the smoke the way it is, it must be torture on dogs trying to get a good scent trail, and I know it can be hard on a hunters lungs. Let us know how your season is going when you stop by the shop. If you’re new to Grouse hunting look for forested areas that offer water, berry fields, and a nice combination of Aspen and Fir trees. Avalanche shoots can be very productive examples of this. It doesn’t hurt to have a dog helping you. Locally we run the gambit on bird dogs. Already this season I have seen, Short Hairs, Pointers, Griffins, Labs, and Setters all at work doing what they love and were born to do!

Dove hunters have also given us mixed reports. Some places have been very productive and in general the areas south of Bellevue remain pretty good, if your in the right place and know some flight paths expect good shooting. Scouting goes a long way to having good shooting for these little birds. For the most part though, “The Season to Remember” that many people were expecting, flew south with some cold nights about two days before the opener. It is truly amazing how quickly the seasons change around here. For some birds, one cold night is all it takes to send them south after an entire summer in the valley!