Baetis! Baetis! Baetis!

Synopsis

With little significant change in our great local fishing this weeks report will take a lean towards fall tactics on your favorite water. One thing to keep in mind, have plenty of good, small baetis patterns. Get quite a few small, well tied Pheasant Tail nymphs, size 18 – 22. Try to fish a four weight if you have one. Make sure your 6X tippet spool is full. Move slowly and try to spot your fish. Keep you Green Drake flies handy in case you see a hatch of the Western Red Quill. This is a great opportunity to recycle a few patterns from June.

Silver Creek

Blanket Baetis events on Silver Creek can be found quite often this time of year on Silver Creek, with action peeking toward the end of the month, but with some consistency all the way into November. Fishing the Fall Baetis on the Creek can be maddening as the fish target the wiggling motion of the Fall baetis abdomen. To imitate this action while fishing to your target, find a small baetis imitation that is tied in a Thorax style. When you go to tie the fly on to your 6X tippet, use a Duncan Loop or your favorite loop knot instead of the common Improved Clinch Knot. This will allow the fly to pivot on the water as the tippet will have little effect on the flies resting position on the water. To achieve even more boogie in your fly, apply a generous amount of Frogs Fanny dry shake to the pattern, paying extra attention to the hackle tips. Now, cast down and across to your favorite target, land your fly about 8 to 12 inches above his head and let your fly dance on down to his mouth. Then once he takes, give him the gentle, but purposeful “Silver Creek Lift.”

Big Wood River

When the Fall Baetis comes off on the Big Wood many of the fish will take advantage of the flat, glassy water in the tail outs of the pools in order to see this little insect and hungrily eat it in numbers. When you approach any pool in the Fall, do not rush in. Carefully inspect all the edges of the pool paying close attention to the tail out. Many fish will sip Baetis very discreetly in these areas. These are often the biggest fish in the river. Generally speaking 6X is a must. Catching these fish is not very difficult. Finding them without scaring them can be. Use all the available cover when inspecting the pools. If you have a high point, like a ledge or tree that you can use to get a look from above, take advantage of it. The real key is not rushing into the pool. Taking ten, or even twenty minutes to carefully inspect your target area, for actual targets, can be a rewarding and an eye opening experience.

Upland Bird Season

Dove and Grouse season opened last week in Idaho. Locally we had very mixed reports coming from hunters. Grouse limits were taken by quite a few hunters and their canine companions on the opener, while a few other hunters like myself, could hardly find a bird. Since the opener we have heard sparse reports of any significant numbers of birds being found. Then again, with the smoke the way it is, it must be torture on dogs trying to get a good scent trail, and I know it can be hard on a hunters lungs. Let us know how your season is going when you stop by the shop. If you’re new to Grouse hunting look for forested areas that offer water, berry fields, and a nice combination of Aspen and Fir trees. Avalanche shoots can be very productive examples of this. It doesn’t hurt to have a dog helping you. Locally we run the gambit on bird dogs. Already this season I have seen, Short Hairs, Pointers, Griffins, Labs, and Setters all at work doing what they love and were born to do!

Dove hunters have also given us mixed reports. Some places have been very productive and in general the areas south of Bellevue remain pretty good, if your in the right place and know some flight paths expect good shooting. Scouting goes a long way to having good shooting for these little birds. For the most part though, “The Season to Remember” that many people were expecting, flew south with some cold nights about two days before the opener. It is truly amazing how quickly the seasons change around here. For some birds, one cold night is all it takes to send them south after an entire summer in the valley!