Synopsis
With mild summer temperatures returning to the Valley we can expect a strong return of the early season hatches. With a few weeks left before the 4th of July holiday, now is the best time to get out on the river and take advantage of miles of fishable water with few other anglers out and about. Some of our more remote rivers are all but abandoned on the weekdays and the fishing is pretty good all over. High flows are still a limiting factor, but as the warming trend continues, expect to see more and more fishable water open up.
Silver Creek
It was a tough week to find any consistency in this fishery the past week, but Mother Nature is about to throw us a bone as we begin a gradual rise from the 70’s to 80 degree temperatures this week. This should spur on the PMD, and Baetis activity and get the hatches coming off with a bit more regularity. Lately the evening Caddis activity has been the most consistent, but anglers need to hang out until dark to get the best of this action. Terrestrial fishing with Ants and Beetles is still a great way to take fish off of the surface and few Green Drakes are still out in the Conservancy waters. The Creek has had a nice short break from the angling pressure of opening day and the Brown Drake scene, and we can expect to get into a nice summer swing in the coming weeks. With warming temperatures the water temp will rise as well, so please be gentle with the fish and the fishery this summer!
Big Wood River
The first big hatches of the Green Drake have begun as well as the Little Yellow Sally. Keep in mind the Drake spins in the morning and hatches in the afternoon. If you are on a piece of water around 2:00 p.m. you can plan on seeing some Drakes, if you are not seeing good numbers and want to try to catch this hatch, get moving up or down the river a few miles and check some spots to see where on the river the bulk of the activity is taking place. Large Stimulators fished with a dropper are great bets when the fish aren’t actively feeding on the surface. Other hatches to watch for are the large size 14 Baetis that have been popping up and down the river, also watch for the strong evening Caddis activity which should be picking up with the warmer days. Large Yellow flies like Humpies and Stimulators are also a good bet to imitate the Yellow Sallies and the big Crane Flies that skate about in the morning.
Upper Lost River and Copper Basin
This is a great area to lose yourself in a great day of fishing. With little pressure, fishable flows and good hatches it would be a mistake not to get a few days of fishing in “up top†before the water drops and the moss begins to grow on the rocks. The higher in the system you fish right now the more fishable water you will find. Green Drakes are present along with a variety of Stoneflies. Cover a long stretch of water with your favorite big bushy dry fly and enjoy the variety of species found in this area. As always we encourage you to try and catch all of them for the Copper Basin Slam – West Slope Cutthroat, Snake River Fine Spotted Cutthroat, Rainbow, Brookie, and Whitefish!
Big Lost River
The Lost below the Mackay dam is still clear enough to fish, but the high flows continue to limit safe wade fishing. Poking around the few accessible spots with a nymph and indicator are good ways to find a few fish, but there still just isn’t enough access for more than a few anglers to find a few good runs to cast through.
South Fork of the Boise
The Salmon Flies are still not in the upper canyon in any real numbers yet, but high temperatures and a traditional 3rd week of June appearance means they are due on the lower reaches any day now. In the meantime expect to see strong Caddis activity and expect to find fish sipping these Caddis discreetly off of the main currents.
Others…
There is still decent fishing in Magic Reservoir and below Magic Reservoir, also the Big Wood tributaries should be coming into fishable shape. The Little Wood above the reservoir is worth a look as well as the water above Mackay Reservoir. The high mountain lakes should be coming into their prime season toward the end of this month, so get outside, explore and enjoy!
