“To catch a river unguarded is less a matter of where to look than of when, and so while other fishermen have secret places, I have a secret time.”
– Ted Leeson, The Habit of Rivers
Can you keep a secret? The best time to fish is March.
Silver Creek
The lower Creek from Kilpatrick Bridge down through Point of Rocks is open until the end of March and the fishing can be good. Tubing in the Pond for those willing to brave the cold water temperatures or wade fishing the lower reaches in search of risers are both decent options. If you go, know that there will be a brief window of surface activity during the warmest part of the day, but the most effective methods will be a slow drifted zebra midge or swinging leech patterns on a slow retrieve.
Big Wood
If you want to find an unguarded river, be willing to walk a ways in between access points. Much of the easy-to-access water has been fished all season. Of course, March is a magical time on the Wood and it is the last month to enjoy the fishing before it closes for the season. With the cool mornings, it is best to be on the water from about midday until the sun starts to drop behind the mountains. For flies and techniques, plan on encountering plenty of midge; carry a variety of midge patterns in sizes 16 to 24. When the surface action is on, try a double dry setup with an easy-to-see dry trailed by a smaller midge imitation. Once the fish seem to wise up, try switching the small fly in this tandem rig to the non-beaded midge pattern, which will ride just below the surface film. If you can’t find any surface activity, try a dry dropper rig. Going deep in the right bucket with a double nymph rig and an indicator or Euro Nymphing might be worth a try as well.
The Lost Below Mackay
With the days getting longer, the two-hour trip through Craters of the Moon, Arco, and up to the town of Mackay is worth it to fish this fantastic tailwater. The fishing can be productive this time of year and with the low flows (70 CFS) you will find plenty of fish in the slow buckets. Midge hatches can be prolific on overcast days and there will be a smattering of Baetis. Keep in mind that the rainbows and cutbows tend to spawn early on this river, so please wade carefully and avoid the redds.
South Fork of the Boise
Not much has changed here; the river is holding steady at 300 CFS and the roads are in good shape. The fishing can be fantastic in March, and this area is definitely worth the hour and a half drive for a full day of fishing. Surface activity can be unpredictable, but those willing to dead drift a nymph or swing a streamer will be rewarded. The whitefish are plentiful and the rainbows are fierce.
The Salmon
The hatcheries along the Salmon are not yet reporting any returns, with the exception of Dworshak. Still a tad too early for the Upper Salmon.
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 | 102 cfs |
| Big Wood | 141 cfs |
| The Big Lost | 73.8 cfs |
| Salmon River | 954 cfs |
| South Fork of the Boise | 308 cfs |
