“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!” ~Robin Williams
For the skier, spring means the start of the thaw/freeze cycle and corn snow. For the angler, spring means March midge on the Wood, steelhead on the Salmon, and come March 31st, the end of the fishing season until the last weekend of May. In other words, it is time to party!
Silver Creek
Pictures of anglers tubing in Kilpatrick Pond with snow on the banks is confusing, but new regulations on the Creek have allowed for some great fishing opportunities this winter. As of the new year, the catch-and-release season was lengthened to March 31 on two sections (between Highway 93 upstream to bridge near milepost 187.2 on Highway 20) and implement a catch-and-release season from December 1 through March 31 on one section (bridge near milepost 187.2 on Highway 20 upstream to Kilpatrick Bridge). If you go plan on fishing static with small midge patterns either on the surface or subsurface. Slowly pulling a leech pattern in another good option. And of course, layer up with SIMMS or Patagonia base layers and fleece.
Big Wood
The first half of March has been dry compared to February, which brought a ton of new snow in the mountains and Valley floor. Right now, the days can be quite warm (perfect for fishing) and the nights are cool keeping the snow from melting too fast. When looking for places to wet your line, keep in mind the fish are still concentrated in the slower, winter holding water. The Winter Midge has been sporadic, but you may find some rising fish in the late afternoon, so be sure to have a good selection of trailing shuck midge or a Griffith’s Gnat from size18 to 22 and use light tippet in 6 or 6.5X. The most productive method remains nymphing. When fishing deep, use a double rig with a Rubber Leg Stone or a large Prince Nymph followed by a smaller nymph like a DB Zebra midge, Bishop’s Dynamite, Perdigon, or Rainbow Warrior. A simple rig with a high-vis dry or small indicator with a trailing small nymph is very effective as well when fishing seams and tail outs.
The Lost Below Mackay
Trail Creek Pass remains closed and will be until late May or June once the snow melts. Plan on a two-hour tour through Craters of the Moon, to Arco, and up to Mackay to get to the Lost. While there, expect a mix of Baetis and Midge; it is best to start the day fishing subsurface, and as the day warms up the fish will start feeding on top. For flies, bring the same assortment of midge and Baetis dries and nymphs you might use on the Creek or the Wood. Dry dropper rigs with a trailing Zebra Midge, Brassies, or an attractor nymph in size 16 to 22 are very effective. Many fish are already spawning in the shallow water. Please leave these fish alone and watch your step.
South Fork of the Boise
There is less than two weeks left to take advantage of this great tailwater. The road into the canyon has a few icy spots, but the warm weather has melted away much of the snow. The best fishing is during the afternoon hours with a decent mix of Baetis and midge especially during the cloudy, mild days. You will find good numbers of surface feeding fish in the seams and slow glides and you will need to be on your game with long, light leaders and the right imitations. Dry dropper or Euro Style nymphing will produce good numbers of fish as well.
The Salmon
“Idaho Fish and Game on March 15 received federal reauthorization for its steelhead fishing season, so fishing will continue uninterrupted…” ~ Roger Phillips, Public Information Supervisor for Idaho Fish and Game
A smattering of steelhead have arrived after their 1000 mile journey from the Pacific Ocean to the Upper Salmon River and while the numbers are expected to be low this year, more are on the way. If you go, nymphing is the most effective method, but traditional spey/swinging methods will catch fish as well. Come on by the shop for the latest on fish counts and water clarity and check out our fantastic fly selection.
Silver Creek Flies: DB Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive | Beaded and Non-Beaded Pheasant Tails | Iron Lotus | Bouface Leech | Pine Squirrel Leech | Balanced Leech
Big Wood, Big Lost: Trailing Shuck Midge | Griffiths Gnats | Parachute Midge | Iron Lotus | SRS Bullet French Nymph | Duracell Jig 12-18 | Jake’s Perdigon 14-18 | Tungsten Nemec Stone Pat’s | Rubber Legs | Stone Daddy 8 | Bishop’s Dynamite | DB Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive | King Prince
South Fork of the Boise Flies: Iron Lotus | Adult Midge | Pat’s Stone | Zebra Midge | Caddis Larva | Flash Back Pheasant tails | King Prince | Streamers
Salmon River Flies: Hot Head Marabou Jig size 2 | Duddle’s Steelhead Candy size 4 | Tungsten Pheasant Tail Flashback size 6 and 8 | Tungsten Peck’s Flashback size 6 and 8 | Starlite Leech size 2 | Low Water Green Butt Skunk size 6 | Undertaker size 6.
| Silver Creek Big Wood The Big Lost South Fork of the Boise Salmon River |
127 cfs 157 cfs 193 cfs 361 cfs 461 cfs |
