Fly Fishing Forecast
May 29 – June 5

A new season has begun and the fishing is great! If you know someone who has been thinking about learning how to fly fish, remind them that the best way is to get out there and do it! Whether they need to start from the beginning or just need a refresher before getting back out on the water, Fly Fishing 101 is just the thing. This popular three-hour class covers the basics including fly tackle, knots, trout behavior, reading water, aquatic insects, fly selection, and fly casting. Best of all, it is hands on! If interested, you can register online or call the shop. Classes begin Saturday June 1 and continue through the summer every Saturday through August 17.

Silver Creek
Another opening weekend has come and gone! With all our freestones and tailwaters going back up with the warmer temps in the forecast, Silver Creek remains a good option. The crowds should subside and you should be able to find some solid angling opportunities in the Preserve, the Double R, and down at Point of Rocks. Typically, the first or second week of June, the Brown Drake hatch occurs on the lower Creek and you can trust that some fanatical Drake fans are already scouting it out. Now that a stable, warm weather pattern has set in, the watch is on! In the meanwhile, if you fish the Preserve or Pond during the day, you might see some PMDs, Baetis, and a few Callibaetis. These hatches are typically midday through the afternoon. While waiting for some bugs to hatch, mix it up with flies and techniques. Terrestrials, ants or beetles, can work well. Nymphing or pulling streamers is also productive. Remember, the Nature Conservancy Visitor Center is open and signing in is required. You can also sign in via your phone with a QR code posted at all access points.

Big Wood
While the cooler weather pattern has brought down the flows, they will start increasing this week. By Thursday the flows are projected to soar back up to nearly 1400 CFS. Once this happens, fishing is out of the question. In the meantime, you might poke around the side channels, but it is hard to make a day of it. How soon we will be able to comfortably wade around the Wood will depend on what kind of weather we have in June, but we expect the flows to be in great shape, just in time for Green Drakes in early July.

South Fork of the Boise
The flows have bumped up to 2000 CFS. This is still floatable for experts on the oar and limiting for wade fishermen. The fishing has been fair with large stonefly patterns and streamers. We are still a few weeks away from the Salmon fly hatch, but the Mormon crickets are already here.

The Lost Below Mackay
The flows are unpredictable right now. They are going up again and may continue to rise as demands for water increase by irrigators. If you head this way, check the flows. In general, at 350 CFS strong waders can make their way around the river; however, at around 500 CFS fishing access is limited and wading difficult. Hatch wise, you can expect to find Baetis, PMDs, midge, and maybe some Yellow Sallies and Golden Stones.

Upper Big Lost
Trail Creek Pass is open! This is a beautiful place for a family picnic, and you might even be able to find a place to wet a line. However, the water is very high, especially on the main stem of the Upper Lost. The flows follow a very similar pattern to the Wood, so as temperatures rise we will see these flows increase again.

The Salmon
Like all the freestones in the area, flows are down, but will start up again this week. The river is fishable, especially above Stanley, but we are waiting for warmer temps to get the bugs and fish moving. Also, the river will go off color again as flows increase.

Stillwater
Spring is a great time to fish our local stillwaters. Magic, Mackay, and the Little Wood Reservoir are good options this time of year and can be fished either from the bank, a float tube, or a boat. Of course, always be leery of spring winds if you choose to boat or tube.  Another option, and a bit farther down the road, is the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. 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.