All our fisheries are on fire! If you’re in Sun Valley …get on the water. If you’re out of town get on a plane! Silver Creek is loaded with insects and rising fish every morning. The high country waters are dropping and also covered with hatches. Locally the Wood is fantastic both morning and night. No need to fish nymphs right now as we reap the benefit of two straight months of high water.
Silver Creek
It is Trico time on the Creek. Mix in nice Baetis hatches and spinner falls as well as P.M.D. and Callibaetis activity, followed immediately by massive Damsel fly activity and ending with evening Caddis emergences and you have THE recipe for great trout fishing. Get to the Creek early as the action starts up around 7:30 in the morning and lasts until almost 11:00 am. When this action quits switch to the Damsel and cast over the spots where you had seen big fish rising earlier. The fish have been so aggressive in the mornings all you need is 5X tippet. Forget the 6X and please don’t fish 7X (it’s really unfair to the fish and unnecessary.) With the Damsel, fish 4X. Plan to stay late for the Caddis as this show goes off right before dark. It is a great time to find huge stretches of water and no anglers. Remember, fish at a downstream angle to your target and keep your drift lengths to the bare minimum.
Big Wood River
The Wood is still fishing well if you are in the right place at the right time. The best action is probably the Caddis that are showing right before dark. These Caddis are small so fish little Elk Hairs and Hemingway Caddis. The morning spinner falls of Mayflies will also produce in the slower water. Try Rusty Spinners, and Parachute Adams to imitate these mayflies. Size 16 and 14 is perfect.
In the afternoons don’t hesitate to get your big dries out, like Cicadas and Stoneflies. Search lots of water and with these flies and be ready to switch to something smaller if a fish flashes the big dry, but won’t eat it.
Lost River
The Lost is still high with tough wading, but the flows have decreased a little. The access is still limited, but if you can find a few hundred yards of wadable, slower water you can nymph out plenty of nice fish. Better dry fly action can be found on other rivers.
Little Wood River
The Little Wood above the reservoir can be a fun little fishery on a week day. Very few people are around and it fishes like a miniature Big Wood. The fish are mostly in the 9 to 14 inch class, but this includes some good Brook Trout. The rainbows, though smaller, are great fighters as well. Fish from the campground downstream to the reservoir’s slack water. General attractor patterns are all you need.
South Fork of the Boise
The South Fork Salmon Fly hatches are well upriver. The dam stretch to Indian Rock is the place to be. Some Caddis activity at night is still around and the Pink Albert hatches are growing in strength. Remember the Pink Alberts emerge from the bottom as a winged insect, so fish Short Winged Emerger patterns in the shallow riffles to take advantage of the fish taking advantage of the insect.
Copper Basin Area Waters
The Basin is getting better as the flows drop. Nice fish can be found from the main stem of the Lost, up through Starhope Creek. Look for very pronounced foam lines and rising fish. This has been a much more productive way to fish than blind fishing good looking water. Keep walking until you find flat water with lots of foam, then stop and look for actively rising fish. Green Drakes, big Stoneflies and Little Yellow Stones are numerous. Caddis activity is strong and growing stronger in the late evening.
Penny and Dollar Lake, Lake Creek Lake, North Fork of the Big Wood, Trail Creek and Warm Springs Creek
All of these are stocked and ready to fish. The flows have decreased granting more and easier access to the little rivers. Enjoy the scenery and solitude.
WATER CONDITIONS
Basin Precip. Averages
Salmon – 79%
Big Wood – 91%
Little Wood – 114%
Big Lost – 105%
Henry’s Fork – 87%
