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“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”

– Leo Tolstoy

Spring plans and projects should involve fishing in some form or fashion. Everything else can wait until the rivers swell with runoff or close for the season.

Silver Creek
This is the last chance to fish the Creek before it closes like the Wood and the South Fork. Tubing in the Pond or walking the banks at Point of Rocks are both good options. If you go, plan on fishing static with small midge patterns either on the surface or subsurface. Slowly pulling a leech pattern is another good option.

Big Wood
The weather forecast is calling for a dryer, warmer weather pattern over the next week and the Wood should be in great shape to finish off the season, which ends on March 31st. For flies, carry a variety of midge patterns in sizes 16 to 24. If you find fish feeding on top, try a double dry set up with an easy to see dry trailed by a smaller midge dry. Late in March, these fish may have seen some pressure, so try switching the small trailing fly to a non beaded midge pattern just below the surface film. Dropping your tippet size down can make a huge difference as well. If you can’t find any surface activity, try a dry dropper rig. Euro Nymphing can also be deadly this time of year.

The Lost Below Mackay
This is a great spring fishery and unlike the Wood, the South Fork, and the Creek, it is open year round. With flows at around 70 CFS it is an easy river to wade, but you need to be careful how you approach the shallow runs; if you spook one fish, you spook them all. While the fish in the shallows can provide a good challenge, the more catchable fish are in and around the deeper buckets. Of course, this time of year it is not unusual to see fish on redds, so watch your step and leave these fish alone. Bugwise, be prepared for prolific midge activity with a few Baetis in the mix.

South Fork of the Boise
This is it…after March 31st, the South Fork is closed for the season. And with the unseasonably warm weather in the forecast, the Boise crowds will be taking advantage of this last window of excellent fishing. The nymphing and streamer fishing has been productive and the persistent dry fly angler can find some action on the usual spring suspects, midge and Baetis.

The Salmon
As of March 21, 2022, the Pahsimeroi Hatchery has trapped 80 steelhead, and no steelhead have been trapped at the Sawtooth Hatchery to date. Most of the angling pressure is downstream around Challis and Salmon. If you go, expect to see more people than fish.

Silver Creek flies: Adult Midge | Zebra Midge | Quilldigon | Streamers

Big Wood flies: Midge | Bullet French Nymph | Roza Perdigons | Sexy Walts | Quilldigon | Bishop’s Dynamite | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive | Streamers

Big Lost flies: Baetis | Midge | Sexy Walts | Bullet French Nymph | Lite Brite Perdigons | Pheasant Tail | Bishop’s Dynamite | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive | Pat’s Rubber Legs

South Fork of the Boise flies: Baetis | Midge | Sexy Walts | Bullet French Nymph | Lite Brite Perdigons | Pat’s Rubber Legs | Bishop’s Dynamite | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive

 

 

Silver Creek 144 cfs
Big Wood 152 cfs
The Big Lost 75.9 cfs
Salmon River 926 cfs
South Fork of the Boise 295 cfs