Synopsis

Fishing has been good lately due to the relatively warm temperatures and the recent cloud cover. Midges and Baetis are primary hatches on all of our local streams. Most of the surface activity will occur around mid-day. If you aren’t seeing anything on top, don’t hesitate to try nymphs or streamer patters on stout leaders. Also, for any of your last minute holiday tackle needs, Silver Creek Outfitters will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Silver Creek

Sparse dry fly activity is present in the early afternoon on the Preserve and lower waters of the Creek. Look for Midges on sunny days, Baetis on cloudy, cooler days. If you aren’t seeing anything working on the surface, a good way to approach the river this time of year is to tie on a streamer in sizes 4 to 8, walk downstream into the center of the river, and make casts towards the banks. Vary your stripping length and speed, and look for under cut banks to hold the larger fish.

Remember, the last day to fish the Nature Conservancy is November 30th, so get out and fish! Fishing below the Highway 20 bridge will remain open through February.

Big Wood River

Decent Baetis hatches have been occurring on an irregular basis along the Wood on cloudy days. Target single sipping fish, or cast blind into soft seams and riffles. Patterns like Griffiths Gnats, Trailing Shucks and CDC Parachute Midges are all good choices this time of year. Often, it can be troublesome to see these flies in the low light, so try drifting two dries together, about ten inches apart. Once your eyes become accustomed to the space between, you may find you can see quite well. In addition, a small Parachute Adams or Gulper Special, size 18-26, can produce good results alone or in tandem with another fly. If the fish aren’t breaking the surface, hang a small nymph dropper of the dry, such as a Zebra Midge, a Brassie, or a Pheasant Tail. Large Nymphs and Sculpins can also be extremely effective this time of year.

Big Lost River

The damn is now running at 63 cfs. This means low water levels, spooky fish, and silent approaches. Use at least a 12ft long leader, 6x tippet and expect to fish small dry flies and nymphs. Blue Winged Olives like Hackle Stackers, Sparkle Duns, and ¾ Spents, in sizes 20-24 can work throughout the day, even if you do not see a hatch coming off. Midges such as the Griffith’s Gnat and the Trailing Shuck in small sizes can be effective when the trout are keyed in on the really small bugs. Little nymphs such as RS2s, Black Midge Biots, and Brassies in all colors are good choices. The water is clear and shallow, so if you are nymphing, use a very small indicator or none at all. Without an indicator, target individual fish, cast ahead of them, and watch closely for movement. If you see the white of their mouth or a turn to either side, gently pull the line. If you feel tension, the fish is on, set the hook.

Trail Creek Pass is now closed. Thus, in order to fish the Lost in any location, you must drive through Arco. The extended drive may keep most anglers away and one could expect to find less pressured fish than a few weeks ago.

South Fork of the Boise

Water levels are still at 300 cfs, so wading is the best approach. Use nymphs and streamers on the sunny days and small dries on the cloudy, cooler days. San Juan Worms, Girdle Bugs, Crane Pupas, and other large dull colored nymphs are a good choice. Other bugs like beadhead King Princes, Flashbacks, and Stoneflies work well, but the shine can attract Whitefish too.

For Dry flies, small Baetis and Midges are pretty much the only options. Find soft water and target individual fish for best results. This time of the year, look for fish either closer to the dam or in the shallower, fast moving water.

Synopsis

With the fall colors upon us, now is one of our favorite times to hit the local waters. When fishing, remember to stay simple and cover water. One fish here may not eat what another fish there will. Spread yourself out and find fresh fish. Keep a watchful eye for natural insects, but do not be afraid to use attractors. With winter on the stoop, trout are trying to fatten up, but after being targets for fisherman all summer, they’ll be wary. Accurate but delicate presentations and discreet water selections will most translate to success. Also, don’t forget to bring your camera!

Silver Creek

As the season takes a final nod towards winter, anglers will find less insect activity with each passing week, and the fishing will gradually be replaced with duck hunting. Baetis and Midges are the final hatches of the season. Look for cloud cover, a rise in humidity, or the passing of a storm to bring out the thick clouds of Baetis. You also may spot a few remaining Mahogany Duns. These can often get lost in the heavier hatches of the emerging Baetis and Midges, so pay close attention to what the trout are eating. In addition, try throwing a Hopper. Though the frosts of last week have killed most of the population, there are still a few about, and the trout will remember. A black or brown Crowe Beetle is an option too. Regardless, the best action will likely come from casting a well-tied Mahogany Dun or Baetis, fished on a long, light leader. As the Conservancy fish look to bulk up for the winter, remember they have been targeted all summer, so you may find them quite wary.

Big Wood River

Warm fall days mixed with bright colors make an excellent backdrop for the remaining hatches of Baetis and Midges. A few October Caddis may be seen north of town in the afternoons, but the presence of natural insects is quickly falling off. Large attractor patterns can be very successful this time of the year. A Parachute Adams, Royal Wulff, Royal Stimulator, or H & L Variant in a size 12 or 14 can be a good selection, but make sure to cover lots of water. Dry-dropper combinations are great choice as well, with small Pheasant Tails and Zebra Midges in tow. Furthermore, swinging a larger nymph like a Hare’s Ear or Soft Hackle, or a wooly-bugger streamer through the deeper runs may produce good results.

