Synopsis

Consistently warm weather should begin to transform our rivers in the coming week or two. Some are beginning to drop and become more and more wade friendly. Right now the bite is on and this should continue until the fish find the need to look for cover in the summer shallows, and begin to seek out cooler water as well. Warm days are also going to mean an upswing in the evening fishing. Lately the cooler and sometimes windy evenings have been tougher fishing than normal for the time of year, but look for great evening activity with the approach of July.

Silver Creek

The Creek should respond well to the heat with the temperatures in the south valley approaching the low nineties as of late. This will mean early morning insect activity and later evening activity are going to become the prime times to cast a fly. Look for more P.M.D. action in the mornings and expect a smorgasbord of insects later in the afternoon. This may mean switching flies between Baetis, Caddis and Pale Morning Duns with regularity. Small hoppers have begun hatching and anglers should begin adding the smallest version of this fly to their arsenal of terrestrials. Fishing Ants, Beetles and Hoppers when the hatches quite down for the afternoon on the Conservancy water is a fun way to prospect, especially with the a stiff breeze blowing. The lower river should start quieting down for the summer, but is still a good place to explore in the evenings. This area should see an increase in activity as the summer waters rise on the Creek and with the emergence of the first Tricos in a few weeks time.

Big Wood River

The Wood is just down right “On Fire” lately as the fish have the two-fold advantage of lower than normal flows, coupled with great bug activity. The Green Drake has been coming off very late in the day, but that hasn’t kept morning and afternoon anglers from cashing in on their presence. Large dry flies are the only way to go right now with anglers getting strikes from many good sized fish in each run they cast through. A variety of large Drake patterns will work, with the bushiest flies getting loads of attention. Big Stimulators will also take fish. If you are searching the river and see a refusal from a large Rainbow, simply put on a Green Drake Cripple, dress it properly and show it to the fish that refused your more obvious fly. This is just another version of “bait and switch.”

Upper Lost River and Copper Basin

These rivers are pretty much right in line with the Big Wood right now. The same flies and tactics will work. You may have to swap a little fish size for the privacy offered by this more remote area, but there are plenty of fish big enough to make it worth the trip over the hill. Cover plenty of water if you go, and take plenty of supplies with you such as food, water, raincoat and a good spare tire!

Big Lost River

The Lost dropped a bit the past few days, but not enough to make the fishing, or the wading any easier. We are still a few weeks away from seeing this river come into a prime flow. There are still poke around places up and down the Mackay area, but for long days of prime fishing we need to wait. Fishing a few access points in conjunction with the water above the reservoir may make the trip over more worthwhile. Plan on nymphing if you go with big bead head flies and smaller trailers behind them.

South Fork of the Boise

It is officially Salmon Fly time on the South Fork with a nice amount of bugs beginning to show on the upper reaches of the river. The fish should be really turned on to the big bug, so if you go, take the biggest Salmon Fly patterns you can purchase, tie your leader to about 6 feet, terminating in 1X and then fish a lot of bank. When you get a strike, allow the fish to really get it in his mouth and then set the hook very hard! If you hit this hatch right and have good driftboat sense, you could find this the best fishing day of your summer.

Don’t forget to explore some of the lesser known fisheries in our area, like the Little Wood, Magic Reservoir, Magic Tailwater, and Carey Lake for Bass and Bluegill!

Synopsis

With mild summer temperatures returning to the Valley we can expect a strong return of the early season hatches. With a few weeks left before the 4th of July holiday, now is the best time to get out on the river and take advantage of miles of fishable water with few other anglers out and about. Some of our more remote rivers are all but abandoned on the weekdays and the fishing is pretty good all over. High flows are still a limiting factor, but as the warming trend continues, expect to see more and more fishable water open up.

Silver Creek

It was a tough week to find any consistency in this fishery the past week, but Mother Nature is about to throw us a bone as we begin a gradual rise from the 70’s to 80 degree temperatures this week. This should spur on the PMD, and Baetis activity and get the hatches coming off with a bit more regularity. Lately the evening Caddis activity has been the most consistent, but anglers need to hang out until dark to get the best of this action. Terrestrial fishing with Ants and Beetles is still a great way to take fish off of the surface and few Green Drakes are still out in the Conservancy waters. The Creek has had a nice short break from the angling pressure of opening day and the Brown Drake scene, and we can expect to get into a nice summer swing in the coming weeks. With warming temperatures the water temp will rise as well, so please be gentle with the fish and the fishery this summer!

Big Wood River

The first big hatches of the Green Drake have begun as well as the Little Yellow Sally. Keep in mind the Drake spins in the morning and hatches in the afternoon. If you are on a piece of water around 2:00 p.m. you can plan on seeing some Drakes, if you are not seeing good numbers and want to try to catch this hatch, get moving up or down the river a few miles and check some spots to see where on the river the bulk of the activity is taking place. Large Stimulators fished with a dropper are great bets when the fish aren’t actively feeding on the surface. Other hatches to watch for are the large size 14 Baetis that have been popping up and down the river, also watch for the strong evening Caddis activity which should be picking up with the warmer days. Large Yellow flies like Humpies and Stimulators are also a good bet to imitate the Yellow Sallies and the big Crane Flies that skate about in the morning.

