Photo By: Alex Long
“Now and then it is good to pause in the pursuit of happiness and just be happy.”
– Guillaume Apollinaire
The paradox of the pursuit is that it requires presence. Fly fishing is happiness made manifest. And ephemeral as it may be, your angling days become spots of time that stay with you long after you step from the stream.
Silver Creek
Fall has arrived on the Creek. You can hear elk bugling in the golden grove and see browns, tricked out in orange, fixing to spawn. The late morning usually features a smattering of Tricos and Baetis followed by Callibaetis, Mahogany Duns, and October Caddis. The timing of the hatch is temperature dependent, so check the weather before you go. Terrestrials can work well, especially if the wind picks up; however, the fish are getting wary of hoppers. Ants and beetles are more their taste. Small Baetis nymphs and Zebra Midges are also effective when the hatch is slow. Remember, if you spot browns on redds, leave them alone.
The Big Wood
The last big bug of the season, Hecuba (aka Red Quills), have been seen up and down the river. Even if you don’t see them, the trout are keen on them, so it is a bug worth searching the water with. You may also see Baetis (size 20) hatching in the afternoon. Flying ants and small cream colored crane flies are also fluttering about. The best approach is to fish a high-floating dry, like a parachute ant, hopper, or Hecuba, with a small nymph trailing behind. Also, employing stealth with the low and clear water will increase your productivity.
Big Lost below Mackay
The flows are around 160 CFS and the water is off color. It is uncertain when it will clear, as it seems that more work is being done to the gates on the dam. Still the fishing is decent. With the murky water, bright and oversized nymphs are best. You can still expect decent Baetis as the day warms, but the surface activity is minimal with the off color water.
Upper Big Lost
The water is very low and clear. Success is dependent of your willingness to cover a ton of ground between holding water and your ability to make your first cast count. You will see similar fall bugs here as you will see on the Wood. Also, the morning temps are in the 30s, so no need to start too early.
Salmon
Chilly mornings on the Salmon makes this a great place to have a leisurely start to your fishing day. Tactically speaking, try nymphs or streamers in the seams and tail-outs. As the day warms up, fish will move out of the buckets and into the shallow riffles. Hoppers and October caddis patterns can bring fish to the surface.
South Fork of the Boise
With flows at 300 CFS, it is ideal wade fishing time on the South Fork. You may see Flavs and fall Baetis during the day, along with a few crane flies skittering about. The evening caddis activity remains strong with the unseasonably warm fall weather. If bugs are scarce, try a hopper dropper rig, deep nymphing with a bobber, or Euro style.
Local Ponds
Lake Creek, Penny Lake, or Gaver’s Lagoon are only fair as most of the stocked fish have been harvested.
Silver Creek: October Caddies 14,12 | Mahogany Duns 16 | Baetis. 20-24 | Tricos 22-24 | Callibaetis 16,18 | Terrestrials | Damsels | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive | Small Pheasant Tails | Streamers
Big wood: Caddies 16,18 | Baetis 20,22 | Red Quills (Hecuba) 12 | Hoppers | Perdigones | King Prince | Streamers
Big Lost: Tricos 20,22 | Baetis 18,20 | Red Quills (Hecuba) 12 | Crane Flies | Stimulators | Chubby Chernobyl | Rubber Legged Stones | King Prince | Streamers
Salmon: Hoppers | Red Quills (Hecuba) 12 | Caddis 16,18 | Chubby Chernobyl | Rubber Legged Stones | King Prince | Streamers
South Fork of the Boise: Pink Alberts 16 | Hoppers | Rubber Legged Stones | Zebra Midge | Caddis Larva | Flashback Pheasant Tails | Streamers
| Silver Creek | 52.5 cfs |
| Big Wood | 111 cfs |
| The Lost Below Mackay | 168 cfs |
| Salmon | 414 cfs |
| South Fork of the Boise | 304 cfs |
