Fishing Forecast October 1st to 8th

“What brings us back to fishing is its glorious uncertainty”- Arnold
Gingrich

In fly fishing, the anticipation adds to the drama. Will the hatch be early or late? Will it happen at all? Each cast, each presentation becomes a question. Do I have the right fly? The right drift? Will the fish rise again? Did I put him down? I wade deep in ambiguity, never knowing what the day holds…”glorious uncertainty.” One thing is for certain; Fly fishing in October is a must.

SILVER CREEK
The rain has been good for the Creek and flows are back up to over 100 CFS and clear. The browns are in pre-spawn mode and getting randy. There have been steady Baeatis hatches and the Mahogany Dun is becoming a factor. Be sure to have plenty of size 22 and 24 Baetis from the House of Harrop and size 16 and 18 Mahogany Dun Parachute patterns. Fish with long 12 foot leaders and 6 or 6.5 Trouthunter tippet. Small olive, brown,black, and red nymphs in size 16-20 have also been working well fished Dry Dropper Style. Hoppers and ants will still take fish on windy days.There are still some Callibaetis in the Pond and Slough and it would be wise to have these in your box if you find fish keying on them. This is a
great time to try a streamer pattern as well. Come in and check out our great selection. If you find some early spawners on redds, let them be and watch your step.

BIG WOOD
Heavy rain has once again turned the Wood to a muddy mess below Warm Springs Creek and Baker Creek. It should only be a few days until the Wood above Warm Springs becomes fishable again; however, Warm Springs may take some time. Stay tuned.

UPPER WOOD, WARM SPRINGS, TRAIL CREEK, NORTH FORK
If you are looking for some local moving water that is not the color of hot chocolate, you might try Trail Creek, East Fork, or The North Fork of the Wood. These small creeks offer some quality fish in a beautifulsetting. Take your lightest fly rod or a Rhodo Tenkara rod, a small puck of flies and have fun.

THE BIG LOST ABOVE MACKAY RESERVOIR
The flows have dropped again to 120 CFS. This is a good flow for easy wading and great dry fly fishing. On the pleasant fall days, expect to have steady Baetis with a smattering of Tricos starting around 10 or 11 AM and lasting until 2 PM. Have a range of Baetis patterns from size 20 to 24 and fish at least 6 or 6.5X tippet on a 9 to 12 foot leader. If you can’t find surface feeders, try fishing a dry dropper rig or Euro Nymphing. For nymphs, try small Baetis style nymphs (18-22), Zebra Midge,or attractor nymphs like the Rainbow Warrior, Iron Lotus, or Bishop’s Dynamite in size 16 and 18.

THE UPPER LOST
The Upper Lost tripled in size with all the rain but should quickly settle and return to fantastic fall fishing. If you are looking to find the last big mayfly of the year, the Red Quill, this is a great place to go. The Red Quill has been spotted on the main stem between 1 and 3 PM. You can easily match this hatch with a size 14 Parachute Adams or Hare’s Ear parachute. Remember to look for the classic Upper Lost holding water and keep on the move. Be aware that there is road construction happening on the road from the North Fork bridge to the paved road on the Mackay side. You can expect delays from 10 to 30 minutes.

THE SALMON
Valley Creek blew out over the weekend, but should clear within a few days. Check with the shop for the latest if you plan to fish in this area. Above Valley Creek the fishing remains good with clear, low water conditions. The best fishing is from 11AM till about 4 PM. Look for classic riffle run holding water and search the water with nymphs or streamers. For nymphs try small rubber legged stones, Bishop’s Dynamite,Rainbow Warriors, or any other beaded size 14 or 16 nymph.

SOUTH FORK OF THE BOISE With flows at 300 CFS and warm fall weather in the forecast, the South Fork is a must fish this October. It is about an hour and a half drive from Ketchum and well worth the trip. At these flows the drift boats have disappeared and the river is very wadeable. While the hatches have been sparse, you will find some small caddis, a few Pink Alberts and the Fall Baetis are beginning to pick up steam. Try micro caddis in peacock and olive as well as Harrop’s Baetis patterns if you find rising fish.Nymphing Euro Style or Dry Dropper is very productive especially for the Mountain Whitefish. Try small Baetis nymph patterns, Zebra Midge, Caddis
Larva, Stone Fly patterns, or San Juan Worms.

LOCAL PONDS
Penny Lake, Lake Creek Pond or Gaver Lagoon are the perfect option for a family, fall picnic. We have a complete assortment of spinning gear, lures, bait, and flies so drop on by the shop and we can hook you up no matter the style of fishing you prefer..

Shop our House of Harrop Fly selection!

Water Flows – SEPTEMBER 17th