Sun Valley Fly Fishing Report

Sun Valley / Picabo Area Fishing Report - August 1, 2018

Good news and bad news this week. Bad news is someone started a fire and the sky can be smoky depending on wind direction, and we’re done fishing the Little Wood River for the season. The good news is the fish have decided to lock onto the Hopper patterns once again this summer!

The Big Wood remains a good place to find respite from the heat. Dave’s Hopper is a tough one to beat on the Wood. We fish foam on a lot of rivers, but the traditional Dave’s Hopper works really well here and better than foam flies. If you want to fish a dropper under your Hopper try basic nymphs, like Prince Nymphs and Pheasant Tails. Try medium sized around a 16 or 14.

Silver Creek is in great summer form as Tricos and Hoppers are the norm in the mornings and afternoons. Hoppers are best fished without a dropper on the Creek, as they will float more natural and you can cast them closer to the bank. Trico Spinner Falls are the norm in the mornings. Plan on being on the water by 8:00 a.m. and fish until late morning. Keep in mind, Trico fishing is all about the presentation. Don’t overthink the fly or look in your box for a magic bullet. The magic bullet IS your presentation. The evenings on Silver Creek are a smorgasbord of insects, so bring all your flies and then fish your Hopper anyway!

The Lost River is fishing well again, even in the heat of summer. The Upper Lost River is Trico mornings on the flat water, and then Hoppers and small Attractors in the afternoons and evenings. Parachute Adams, Royal Trudes and small Stimulators are all great flies for this area. The Lower Lost River is fishing well in spots. If you can find wadable water, you can find some fish. Red Copper John’s, Heavy Baetis Nymphs and most nymphs fished at the proper depth will work well. This means adjusting your set up when you find fish laying in the shallow gravels, versus when you decide to fish the deeper slots.

Finally, the South Fork of the Boise is fishing with Hoppers and Pink Alberts. It is just far enough to the East, that anglers may find less smoke over there, although this time of the season, there are no guarantees you can escape it.

Watch the weather, pick the the right winds to go out in. Try not to expose yourself to heavy smoke for very long. Fish with a Buff and keep it damp. This will help with the smoke!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley / Picabo Area Fly Fishing Report - July 11, 2018

The summer bugs are here and the hatches are gaining steam daily. With the water dropping and more and more fishing areas opening, it should be a great week on the water! Expect fewer anglers this week and great conditions! More hot weather is in the forecast, so begin to think about fishing early and staying late. The afternoons will provide nice fishing opportunity as well, but be prepared for the sun with full coverage. Buffs, sun gloves, and long sleeved shirts and pants will make your day more comfortable.

The Trico action continues to slowly ramp up on Silver Creek. It is still a month away on most other rivers. The more the heat builds the more the Trico action should build. To catch the spinner fall, be on the water when the air temp hits 70 degrees. If the Trico action isn’t heavy, or even if it is, stay until mid to late morning for the Baetis Spinner Falls. You’ll know it’s happening when you see them crawling down your waders to lay eggs on the bottom and flying into your glasses!

Damsel Flies are also bringing fish to the surface up and down the Creek. This afternoon activity normally starts after lunch. Watch the downstream side of the weed beds for fish scooping the Damsels off the surface.

The last of the spring hatches can be found on the South Fork of the Boise as the Salmon Fly continues to make its way up to the dam. If you want to fish this hatch you better go now. The weekend should see plenty of boats on the water. It is a great opportunity to watch fish eat giant foam flies!

The Upper Lost River is almost in shape and there are fish to catch in the areas where you can find holding water. This may involve walking a bit between spots, but there is hardly a lovelier place for a walk between fish! If you go, try attractors like Trudes and Stimulators. Try dropping a Green Drake Nymph below these if you aren’t getting the fish to look up.

Finally, the Big Wood although busy is fishing very, very well. The Green Drakes should be on their last few days of the season upstream of Ketchum this week. Keep fishing the fly though, and mix in Stimulators, Parachute Adams, Chernobyl Ants and Copper John’s as droppers!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - July 5, 2018

The summer bugs are arriving on all our area rivers. The water is dropping and the fishing is fine. It doesn’t matter which river you chose this week, they are all fishing very well! Green Drakes continue on the Big Wood and the Upper Lost River. The first signs of the Trico Spinner Falls are beginning. The Salmon Fly and an abundance of Stoneflies are showing up all over the place. Baby Hoppers have hatched and are growing quickly. Essentially if the water is low enough to fish, it should fish well.

