Water Levels Continue to Get Lower…

Sunday, 28 August, 2011 14:09 Written by Dave Faltings

The Big Wood is starting to fish better. The water level continues to get lower and access has become easier. The bigger fish are starting to come up for small dries including Baetis, Pink Alberts and a surprisingly good caddis hatch for this late in the summer. Hoppers are around in certain areas and you can get some very big fish with these patterns. The days are still very hot so my favorite times to fish are mornings and late afternoon into the evening. As the water gets lower your fly selection will have to get smaller. Parachutes in sizes 16-20 will produce and I like to have them in different colors. I like Zebra Midges under dries this time of year and will get some very big fish using subsurface techniques.

Silver Creek has been hit and miss. We are still having some big spinner falls of Tricos in the AM along with good numbers of Baetis. Fly selection is very important this late in the hatch and you need very small sparsely tied patterns to fool the fish. Callibaetis are now showing up in the afternoons and can provide some very good fishing. If the wind comes up throw hoppers and beetles and up the size of your tippets. Some of my favorite Callibaetis patterns are Harrop’s Hen Wing Spinner in sizes 16-18 and Cripples if the wind is up.

Warm Springs and the Upper Big Wood still continue to provide excellent small water fishing. Fly selection is not as important and general attractor patterns such as Stimulators, Hoppers, and Parachutes will work on top and a simple selection of nymphs will work below. Remember these sections are open to catch and keep but if the fish is wild please release the wild fish and target the hatchery fish if you want to keep some.

Copper Basin and the Big Lost is a great choice to get out of the valley and experience a truly beautiful place. The fish are spread out and some areas will not produce and other spots will have fish all over. It pays to move when you’re fishing these waters. Good dry fly patterns include Parachute Adams and Purple Hazes along with Hoppers and other high riding dry flies.

Copper Basin

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A MidSummer Night’s Report

Wednesday, 17 August, 2011 11:55 Written by Dave Faltings

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Dave drops it like it’s hot! Dave Faltings of Silver Creek Outfitters talks about August fly fishing options for a great day on the water.

Bobby

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Trico Spinners, Baetis, & Purple Hazes

Tuesday, 09 August, 2011 15:31 Written by Dave Faltings

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This is the time of year to fish Silver Creek. Trico spinner falls are starting up and although the hatches have been inconsistent the fish are starting to pod up in the mornings. The spinner fall usually starts around 8:30-9:30 and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. As the hatch progresses you will also see big hatches of Baetis and PMD’s spinners and it pays to switch off patterns because some fish will key on one bug and avoid everything else. The trico’s are very small and you will need size 22-24 patterns on some mornings. I like Harrop’s Paraspinner and Henwing tricos in bothe black and black and green. If the hatch is good enough and pods of fish form you can get away with a slightly oversized pattern during the peak of the hatch. I also like to find single fish not in a pod and I find these fish to be catchable but a little tougher to catch. Callibaetis are starting to show in the early afternoons and you can throw terrestrials in the wind and have some success. Evening time can have excellent fishing and the main player right before dark is PMD’s in sizes 16-18. The Creek is a pleasure to fish into dark with fewer people around.

Trico Henwing Spinner Male

The Big Wood has been fishing okay. Dry fly fishing is inconsistent this time of year. I would have different size parachutes from size 12-18 with the bigger patterns working as dropper flies for small zebra midges. There are some Pink Alberts and BWO’s coming off in the mornings and into the afternoons on cloudy cooler days. Have caddis patterns for the evenings and mornings. Try going down deep when no hatches are present.

Pink Albert No Hackle

Copper Basin is fishing well depending on what section you fish. Certain sections get fished out and the cutthroat tend to move up and down in the system. You want to move around and when you find fish work it hard. Good floating patterns work well including hoppers, stimulators and Parachutes in various colors. If you encounter hatches the fish should take a small Purple Haze or Adams Parachute. I love this area and a day spent in the basin area is always a day well spent.

The Salmon River is a great place to go and escape the crowds. There are over 60 miles of good trout water downstream of Stanley. These fish take big bushy flies very well and see limited pressure during the summer.

Archive for August, 2011

Water Levels Continue to Get Lower…

A MidSummer Night’s Report

Trico Spinners, Baetis, & Purple Hazes

‎”Hey Dave, What’s Fishing?”

Fishing Report Archives

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