"The image of giant mayflies backlit by a broad Western sunset is a sight that can never be forgotten. And when the audible rise of trout that may not be interested in surface feeding at any other time is added to the picture, you begin to understand the special summer event that Brown Drakes have come to represent." ~ Rene…
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"What a tourist terms a plague of insects, the fly fisher calls a great hatch." ~ Patrick F. McManus Fly Fishing Forecast May 27th to June 3rd Despite the rain and cool weather, a few Brown Drakes have been spotted on the lower river. This slow trickle of insects is a good sign that the "plague" is just on the…
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"The sun did not shine/ It was too wet to play/ So we sat in the house/ All that cold, cold, wet day." ~ Dr. Suess, The Cat in the Hat Fly Fishing Forecast May 20th to 27th After a mostly dry, warm winter, the first half of May has already exceeded the average precipitation for the month. And we have…
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"The pleasure isn't in the doing of the thing, the pleasure is in planning it." ~ John Green, Paper Towns Fly Fishing Forecast May 13th to May 20th Two weeks till opening day...May 23rd! Now is the time to plan. Start with a gear check: Do your waders need repair? Do you need to replace the studs on your wading…
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"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water." ~ Loren Eiseley As another steelhead season comes to a close, fly fisherman tend to look toward future fishing opportunities. The prevailing question is always the same: What will the water be like? Predicting streamflows is not an exact science. For example, no one could have predicted the…
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"But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flower, its bloom is shed; Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white then melts forever." ~ Robert Burns The run-off started early this year since March came in like a lamb. However, April has come in like a lion, and we we have received some more high…
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"The trout do not rise in the cemetery, so you better do your fishing while you are still able." ~ Sparse Grey Hackle Just don't do it on the Wood or the South Fork of the Boise. Like Silver Creek, these rivers are now closed for the season. However, there are still plenty of excellent options for an angler willing…
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"Never make predictions, especially about the future." ~ Casey Stengel The Big Wood Basin snow water equivalent is at 70% of normal as of March 16th. For those already looking ahead to summer, all signs are pointing to an early and moderate run off and a good early fishing season on our local waters. In the meanwhile, the steelhead are…
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The steelhead coming up river from the Pacific Ocean to the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery have to travel nearly 1000 miles and pass over 8 dams. And this year, they are early to the dance! Typically these fish begin to show towards the end of March in the stretch of the Salmon between Stanley and Challis with the season closing the…
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"Wet boots are a way of life." ~ Austin McPherson March is a great month to get your boots wet. While the Creek is now closed, the Wood is just hitting its late winter, early spring stride. Our area tailwaters, the Lost and the South Fork of the Boise, also fish fantastic in March. And it won't be long now…
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Image: Ed Northen “Snow was falling/ so much like stars/ filling the dark trees/ that one could easily imagine/ its reason for being was nothing more/ than prettiness.” – Mary Oliver So much depends upon each snowflake. The fate of tomorrow’s fishery, and the year after that, and so on. Their beauty is deeper than mere appearances. Big Wood Snow…
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“Don't fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.” – Bruce Lee In fishing, as in life, failures make for epic stories. And reasons to return for another glorious attempt. The only crime is not to fish. Big Wood There is not a lot of snow on the valley…
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