Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - May 31, 2019

Despite some unsettled weather, we had an incredible opening weekend at Picabo Angler! Thank you so much to everyone who visited us at the store, came to the opening day party on Friday night, and stopped by for a hamburger or hot dog on Saturday. We are truly grateful for all of our clients, customers, and friends! A special thank you goes out to the folks who helped make our party a success – Hank Patterson, Hillfolk Noir, Idaho Angler, Waterworks-Lamson, Umpqua Feather Merchants, Sage-Redington-Rio, and Sawtooth Brewery.

Silver Creek is fishing very well, with flows hovering around 220 CFS. PMDs and Blue-Winged Olives have been the mainstay hatches since the opener, and Calibaetis have begun to make an appearance with the warmer weather. The PMDs we’ve been seeing on the Creek have been large; size 16, 14, and even 12! Have a good variety of PMD nymphs, emergers, duns, and cripples on hand when fishing the Creek. The same can be said of Blue-Winged Olives and Calibaetis. 

 Beetles and ants have been extremely effective this past week, especially on days with a bit of a breeze. Look for terrestrial fishing to remain productive throughout the season. With all the rain we’ve had this spring, it should be another stellar grasshopper season!

We have begun the 2019 Brown Drake watch, and with the warmer, more stable weather in the forecast, the drakes should make their appearance very soon! We’ll post daily updates on Brown Drake activity from here on out.

Last night, several of our guides poked around the lower Creek in search of drakes, but none made an appearance. Nor did we find any drakes in the grass this morning around the Picabo Bridge. 

The last nymphs we’ve found have definitely looked to be closer to emergence, so we are hopeful to see the big bugs soon. Stay tuned!

The Big Wood River and Big Lost River system remain high, off-color, and swift. We’ll likely see an increase in flows as high elevation snow begins to melt. Our snowpack got a boost last week; the Big Wood and Little Wood basins sit at 170%, while the Big Lost basin is at a whopping 207%. This is great news for area rivers!

Remember that with the onset of the Brown Drake, Silver Creek traffic will pick up. Let’s all enjoy one of nature’s finest spectacles together, and remember to “Be Kind, Stay Kind.”

Happy Fishing Everyone!