"Never throw a long line when a short one will serve your purpose." - Richard Penn Trout take a fly with astonishing speed…and as quickly as they take it they spit it out. To ensure a solid hook set, an angler should be as close as possible to their quarry and make a short cast. The problem, in September the water…
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"THERE IS NO TAKING TROUT IN DRY BREECHES." - Cervantes September is a magical time on the waters around the Wood River Valley. The days are getting shorter, the nights cooler, and the fishing pressure is light. Our local tailwaters have dropped and our freestone rivers are close to base levels making wading a cinch. Still, you can’t take trout…
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"Yellowstone River closed in response to on going fish kill." ~Montana Fish and Wildlife Website The parasite that is killing whitefish and trout in the Yellowstone is present in many rivers in the West and under normal conditions healthy fish are resistant. The extremely low flows on the Yellowstone River and warm temperatures has weakened fish immune systems making them…
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"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." ~ John Wooden It is as true in fly fishing as it is in basketball. A successful fly fishing outing is dependent on preparation. If you are planing on coming to the Sun Valley area, your preparation should include a visit to our store. Access to local knowledge about hatches, water levels, water…
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"About the only certainty, other than uncertainty, in fly fishing is that a fly won't catch a fish if it stays in its box." ~ Arnold Gingrich The Sun Valley Summer Symphony is coming to an end and many schools around the country are beginning again. These things are as certain as "death and taxes." So if you have been…
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"Spring creek trout have a reputation for being moody, which often means they are difficult, but when they are in the mood to feast, almost nothing-- not sloppy wading, not poor casting, not a ridiculous choice of flies--will dissuade them." ~ Ted Leeson Ted is right about spring creek trout. When it is time to feast, when the Tricos and…
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"If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?" ~ Steven Wright Fly Fishing Forecast July 1st-8th. The best way to deal with the heat...go fly fishing! But protect yourself from the sun while you are at it with a long sleeve fishing shirt and pants, sun gloves, a proper hat, and a Buff to cover your neck and…
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Through this week, we will have unsettled weather with localized flash flood potential. While any and all moisture is welcome, heavy rains on the recently burned areas have become problematic for the Wood and the South Fork of the Boise. Thunder storms this week have sent mud, silt and ash into Warm Springs and The Big Wood. At this time,…
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“Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul… I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball.”—Ishmael from Moby Dick The best cure for the Shoulder Season blues is time spent plying our local waters in…
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With ski season less than two months away our days with highs in the 70s may be numbered. The weather forecast is calling for much cooler temperatures for the weeks ahead, so if you plan to spend the day wading our waters, dress for the season. The cooler temps will continue to shorten our fishing window and the bugs of…
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