Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - May 11, 2016
Spring continues with several days of sun followed by several days of rain, otherwise known as normal! It’s about time we had a normal winter followed by a normal spring. It suddenly feels like the 1990s again! The reservoirs are filling while the rivers get a good scrubbing. The benefits to the fish will be outstanding.
The fishing in the reservoirs continues to be good. Catch rates at Magic are averaging about 2 fish per hour for fly anglers. These fish are footballs and are a joy to hook and fight. Fish in Magic include Rainbows, Browns, Smallmouth Bass and Perch. Anglers fishing near West Magic are doing well. Look for the line of demarcation, where the mud meets the clean water. This is often a productive zone.
Little Wood Reservoir is really full and fishing pretty well. The fish are slightly smaller than Magic fish, but the catch rates can be outstanding when the conditions are right. Try the bay behind the dam and along the dam itself. Rainbows are the mainstay with the occasional Brook Trout.
Mackay Reservoir is always a favorite in the spring. Although best fished from a boat, the back of the reservoir where the old river channel gets covered by rising reservoir water can be excellent fishing and on a good day it can be fast and furious. Rainbows and Brook Trout are the targets.
The Lost River remains open, but the flows continue to fluctuate wildly. Do not go over without checking the flows first! The river fishes and wades best below 200 CFS, but right now the fluctuation if hurting the fishing more than the higher flows. It remains to be seen how this effects the spawning activity, but it is something to keep an eye on.
Opening Day is coming so stay tuned to our website www.picaboangler.com as we begin to head out on the Creek to give you up to the minute updates on conditions, hatches and especially the Brown Drake. Don’t forget the night before Opening Day we will have Hank Patterson here hosting movie night in our airplane hangar. Bring your camp chair, tickets are $5 at the door, bring your friends, have a beer and enjoy “The Mystery of the Cuttyrainbrown Trout.” A lot of the movie was filmed here in Picabo! It will leave you laughing and ready for the midnight Opener after the movie lets out!
Happy Fishing Everyone!