Synopsis The opening week of fishing was a mixed bag in the Sun Valley Area offering wind, rain, sleet and periods of sunshine. Silver Creek was the most visited of our local waterways with sometimes crowded fishing conditions under mostly cloudy skies. The Big Wood River has spiked in the last 24 hours and in all likelihood will not be…
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Synopsis After being closed for 59 days, general trout fishing will open on May 29th and it appears that most local rivers will be fishable. Silver Creek will be low and clear, while the local freestones should be manageable as they flow at relatively low to moderate levels. The South Fork of the Boise is pumping at nearly 1600 cfs…
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Synopsis With only one week remaining in the Salmon River steelhead season, most anglers are reveling in what has been a truly memorable season. Nearly 4,000 fish have returned to the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery and many more are expected to finish their journey over the next couple weeks. Due to high daytime temperatures and the resulting spring runoff, much of…
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Synopsis In the shadows of the Sawtooth Mountains, the annual migration of steelhead is in full force. With steelhead counts steadily climbing, anglers are finding successful fishing throughout the river system. With below-average snowfall and freezing nighttime temperatures contributing little runoff to the Salmon River, the river remains low and clear. Steelhead Fishing With a couple thousand fish having arrived…
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Synopsis As of today, March 31st at sundown, trout fishing in the Wood River Valley is closed; however, with the close of trout fishing season comes another spectacular fly-fishing option - steelheading! The annual run of Salmon River Steelhead is in full swing and by all accounts it is one of the most exciting runs to date. Driving north from…
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Synopsis As the late winter/early spring trout season draws to a close, Rainbows are feeding ravenously as they prepare for their annual spawning cycle. But as the freestone trout approach the end of their season, the Steelhead run on the Salmon River is just getting going. So, whether you prefer casting light tippet and miniscule dries for aggressively feeding trout…
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Synopsis March is a spectacular time to fly fish our local rivers. In the opinion of many anglers, March offers the best dry fly fishing of the year. Midges and a few Baetis will blanket our local freestones through the end of the general trout season (March 31st) and, especially on the warmer days, catch rates can skyrocket for the…
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Synopsis The Salmon River was originally named for the migratory salmon species which teemed within its banks, but this spring it will be the Steelhead which draws anglers to its shores. Steelhead are the springtime attraction for fishermen on the "River of No Return" and this year promises to offer the highest steelie return in recent memory. The Idaho Fish…
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Synopsis February has arrived and with it comes the potential for spectacular fishing. As the sun rises higher in the sky each day and the temperatures trend toward warmer daytime highs, fly-fishing will continue to improve well into March. For the coming weeks, midges will be the dry flies of choice; however, midge pupae patterns will be effective backups when…
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Synopsis The holiday season is upon us and it looks like we are entering an extended period of on and off wintery weather. In the short term, expect to see mostly cloudy skies and periods of snowfall. As a result, temperatures should be moderate, leading to more productive fishing and small emergences of Midges throughout our local systems. So bundle…
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Photo Credit: Bob Knoebel “There are two kinds of forecasters: those who don’t know, and those who don’t know they don’t know." – John Kenneth Galbraith And then there are the kind of forecasters who know they don’t know, but try anyway. Let’s start with what we do know. This winter has been relentless. It started cold and wet, stayed…
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Photo Credit: Bob Knoebel “The season is ended. There was not enough of it; there never is." – Nick Lyons However, there are still opportunities to wet a line. You may just need to travel farther afield. Or you can begin to look forward to next season. With the current snow water equivalent at or above 140% of normal in…
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