Synopsis
We continue to reap the benefits of our enormous snow pack, as almost every river in our area is fishing really well. With the dropping water and hot temperatures, anglers need to begin thinking about fishing early and late for the bigger fish, but there is still plenty of midday action on the surface. Big flies are still the best bet on most rivers, and this should continue with the emergence of the grasshoppers in coming weeks.
Silver Creek
The Trico is the talk of the Creek these days, with nice morning spinner falls bringing up almost every fish in the river for a few hours. The spinner falls begin as soon as the air temperatures hit 70 degrees, and with the hot days recently this means you should get down there early. On most mornings, sunrise isn’t to early. The afternoon is Callibaetis time and the Hopper fishing should be coming along. Anglers that want to try fishing the afternoon Damsel Fly activity should start trying some Hopper patterns intermittently, especially if the wind comes up. Keep your Baetis and P.M.D. patterns ready, especially as the morning Trico action begins to wane.
Big Wood River
The Wood is fishing great these days, with a lot of big bugs still around, and good healthy flows giving anglers nice cover to search out the rivers best fishing grounds. Green Drakes are still out, with a lot of Stonefly varieties as well. This means big, bushy attractors will continue to bring up the fish. With the midday heat, one may want to try dropping a small bead head from their dry fly is they sense a drop in the surface action. Continue to wade carefully on the Wood and enjoy fishing the new runs that continue to appear daily with the dropping water.
Lost River
A CFS of 650 means the Lost will be fishing soon. This is still a good sized flow over there, but better wading is not far off.
Upper Lost and Copper Basin
Everything above the North Fork and East Fork confluences is fishing really well. Below that area the volume is still very high and wading is difficult and dangerous. Up high though, the fish are active, there are a lot, and I mean a lot of insects in the mornings and evenings, yet the afternoon fishery is still excellent. Big attractor flies are all one needs to catch every species. As always, use the “Copper Basin Slam†as your benchmark for a good day fishing up there, and try to catch at least one of each trout; Brook Trout, West Slope Cutthroat, Snaked River Fine Spotted Cutthroat, and Rainbow. If you go, remember your bug spray as the Mosquitoes and Deer Flies are also out in full force.
Little Wood River
The fishing is improving above the reservoir as the water continues to drop in this drainage. Smaller Rainbows and Brook Trout are the targets, and they will respond to just about any Attractor pattern right now. The desert fishery has been slightly less productive with the stifling heat.
South Fork of the Boise
A crowded river recently, the SF of the B, should begin to see fewer anglers as more and more water in other part of the state opens up and begins to fish productively. Expect the Pink Albert action to continue and get stronger into August, and have some good Hopper patterns to cast from the boat. Flows are still at drift boat levels and the wade fishing is somewhat limited.
