“I wish that October had more Saturdays.”
– Charmaine J. Forde
Every October day is a gift. Grab your rod and make the most of this beautiful time before the season turns.
Silver Creek
With the Creek now fully in fall mode, you can expect to see primarily Baetis, along with a few Mahogany duns, October caddis, and midge hatching during the most pleasant time of day. The best surface feeding occurs in a brief window from mid to late afternoon. Hatches can vary from sporadic to prolific, depending on the weather and your location on the Creek. As always, when hunting surface feeders, use a long leader down to 6x and be sure to make perfect, drag free presentations. If the wind picks up, adjust your strategy: shorten your leader, use stouter tippet, and try terrestrials. Nymphs and streamers remain effective options as well.
Big Wood
October is an excellent time to fish the Wood. The cottonwoods are changing color, and there are plenty of beautiful wild trout eager to take a fly. Insects have been most active between noon until the sun leaves the water. Look for fish in the tailouts, along the seams of fast water, and in the slower, gently flowing sections. During peak hours, focus on surface feeders using a long leader paired with a small baetis or caddis pattern. If there are no risers, try covering the water with a Hecuba (Red Quill) and a small nymph trailing behind. Euro style nymphing is also effective this time of year to help turn quick takes into hookups.
South Fork of the Boise
With flows between 280 and 300 CFS, wading is your best. The weekends can be crowded, but during the week it is easy to find a good run to fish. During the warmer parts of the day, keep an eye out for Baetis and midge, as well as some caddis, crane flies, and flavs. Nymphing is most effective; however, patient dry fly anglers are finding good action as well.
The Lost Below Mackay
Flows have gone back up to 270 CFS. Despite the unstable flows, there’s a strong midday hatch of Baetis, along with a few lingering Tricos. The small to medium size trout are feeding actively in the riffles, but you’ll need to search for the larger ones, as they can be quite selective this late in the season.
Upper Big Lost
The Upper Lost is low and cold, but as the day warms up, there are plenty of bugs to keep the fish active. If you decide to go, head out in the afternoon and be sure to cover plenty of water. It’s a fantastic choice for enjoying stunning fall scenery and some peace and quiet.
The Salmon
Despite the morning temperatures already dipping below freezing, the Salmon River provides reliable angling opportunities for both whitefish and trout. This time of year, nymphing tends to yield the best results, although trout will take dries and chase streamers. Find a good pullout above or below Stanley and enjoy your time on the water!
Local Ponds
Lake Creek, Penny Lake, or Gaver’s Lagoon were stocked for the last time a few weeks ago. These are great places to help a youngster catch a fish with bait or have a fly fishing lesson.
Silver Creek: Beatis | Callibeatis | Mahogany Duns | Crane Flies | Zebra Midge in black, red, or olive | Small Pheasant Tails | October Caddis | Hoppers
Big Wood: Caddis | Red Quills | Hoppers | Rubber Legged Stones | Perdigones | King Prince | Streamers
Big Lost: Tricos | Crane Flies | Chubby Chernobyl | Rubber Legged Stones | King Prince | Streamers | Red Quills | Beatis
Salmon River: Chubby Chernobyl | Rubber Legged Stones | King Prince | Streamers | October Caddis | Hoppers
South Fork of the Boise: Zebra Midge | Caddis Larva | Flashback Pheasant Tails | Streamers | Flavs | Baetis | Crane Flies
| Silver Creek | 86.4 cfs |
| Big Wood | 139 cfs |
| The Lost Below Mackay | 270 cfs |
| Salmon | 818 cfs |
| South Fork of the Boise | 297 cfs |
