Fly Fishing Forecast
September 6–13

Sound advice for an angler. The last dropped fish, hooked branch, lost fly, tangled tippet, broken rod must be forgotten. Move on, and make another cast. And be thankful that a wild trout is not a goldfish.

Silver Creek

Expect to find short windows of decent dry fly fishing with Baetis and Callibaetis during the most pleasant time of day. On cloudy, cooler days, Baetis in size 22 and 24 can be fantastic. Mahogany Duns should become a good option over the next few weeks as well. When the wind blows, try a hopper, ant, or beetle. The fish tend to lose their inhibitions with a wind chop on the surface and anglers can capitalize on this. This is also a good time of year to experiment with nymphing or streamer fishing. Those who have been fishing the Creek with regularity know this has been a challenging season, but the good numbers of small trout and the abundance of water bodes well for next year.

Big Wood

The flows are up still from all the late season rain so wade with caution. With the cool temperatures, Red Quill should start to be a factor. Persistent anglers who cover a lot of ground are finding some spectacular fish, but the fishing has not been easy. The Wood, like the Creek, has a bright future thanks to all the water and good numbers of small fish.

Warm Springs and Trail Creek

If flows on the Wood are too high for you, then give one of these tributaries a try. There are plenty of stocked fish near the bridges and a healthy population of wild fish if you wander away from the easy access points.

South Fork of the Boise

The flows are down to a wadable level at 600 CFS. Bug wise, you will see a few Flavs and Pink Alberts hatching in the early afternoon. Beatis are beginning to make their midday appearance as well, especially on cloudy days. Caddis are also still present in the late afternoons and make for a good searching pattern if few bugs are present.

The Upper Lost

With the cool mornings, the fishing is best from the middle of the day into the late afternoon. The hatches are sporadic but you will see a few Tricos, Baetis, and some small caddis during the afternoon. The cool weather has also triggered the Hecuba hatch, the last big mayfly of the season.

Big Lost below Mackay

The flows below the dam have fallen to around 575 CFS. The influx of muddy water from the Upper Lost combined with the lake turning over have made the water below the dam off color. Remember, these high flows are going to continue until the reservoir is drained and repairs can be made on the gates. Once the reservoir is drained, the outflow from the reservoir should match the inflow.

Salmon River

The flows are up again thanks to the rain over Labor day weekend, but coming down and clearing. It should be completely clear by the end of the week. The higher flows have made floating this river possible late into the season. And wade fishing is also a viable option. As you travel the length of this river, there are plenty of pull offs to park your car and search. For flies, try hopper patterns matched with a beaded nymph.

Local Ponds

Penny Lake, Heagle Park Pond, Lake Creek, and Gaver’s Lagoon have all been recently stocked. If you are looking for a fun spot to have a family picnic and catch a few fish, give these a go.

Silver Creek: Callibeatis | Tricos | Beatis | PMD | Mahogany Duns | October Caddis | Hoppers | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive  | Small Pheasant Tails 

Big Wood and Warm Springs: Red Quills | Caddis | Crane Flies | Hoppers | Perdigons | Bishop’s Dynamite | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive | Chubby Chernobyl

Salmon: Flying Ants| Hoppers | Pat’s Rubber Legs | Bishop’s Dynamite | Prince Nymph

South Fork of the Boise: Pink Alberts | Caddis | Crane Fly | Hoppers | Duracell | Bullet French Nymph | Perdigons | San Juan Worm | Pat’s Rubber Leg Stone