Fly Fishing Forecast
May 12 – 26

“…it is not fly fishing if you are not looking for answers to questions.”

– Norman Maclean

The question all anglers should be asking right now: Will there be enough water? March and April have been extremely dry months and it appears that the drier than average pattern will persist through May. The high altitude snow continues to come down providing brief spikes in flows on the Wood and surrounding drainages, but the return to base level flows will come nearly a month earlier this year. June and July will fish similar to last year with access and wading options opening up much earlier than normal. But come August, anglers will need to closely monitor flows and water temps when deciding where to fish. Remember, opening day for the Wood, Creek, and Southfork is coming May 29th.

Silver Creek/ Big Wood/ South Fork of the Boise
These three rivers, and all their tributaries, are closed until Memorial weekend.

The Big Lost below Mackay
The flows have jumped to about 250 CFS. While this is a wadable flow, once the flows exceed 300 they get very pushy for the average angler. If you decide to go, be sure to check the Idaho River Flows website. Looking ahead, the inflows to the reservoir are still quite low at 160 CFS and we do not expect the reservoir to fill this year. This means the flows below may be fishable much earlier than average this summer.

Upper Salmon Steelhead
The steelhead season is closed on the upper Salmon.

Stillwater
Spring is a great time to try stillwater fly fishing. Morman, Mackay, the Little Wood, and Magic can be fished either from the bank, a float tube, or a boat. Spring winds can be strong, so always follow safety precautions when floating. Another option, a bit farther down the road, is the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. This fishery has been closed over the last year due to Covid, but has opened this spring to accept visitors once again. If you have a day or two, this is definitely worth the trip.This fishery is managed by the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes and has three different reservoirs to pick from: Mountain View, Lake Billy Shaw, and Sheep Creek. For a small fee, you can fish all three and camping facilities are available for an additional fee. As for techniques, try pulling a team of small leech patterns in black, brown, or olive on an intermediate or type 3 or 5 sinking line. Often spring trout are feeding on Daphnia, aka freshwater plankton, and a leech is a welcome meal. Sheep Creek Specials always seem to work in Duck Valley. Also, suspending a series of nymphs or chironomids at the right depth can also be effective. Come on by the shop and we can set you up.

Big Lost: High Vis Adams | Griffiths Gnats | Midge Emerger | Perdichigons | Roza Pheasant Tail | TG Hide a Bead Baetis | Espresso Midge | Roza Black Perdigones | Duracell Jig | Jig Frenchie | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive

Stillwater: Balance Leeches | Sheep Creek Special | Woolly Buggers | Seal Buggers | Chironomids | Damsel Nymphs | Prince Nymphs