2017

"No fisherman ever fishes as much as he wants...this is the first great rule of fishing, and it explains a world of otherwise inexplicable behavior." - Geoffrey Norman Don't let the seasonal closures and excessive high water keep you from fishing as much as you want. While there is no water for a local angler to casually fish for an…

"Water is the driving force in nature." - Leonardo da Vinci The current snow water equivalent for the Big Wood, Little Wood, and Big Lost rivers is at around 170% of average. Simple translation: there is a lot of water in the mountains yet to come down over the next few months. The initial flooding reports are a result of…

"Water is taught by thirst." - Emily Dickinson Due to the warm weather and rain over the last week, the low altitude snow has started to melt. Our freestones and tail-waters are already seeing higher than average flows for this time of year. This is the first phase of what will be a long and interesting run-off for the Wood…

"Two things are certain this year, there will be an extended high water season when the snow starts melting; the timing and the magnitude of the peak flows are unknown at this time, and the peaks could be big on some rivers." – Idaho Water Supply Outlook Report March 1, 2017 On normal years, the Wood and surrounding freestones are…

"A year of snow, a year of plenty." – French Proverb The snow pack in the Big Wood drainage is currently at 172% of average and still has the potential to climb heading into spring. The stage is set for a record breaking spring run-off on the Wood and surrounding drainages. To put this in perspective, the Valley had a…

"With melted snow I boil fragrant tea." – Mencius The snow keeps coming. As of February 6th, the Big Wood Basin is at 144% of average and the Little Wood and Big Lost are not far behind. While it is a bit too early to prognosticate about when our summer flows will be prime, one thing is certain... each flake…

"There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing." – Sir Ranulph Fiennes Rain, snow, sleet, inversions: we have seen it all this winter. Fortunately, when the weather is bad, the fishing is good. But having the appropriate gear makes all the difference between success and frustration on the water. The Chinese have a proverb: "A man with a toothache cannot…