Upper Lost and Copper Basin

If you decide to fish up here, stay light on your feet and offer only a few minutes to each hole. Small attractor and nymph patterns such as Adams Parachutes, Irresistibles, Stimulators, Copper Johns, and Golden Stoneflies are worth a try.

Big Lost River

Below the Dam, the Big Lost is running at a meager 57 CFS. The low water level will mean long, light leaders, careful presentations, and silent approaches. Look for the large rainbows to be in the shallower sections, on the shoulders of the runs, and sipping in the softer water. Some Baetis activity can be seen from mid-morning through after lunch. If you can not get them on top, small nymphs can also produce hookups. Use a light leader and tippet here as well, with Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tails, King Princes, and Copper Johns.

Little Wood River

No reports on the Little Wood. Expect low flows, smaller fish, and success to come from small attractor patterns and small nymphs. Streamers may be the most productive selection of all.

South Fork of the Boise

Water levels have been down to 300 CFS for the last couple weeks. With the drop comes accessible walk and wade conditions. Look for Baetis on the cloudy days and PMDs on the sunny ones. Both these insects are quite small, around size 18 and 20, and will generally come off in the afternoon, 3-4 PM. Target rising fish in the slow water, and watch for subtle takes at the seams and heads of runs. Sparkle Duns and Hackle Stackers are good choices for Baetis, and light-colored Cripples and No Hackles work well for the PMDs. Nymphing is always a strong candidate on the South Fork. San Juan Worms, Girdle Bugs, and Soft Hackles can get you hook-ups, but a good portion of which will likely be Whitefish.

Synopsis

True autumn weather is upon us. Colder days, rain and snow are in the forecast and that means a serious end to the majority of our local hatches. The good news is, the fish are still eager to fatten up for the winter so they are going to eat when the opportunity presents itself. Midges, Baetis and Mahogany Duns are present on area waters and although they are going away and the hatch windows will be shorter, there is still plenty of opportunity to catch fish.

Silver Creek

The Mahogany Dun has been one key to catching some nice fish on the Creek the past few weeks. There are still some Hoppers about as well. If you fish the Creek the next few weeks, be ready for short, but intense hatches. The bulk of the daily activity could be a few hours or even less. Baetis and Mahogany Duns often stay present well into November, but the cold weather could spell the end of any really significant hatches on the Creek this season. Keep in mind, when you are in Ketchum, there is generally a much different weather pattern down on the Creek, and so if it’s 50 degrees here and nice out, it could be 60 on the Creek with exceptional fishing.

Big Wood River

The Wood is still fishing well. When the hatches finally cease due to the cold, don’t stop throwing big dry flies! The late fall presents a second season for the Attractor Patterns in large sizes. Fish the biggest Royal Wulffs and H and L Variants you can purchase and cover a lot of water.

Use small Pheasant Tail Nymphs for droppers and if you decide to purely nymph, try two Pheasant Tails tied in tandem under a strike indicator.

It is not unusual this time of the year to see fish feeding on Midges in the evening, especially if it is calm, so now is as good a time as any to start gearing up for full blown winter fishing!

Upper Lost and Copper Basin

The fishing has slowed dramatically on the Upper Lost River system. The fish are moving back to the deeper water and the hatches have waned quite a bit. It is still a good place to spend a day if you want to fish without seeing other anglers, and you will catch fish as long as you stay on the move and cover plenty of water. We suggest staying in the lower part of the drainage.

Big Lost River

The Lost may be the best river to fish these days. Dry fly fishing continues with a little Baetis and remnant Trico action. The majority of fish that get caught are with nymphs, but many times sight nymphing is possible. Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs and San Juan Worms are all great patterns to throw at these brutes. If you see no rising fish, and have good sunlight, walk slow and look for big fish sitting on shallow ledges near deep water.

South Fork of the Boise

A decent opportunity to wade fish the South Fork is happening now with fishing really being dependent on the Fall Baetis. If you can time this hatch you will see and catch plenty of fish, but without this hatch, anglers should plan on nymphing and covering plenty of riffled water.

Synopsis

Beautiful fall days look to be descending upon on us for the next week or so. Day time highs reaching the mid 70’s will mean the best fishing will be found in the afternoons and early evening. Morning anglers will find some fish, but the heat of the day is really going to turn the bugs on.

Silver Creek

The Creek is still producing, especially with the Callibaetis, but the windows keep getting smaller and smaller. Mornings are brisk and cool with some surface activity taking place, but the late morning to early evenings seem to be the best time to be on the water. The coming week means perfect conditions for the Mahogany Dun, so be ready for big numbers of this insect!

