With the Creek closing this week, the Big Wood will be the only game in town for awhile. The good news is, we are about to begin the single best month for catch rates on this river for the entire year. There are still very few areas to park a vehicle, so those anglers willing to do some walking are going to continue to find areas to fish that have seen little winter pressure. With temperatures warming up we can expect to see a slight rise in water levels, and this in turn, should increase the trout’s need to feed.
Silver Creek
Silver Creek is Closed to all Fishing until May 27th
Big Wood River
The trout in the Big Wood are about to go into full blown pre-spawn mode. The requirement to pack on the calories before spawning begins, makes the fish as aggressive as they get all year long. This need also coincides with the winters best midge activity making for plenty of dry fly opportunities in the next few weeks. The long range forecast is for repeated shifting from high to low pressure so keep your eyes on the cloud cover. Anglers may find that the fishing drops off here and there as these pressure systems move through, but whenever we get a few steady hours of either sun or clouds the midges are going to hatch and the fish are going to rise. With the warm days coming on we can expect to see fish rising by 11:00 am or so with the peak activity happening in the 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm hour. Expect this feeding to last right up until the sun leaves the water around 5:00 pm. Plan to fish long leaders tapered to 6X with a Griffiths Gnat and a Trailing Shuck Midge fished in tandem. This is perfect fishing with a 4 weight rod.
Expect to see a few more people out on the river in the coming weeks as the weather and the fishing improves, and with all the snow limiting access please be patient with your fellow angler. There is plenty of water out there as fish will be found rising from Bellevue up to Hulen Meadows. If you find a few cars at an access just move to the next as the fishing will be good all over.
On the odd day when the fish don’t come up (windy days mostly) don’t hesitate to keep throwing small Midge patterns like Zebra Midges and little Brassies. Big streamers will also take fish that are targeting the Sculpin population.
Enjoy one of the best times of year on the Wood in the coming weeks, treat the fish gently, be kind to your fellow angler, and take advantage of this incredibly good winter fishery.
WATER CONDITIONS
Basin Precip. Averages
Salmon – 119%
Big Wood – 131%
Little Wood – 136%
Big Lost – 130%
Henry’s Fork – 121%
