A master in the art of fly fishing is skilled enough to disappear into the act, humble enough to still be surprised by it. For them, the boundaries between work/play, labor/leisure, mind/body, education/recreation dissolve because the mind doing the dividing has, in the moment, gone quiet.

Silver Creek

The hatch activity on the Creek has been up and down with the cool, wet weather. Some days they have been prolific, others not so much. A more stable weather pattern will return next week. On most days you will find a mix of Caddis, Baetis, Callibaetis, and damsels depending on where you decide to fish. Once the heat returns, expect the bugs to come early during the coolest time of day. And when the afternoon winds blow the bugs away, terrestrials and damsels are a good bet. Nymphing has been effective as well. Now that we are heading into July, it won’t be long until we see Tricos in the morning. On a final note, Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) will be conducting fish surveys within the waters of the Preserve one last time on July 1st.

The Big Wood

The Wood continues to fish well with trout of all age classes being caught. The hatch activity has been solid but may change as we head back into a hotter weather pattern. Anglers are still seeing Green Drakes up and down the valley, and there are plenty of other mayflies, stones, and crane flies if there are no Drakes around. Wading the river remains challenging, especially midvalley, but the river continues to drop, opening up new access every day, so there is plenty of room to spread out. We are heading into a very busy few weeks in the Valley, so remember to be kind to other anglers and respect private property.

Big Lost below Mackay

With flows hovering around 470 CFS, wading remains difficult and access limited. Strong waders will find decent fishing and prolific hatches of PMDs and Golden Stones through mid-morning. Once the days get hot, the afternoon action generally slows.

Upper Big Lost

The East and North Fork have been fishing well once the water temps rise into or near the 50s. They are seeing a fair share of angling pressure as well. The main stem is still very high, making wading difficult. The bug activity has been a mix of PMDs, Green Drakes, Caddis, and Golden Stones. Typically when you see bugs in the air, the fish will be looking up. If you are not finding fish, be mobile as these fish tend to eat the first good presentation.

Salmon River

Despite the bump in flows, the fishing remains solid on the Salmon with good stoneflies, large mayflies, and caddis hatching daily. As we head into the holiday week, the typical areas should be stocked and those willing to search can find wild trout. Wading opportunities will improve once the flows drop; at the moment, floating is the best option. You might also consider the Yankee Fork Dredge Ponds, Kids Creek Pond, Stanley Lake, or Alturas Lake; they have all been recently stocked.

South Fork of the Boise

The South Fork is best fished from a drift boat with flows at 1600 CFS.  The Salmon Flies have made an appearance and should return once the weather warms up. In the meantime, there are caddis in the evening and a few cicadas around.

Local Ponds

It is 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 summer season.

Silver Creek: Baetis 20-24 | PMDs size 14 | Callibaetis 16,14 | Damsels | Terrestrials | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive | Small Pheasant Tails | Streamers

Big Lost: PMDs size 16 | Yellow Sallies | Stoneflies | Baetis 18,20 | Midge 20-24 | Streamers

Big Wood: Green Drakes | Caddis | Chubby Chernobyl | Rubber Legged Stones | King Prince | Streamers

Salmon: Chubby Chernobyl | Rubber Legged Stones | King Prince | Streamers

Southfork of the Boise: Stoneflies | Baetis | PMDs | Midge | Rubber Legged Stones | King Prince | Streamers

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