Big Wood River

The Wood had been outstanding with the recent cooler and cloudier weather. Red Quills and Baetis have got the fish looking up and they are taking a great assortment of flies. The fish continue to keep themselves spread out, so do not avoid any particular water type. Some of the shallowest water is currently holding some of the biggest fish! Once things warm up look for plenty of insect activity, 2:00 p.m. and later seems to be the best time of the day. With the setting sun, also be ready for some heavy Midge activity. This bug is generally ignored by the trout until winter time, but as they try to fatten up for he spawn they will pay more and more attention to these tiny insects.

Upper Lost and Copper Basin

Low water means easy access up and down these rivers and there are still plenty of nice fish to catch and few anglers fishing them. It is easy to go all day up here without seeing another person. There is still a lot of walking to do between pools, but hey – how often do you get miles upon miles of blue ribbon trout streams all to yourself? If you go; take plenty of your favorite attractor patterns and be ready for the Fall Baetis with the Gulper Special!

Big Lost River

Little Baetis and some Trico action can be found in the slower runs on the river, but nymphing right now is the way to go, especially with the Kokanee getting ready to redd up and drop some eggs. Red nymphs are a great way to go almost anytime on this river.

South Fork of the Boise

The river is running at 600CFS, kind of a push between wade fishing and drifting it. The upper sections would be easy floats, but below Indian Rock can be way to boney at this flow. If you go, Hoppers, small Attractors and Pink Alberts are on the menu.

Synopsis

Last weeks report dealt with the types of insects one can expect to see in abundance over the next few weeks. In keeping with this theme of what one may find on the river, this week we will look at water types and general fish behavior for the fall months.

Duration

With all our area waters beginning to pick up in the catch rate category, it is time to get serious. The fall can be some of the season’s best fishing, but it is also the shortest window of opportunity left in the year.

Starting with the time of day, the autumn insects tend to keep bankers hours and there is no need to rush to the water before 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. What one may see during the course of the afternoon in the coming week or two can vary from the leftover summer bugs, like Tricos, to the newer bugs of the season like Red Quills. It is best to be armed with all your summer flies right now.

Expect to see strong hatches into the month of October. When we begin to reach the truly low light levels of the fall, the fishing windows will become incredibly short and the hatches more intense. By late October, with the first dustings of snow, and certainly by November, things will slow dramatically, although anglers with the right fly – namely the H and L Variant – will be able to search the surface waters until winter truly sets in.

For now, start late in the day and finish late in the day. Start bringing an extra jacket as the evenings should begin to cool off quite a bit. The Fall Baetis are normally associated with blanket hatches. The late morning, to early evening occurrence of these insect can bring every fish in the river to the surface. Look for these hatches on Silver Creek, the Big Wood, The Big Lost, and especially the South Fork of the Boise.

Water Type

In the fall, fish can be found in different parts of the pool, depending on what is hatching. If the blanket Baetis hatches are on the water, then it is time to concentrate on the tailouts and slick part of the runs. Looking behind logjams and other structure is also a great place to see fish come out for this midday snack. The calmer and glassier the water, the better.

When anglers encounter the Red Quill (Hecuba) it is a good time to concentrate on the fast water at the head of the runs. The insect can be hard to see in the fast water, despite its size, but there will be no mistaking the fish that are practically leaping out of the water to catch the insect.

If you see no fish working in the heads or tails of the pools, then stop and take a careful inventory of the run you are about to fish. It is not uncommon for the fish to pre-stage for these hatches and you may be able to find big fish lurking in shallow, obvious water.

When looking for the October Caddis, anglers should be blind fishing through shallow, boulder strewn runs. If you are seeing lots of their shucks, the adjacent water is a good place to search. You won’t find fish rising to big hatches of this bug, but you may find greedy fish looking for a quick meal.

Finally, the Mahogany Dun can be found randomly throughout Silver Creek and this event will occur from top to bottom. Some of the strongest hatches are often found way down stream where we normally fish the early season Brown Drake. It may take a bit more cool weather for this bug to show in good numbers, but that time is coming soon.

Grasshoppers

This terrestrial insect is out in force, and as more and more of the grass browns and dies, the continued migration toward the waters edge should make for great hopper fishing. Plan on seeing this bug until the first significant frost kills them. The Hoppers are mature now, so throw big patterns when imitating this bug.

Strike Indicators

With the surface activity waning over the next few weeks, fishing the nymph will become more and more important. Here is some great advice: With the falling light in September, the glare on the water will become harsher and harsher. The leaves will also begin to change and the river will fill with yellow and orange foliage. The best thing you can do now is to go and get some black colored strike indicators! The black will silhouette against the glare on the surface and will also stand out amongst the brightly colored leaves.

General Autumn Advice

The fishing windows are going to be closing soon, so try to plan your outings in advance. You may find yourself with only a few strong hours of fishing, so take advantage of these times and don’t beat yourself up the rest of the time. Keep in mind, for safety sake, it is hunting season, so wear bright colors on the river, and it is also time for the Moose to go into the rut. If you see a Bull Moose on the river, get away, they become very territorial and ornery this time of the season.

Enjoy the fall. Some of the seasons best fishing is about to happen with the seasons fewest amount of anglers on the water. Take a camera, enjoy the turning leaves and fish hard!