“Live in each season as it passes: breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit.”
– Henry David Thoreau
Satiate your senses with the full flavors of fall fishing before the season passes.
Silver Creek
This week’s cold snap will slow the feeding activity, but the bugs and fish will adapt quickly. The hatch will be more concentrated and shift to the late afternoon. You can expect Fall Baetis and a few Mahogany Duns hatching along with some midge. For Baetis, have a good selection of duns, cripples, and spinners in size 20-24. For the Mahoganies, you should have dun, emerger, and spinner patterns as well. If the water is devoid of bugs, terrestrials will still take fish, especially on windy days. Also, nymphing dry dropper style with size 20-16 pheasant tails and Baetis nymphs is effective. As always, be aware of browns on redds and leave them alone.
Big Wood
The unseasonably warm weather is coming to an abrupt end this week. This will be a welcome change on the Wood as it should get the fish feeding with more vigor in anticipation of winter.The Fall Baetis hatch should continue over the next two weeks and be especially prolific on cloudy days. One challenge for anglers unique to the fall is the influx of freshly fallen leaves in the river. When the wind blows, the leaves will come down. Not to worry; the fish can see your fly through the leaves. The most productive method remains nymphing with either a dry dropper rig or Euro Style.
South Fork of the Boise
The South Fork is perfect for wading, with flows stable at 297 CFS. In late October, Fall Baetis and midges are the primary hatches, typically emerging during the warmest parts of the day. When insect activity slows, nymphing can be effective, using standard patterns like PTs (sizes 16-20), Zebra Midges (sizes 18-20), and imitations of stoneflies and caddis larvae.
The Lost Below Mackay
The flows have dropped to 266 CFS and may continue to decrease now that downstream water demands have eased. Bugwise, look for Fall Baetis, midges, and a few lingering Tricos during the early to late afternoon—cloudy days are ideal for this. When surface activity is low, nymphing with a dry-dropper or Euro-style will be most effective. While the fishing has been very productive for small to medium-sized fish, larger trout are elusive. The bigger fish tend to hang out in slow, shallow water next to or below faster runs and are quite spooky.
Upper Big Lost
The Upper Lost is lovely this time of year. Just remember, the water is low and cold, so it’s best to wait for temperatures to rise. Start by searching the water with terrestrials or attractor dries, followed by a small nymph dropper. The key to success is to stay mobile; at this water level, the trout are concentrated in prime holding spots. If you’re not catching anything right away, don’t hesitate to move on.
The Salmon
Mornings can be quite chilly up here, but the late afternoon offers some excellent fishing opportunities. With the stunning Sawtooths as your backdrop, this area is tough to beat. During the warmest part of the day, find a good pull-out either above or below Stanley and concentrate on the riffles just above the deeper holding water. Nymphing is currently the most effective technique.
Local Ponds
Mornings can be quite chilly up here, but the late afternoon offers some excellent fishing opportunities. With the stunning Sawtooths as your backdrop, this area is tough to beat. During the warmest part of the day, find a good pull-out either above or below Stanley and concentrate on the riffles just above the deeper holding water. Nymphing is currently the most effective technique.
Silver Creek: Beatis | Midge | Callibeatis | Mahogany Duns | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive | Small Pheasant Tails | October Caddis
Big Wood: Caddis | Midge | Caddis | Perdigones | King Prince | Streamers
Big Lost: Tricos | Crane Flies | Chubby Chernobyl | Rubber Legged Stones | King Prince | Streamers | Beatis
Salmon River: Chubby Chernobyl | Rubber Legged Stones | King Prince | Streamers | October Caddis
South Fork of the Boise: Zebra Midge | Caddis Larva | Flashback Pheasant Tails | Streamers | Flavs | Baetis | Crane Flies
| Silver Creek | 89.8 cfs |
| Big Wood | 145 cfs |
| The Lost Below Mackay | 266 cfs |
| Salmon | 862 cfs |
| South Fork of the Boise | 297 cfs |
