Photo By: Bob Knoebel
“Fish are, of course, indispensable to the angler. They give him an excuse for fishing and justify the fly rod without which he would be a mere vagrant.”
– Nick Lyons
Trout are essential to all, not just the angler. Without them, all humanity is a mere vagrant.
Silver Creek
There are still Tricos in the air between 8 and 10 am; however, the spinner fall is brief at best. While Tricos are essentially done for the season, the Baetis have been strong in the mornings and, depending on your location, you will also see Callibaetis duns and spinners in the afternoon. August Callibaetis are much smaller than the June variety, and there will be a simultaneous emergence and spinner fall, so be sure to have the full array of 16 and 18 patterns to match. There is more hot weather in the forecast, so the timing of the hatch will depend on air temps and the afternoon winds.
The Big Wood
The Wood is very low and the fishing has been fair. For those willing to put in the work, your best bet is to walk away from the easy access points and find less pressured water. Approach each run with stealth. The larger fish are spooky and may only give you one shot. Follow the mantra “fish near to far, shallow to deep” to maximize your chances and always return the fish immediately to the water. Bugwise, you can expect to see a mix of Tricos, Baetis, spruce moths, and crane flies. Hoppers will turn fish as well and small nymphs trailed below are always a good bet.
Big Lost below Mackay
At the moment, flows are around 350 CFS. Last week, the lake turned over and the flows went off color, but clarity should return as the sediment settles. There is still a decent morning Trico hatch mixed with some Baetis. In the afternoon, the fishing can slow down considerably once the hatch is done, but nymphing will produce fish.
Upper Big Lost
The main stem is getting skinny. Decent trout can be found, but they are easily spooked in the clear, shallow water. Search the deep, green runs and make your first presentations count. No need to start too early, the morning temps have been chilly. As the day warms, you will find a few Tricos and a mix of other small mayflies, craneflies, and midge. Spruce moths and hoppers have also been productive.
Salmon
There are floating and fishing mitigations in place to protect spawning salmon, so please check with the shop or the SNRA headquarters before you go. Spruce Moths are still a solid dry fly choice in the morning and hoppers are a good option in the afternoon. With the low flows, floating is best for rubber rafts on the lower river; however, anglers can find good walk and wade opportunities up and down the river.
South Fork of the Boise
Flows remain around 1200 CFS. The fish are leary of the standard hopper dropper approach from a boat; if floating, park it and work the water with smaller bugs. While the hatch activity has been sparse, Pink Alberts are present in the afternoon and a variety of caddis as well, both early and late.
Local Ponds
It is a good time to take the family to Lake Creek, Penny Lake, or Gaver’s Lagoon. All the ponds have been stocked and will receive regular stockings throughout the season.
Silver Creek: Caddies 16,14 | Baetis. 20-24 | Tricos 22-24 | Callibaetis 16, 18 | Terrestrials | Damsels | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive | Small Pheasant Tails | Streamers
Big wood: Caddies 16,18 | Tricos 20-22 | Chubby Chernobyl | Rubber Legged Stones | Perdigones | King Prince | Streamers
Big Lost: Tricos 20, 22 | Baetis 18, 20 | Crane Flies | Stimulators | Chubby Chernobyl | Rubber Legged Stones | King Prince | Streamers
Salmon: Spruce Moth 14 | Caddis 16, 18 | Chubby Chernobyl | Rubber Legged Stones | King Prince | Streamers
South Fork of the Boise: Pink Alberts 16 | Hoppers | Rubber Legged Stones | Zebra Midge | Caddis Larva | Flashback Pheasant Tails | Streamers
| Silver Creek | 83 cfs |
| Big Wood | 108 cfs |
| The Lost Below Mackay | 349 cfs |
| Salmon | 426 cfs |
| South Fork of the Boise | 1180 cfs |