Upper Lost River and Copper Basin

This is a great area to lose yourself in a great day of fishing. With little pressure, fishable flows and good hatches it would be a mistake not to get a few days of fishing in “up top” before the water drops and the moss begins to grow on the rocks. The higher in the system you fish right now the more fishable water you will find. Green Drakes are present along with a variety of Stoneflies. Cover a long stretch of water with your favorite big bushy dry fly and enjoy the variety of species found in this area. As always we encourage you to try and catch all of them for the Copper Basin Slam – West Slope Cutthroat, Snake River Fine Spotted Cutthroat, Rainbow, Brookie, and Whitefish!

Big Lost River

The Lost below the Mackay dam is still clear enough to fish, but the high flows continue to limit safe wade fishing. Poking around the few accessible spots with a nymph and indicator are good ways to find a few fish, but there still just isn’t enough access for more than a few anglers to find a few good runs to cast through.

South Fork of the Boise

The Salmon Flies are still not in the upper canyon in any real numbers yet, but high temperatures and a traditional 3rd week of June appearance means they are due on the lower reaches any day now. In the meantime expect to see strong Caddis activity and expect to find fish sipping these Caddis discreetly off of the main currents.

Others…

There is still decent fishing in Magic Reservoir and below Magic Reservoir, also the Big Wood tributaries should be coming into fishable shape. The Little Wood above the reservoir is worth a look as well as the water above Mackay Reservoir. The high mountain lakes should be coming into their prime season toward the end of this month, so get outside, explore and enjoy!

Synopsis

With a few cooler days recently the fishing has remained strong and consistent, but it may not be until early next week before we get back into a warming trend to set off the seasons first major hatches on rivers other than Silver Creek. There is a plethora of water to fish in every direction and anglers can spread out and find success pretty much everywhere they go. Take advantage and throw the biggest dry flies you can, as these water conditions are going to vanish quickly this summer and this is one of the few time of the year when you can watch a fish take an enormous fly off of the surface!

Silver Creek

Cooler days are going to provide less action, but once the thermometer starts showing daily highs in the 70’s and 80’s again we can expect morning hatches and spinner falls to bring up a fair amount of fish. PMD and Baetis are always on center stage this time of year, but fish will still respond well to terrestrial and even large Green Drake patterns on the upper waters. The evenings will provide some surface activity as well. With the Brown Drake coming off slowly in the lower reaches, this can be a fantastic time of year to get great evening fishing in the Conservancy waters, and have it mostly to yourself while the rest of the angling community chases the Drake! The Brown Drake hatch has been coming and going with no regular frequency, probably due to the full moon and inconsistent weather and poor downstream water conditions. Who would have thought the Big Wood would have better clarity than lower Silver Creek at the end of May? The sloughs are fishing well and nearby Stanton’s Crossing on the Big Wood are both nice afternoon options between hatches and spinner falls.

Big Wood River

We may be in a holding pattern for a few more days as we await the first big Green Drake hatches of the year. Watch the temperature and once you see a few more hot days coming you can be sure the Green Drake will hit the river! The Green Drake loves the heat, so watch the forecast for warming days and then prepare to see bugs in the rivers lower reaches. With the cooler weather, Large Orange or Royal Stimulators will still take fish up and down the river, and don’t forget to have a bunch of little yellow Stimulators as the Little Sallies will be making a strong late afternoon appearance when the weather improves. Fish are responding to bead-headed nymphs all over the river, but also have some good Green Drake nymphs in your box the next few weeks as the trout may get more selective to this pattern with the emergence of the real thing.

Upper Lost River and Copper Basin

One thing you can count on the last few years, and I’ll keep saying it; if the Big Wood is fishing well, you can count on the upper Lost system to follow along. Big bugs are the name of the game on the many little rivers in this area. The same flies your using on the Big Wood will work in the Basin; Stimulators, Drakes, bead-head nymphs…Fish short, 7 foot lengths of leader tapered to 3X. The volume in the main river may be a bit overwhelming for some anglers still, but the tributaries have plenty of fishable water. If you have the itch to camp, head for the Basin. Take your rain coat and check your spare tire as you’re along way from home up there, but enjoy the scenery and solitude!

Lost River

More of the same higher flows. The river has a few fishable pockets, but wade fishing is tough and not recommended in most areas below the Mackay dam. You may find a few hours of fun poking around the different access points, but please don’t get tempted into wading into a spot you can’t get out of.

South Fork of the Boise

Keep your eyes on the flows for the South Fork, it was recently raised to 1,600 cfs and looks like it may be dropping a bit soon, but if the river will level off here, this is a nice boating flow for the driftboat crowd. The Salmon Flies should be along here in the first part of June and one can always count on the bizarre, but extraordinary Caddis hatches here in the spring. Many anglers fish nymph rigs with good sized indicators when floating in the early season. If you want to find surface activity look carefully in the back bays and side channels, as well as any big eddie. A size 16 Parachute Adams is a winner if you find fish sipping discreetly in the quieter waters.

Little Wood River

The Little Wood also offers a smaller version of the Big Wood experience above the Little Wood Reservoir. The access is at the campground area and although moving up and down the river may be tough right now, it will get easier in coming days and weeks and the fishing can be fun for nice sized Brook Trout and smaller, but tough fighting Rainbows. Yellow Stimulators are a favorite for these fish in the spring. Take a variety of sizes and fish the biggest one they will come up for. Below the confluence of Silver Creek the Little Wood is a desert river, best fished at low light levels, but there are enough Stoneflies in the river to make this worthwhile in the spring.

Get out and enjoy the June fishing this year, it should be the seasons best!