Photo By: Alex Long
“As Nick’s fingers touched him, touched his smooth, cool underwater feeling, he was gone, gone in a shadow across the bottom of the stream. He’s all right, Nick thought. He was only tired.”
– Ernest Hemingway
Every encounter with a trout has a restorative power.
Silver Creek
The rain and cooler weather last week was certainly a relief. There is more warm weather in the forecast this week followed by another cool down. There will still be a short window of decent dry fly fishing with Tricos and Baetis spinners in the mornings. Depending on where you are will determine the duration and intensity of the feeding, but pods of fish can still be found. Callibaetis are ramping up in the afternoon, especially in the pond. If the wind gets really heavy, try a hopper, ant, or beetle. The fish tend to lose their inhibitions with a wind chop on the surface. The next cold snap should trigger Mahogany duns and October caddis, the last big bugs of the season.
The Big Wood
The water is low and clear, so approach with stealth or you may scare the fish before you have even made your first cast. Also, don’t overlook the shallow riffles above deeper runs, as the fish may be seeking oxygen and food. With the cooler morning temperatures, Red Quill should start to be a factor as well. You will also see some Baetis, Tricos, flying ants, caddis, and small crane flies depending on your location and timing. Hoppers are turning fish as well in the afternoons.
Big Lost below Mackay
The flows are dropping and are currently at a very wadable 270 CFS. There are still Tricos mixed with Baetis hatching as the day warms up, and giant crane flies skittered across the surface will turn fish. In the afternoon the bug activity slows and nymphing can keep you in fish with small Baetis or midge patterns.
Upper Big Lost
It is cold in the high country. The fishing is best from the middle of the day into the late afternoon, so there is no need to get an early start. The hatches are sporadic but you will see a few Tricos, Baetis, and some small caddis during the afternoon. The cooler temps may trigger the Hecuba hatch, so add a few in your repertoire of flies.
Salmon
Both the upper and lower Salmon are fishing well. The dry fly action is decent throughout the day with hoppers and Spruce Moths. You will also see an assortment of mayflies and caddis fluttering about. Nymphing will get you into the whitefish as well.
South Fork of the Boise
The flows are dropping as of the writing of this report and should hold at around 600 CFS. At this level, wading is better than floating, so leave the boat in the garage. A few Flavs and Pink Alberts are hatching midday through the early afternoon. Beatis are beginning to make their appearance as well, especially on cloudy days. Caddis are also present in the late afternoons and make for a good searching pattern with a small nymph dropper.
Local Ponds
Lake Creek, Penny Lake, or Gaver’s Lagoon have all been stocked recently and are a great option as we head into fall.
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 | 77.9 cfs |
| Big Wood | 118 cfs |
| The Lost Below Mackay | 271 cfs |
| Salmon | 447 cfs |
| South Fork of the Boise | 620 cfs |
