Fly Fishing Forecast June 28th – July 5th

“”Most of the world is covered in water. A fisherman’s job is simple: Pick the best parts.” ~ Charles Waterman

The options for where to fish around the Wood River Valley are expanding as the water continues to drop. And the recent warm weather has triggered some of the biggest bugs of the season. Your job is simple: Come on down to the shop and we will help you pick the right flies and the right time to be on the water. And, of course, we will help you pick the best parts too.

SILVER CREEK
The day time temps are in the 90s on the Creek and the river is transitioning into an early and late fishery. It won’t be long and we will start seeing significant amounts of Tricos in the mix of bugs in the morning, but we are still a couple weeks away from steady spinner falls. For the moment, the morning bugs are a mix of Baetis, Callibaetis and PMDs. As the day heats up, Damsels are a good bet in the Pond. You can expect a breeze in the afternoon, so have a good supply of beetles and ants. In the evening, the bugs return with an onslaught of all the aforementioned bugs including Caddis. The fishing has already gotten very technical and you will need to fish “fine and far” to be successful. Long leaders of 12 feet or more down to 6 or 6.5X are a must, as well as precise drag free drifts.

BIG WOOD
The peak flows on the wood are around 650 CFS and over the next week we should see this drop another 100 to 200 CFS; this is setting up to be a very good Green Drake year! We are already seeing the bug on the lower river around Bellevue, and the hatch should move up river over the next two weeks.  First, a word on wading safety: The flows are still too high to cross the river. Always wear a wading belt and never wade without friends or a guide. Stay safe out there as we are only a few weeks away from being able to move around the river comfortably.  There is still very good fishing in the side channels at these flows, but with the water dropping the fish will continue to move into water that provides the best protection from predators and flow as well as a steady supply of food. Anywhere you can find soft water along an edge, it is worth searching with a good attractor dry or Green Drake imitation. Dry dropper rigs are also a good bet. For a nymph, try a Beaded Prince, PT, or Green Drake nymph in a size 12-16. Also, it is not to early to try a small Zebra midge in red or black or a Bishop’s Dynamite. Deep nymphing with a Rubber Legged Stone in tandem with a Green Drake Nymph is also very effective. This can be done with an indicator or Euro Style.

SF OF THE BOISE
The flows are steady at 1700 CFS; a perfect flow for floating. The Salmon flies are spread throughout the system and the big bug fishing is on fire.  Also, caddis are very strong in the mornings and evenings. This is a great time to be on this river for big dry enthusiasts. Be sure to have plenty of big foam bugs (Cicadas and Salmon flies) for working the banks and a good selection of Trailing Shuck Caddis and traditional Elk Hair Caddis in brown and olive sizes 18 to 14.

THE SALMON
We started floating the Salmon last week and the next month should be really good with big attractor patterns working the banks. You can also hole hop with your vehicle up and down the river and successfully fish along the banks. This is a great river to have a shot at catching a rainbow, cutthroat, cutbow, or bull trout. There are also a good number of whitefish to keep your rod bent.

BIG LOST – MACKAY
With flows around 600 CFS, this is too high to fish safely. Once the flows drop below 350 CFS in late July, early August, this river will be ready to fish again.

UPPER BIG LOST
This is a good time to go explore the upper Lost around the Copper Basin. The East Fork above Wildhorse is beginning to look really good. Still the best flows are on the West Fork and the upper East Fork. The Main Stem below the North Fork confluence is still too high.  The hatches up here are very similar to what you will see on the Wood.

STILLWATERS & LOCAL WATERS
This is a good time to take the family to Lake Creek, Penny Lake, or Gaver’s Lagoon. All the ponds have been stocked and will receive regular stockings throughout the summer season. Whatever style of fishing you want to do, we are your headquarters. So drop on by before you take your family fishing and we will make sure you have the right gear to be successful.