Silver Creek is starting to see Trico action, and with the heat building this week the Spinner Falls should really ramp up. The Callibaetis action should also come on strong. Check the slow water sections for the most action including Sullivan’s Slough and Kilpatrick Pond. Damsel Flies are a sure bet with the heat and as the aquatic vegetation comes up this action will only get better. Be sure to have small Hopper patterns as they begin to grow quickly into adults. Hopefully the river comes up some on the lower stretches to provide the cut bank habitat fish love when eating Hoppers. The aquifer normally provides an influx of water by August, so don’t panic if the lower river doesn’t have the volume you expect. Regardless of the levels the all-day fishing means that there isn’t a bad time to fish the Creek. Morning, noon and night should all produce some excellent opportunities.

The Big Wood and Upper Lost Rivers are really shaping up and really fishing well. Large attractors are a great bet. The Green Drakes are well up into the river system and the Stonefly action is peaking as well. If you want to fish a dropper fly, try the Epoxy Back Green Drake Nymph or a Prince Nymph. Fish the riffles and eddies, and once the current speeds slow, be sure to try the foam lines.

The South Fork of the Boise is still seeing an influx of the Mormon Cricket, but it is also seeing the Salmon Fly hatch as the action moves further and further up the river. With this week’s heat up the action should get very intense, very fast!

Enjoy yourselves this week. The rivers may be busier than what the norm is, so everyone be kind to one another and treat your fellow angler how you’d like to be treated!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - September 6, 2017

A slow cool down is headed to the Mountains. With this we should expect to see the first big changes from our summer fishery to our fall fishery. In the meantime all the same bugs and techniques we’ve used over the past few weeks are still in play this week!

Silver Creek is beginning to see more and more Baetis activity. A sure sign fall is coming. The Trico Spinner Falls begin to wane as the Baetis cranks up. Expect to see a few Callibaetis Spinners mixed into the morning show as well. The afternoon activity continues to percolate with Callibaetis activity. Expect this to remain strong as long as the heat continues. The Hopper action on the Creek remains outstanding and the fish are also still looking for Damsel Flies. The evenings on the Creek are a smorgasbord of bugs, and we are quickly approaching the best Mouse fishing time of the season.

The Big Wood continues to impress as the fishing remains excellent. Parachute Adams in a variety of sizes is a great choice as well as Hopper patterns. A Dave’s Hopper on the Big Wood is a deadly fly this time of year. It is also time to start putting the Western Red Quill in your fly box and a few October Caddis also.

The Upper Lost is also impressive with fish being caught throughout the system. It doesn’t seem to matter where you fish. Flying Ants, Royal Trudes, Parachute Adams and Hoppers are all good choices. Anglers may see a few Trico takes in the morning as well. It’s just a matter of finding flat enough water for a big fish to eat them!

The Lower Lost has been slightly underwhelming as the Hopper bite continues. The Nymphing has been o.k. with Copper Johns and small Tungsten patterns. The Crane Fly action is still happening, and skating flies remains one of the most fun ways to fish the river!

The South Fork of the Boise remains stuck between optimum wading flows and optimum boating flows. Smaller boats will have an easier time on the river and the wade fishing anglers will find things slightly more manageable. Hopper, Flying Ants, Pink Alberts and be sure to have October Caddis in case this bug shows early this year!

It’s a good time to fill your fly box for fall. Upcoming hatches include Fall Baetis, Mahogany Duns, Western Red Quill and October Caddis.

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - August 8, 2017

We have waited a long time for a good Grasshopper season. We now have a GREAT Hopper season underway! One of the greatest joys in fly fishing, is without question, “The Hopper Take”! We wait months and months and months as fly anglers for the opportunity to throw the big bug. We see the Brown Drake early season and the Salmon Fly on a few rivers and get the opportunity to cast big dry flies. Then every few years we get Hoppers in fantastic numbers. When it happen it seems to happen on all our rivers.

This season the South Fork of the Boise set the bar high early with Hopper action practically ties to the Salmon Fly hatch. The Hoppers continue to grow and be eaten on the South Fork. Drift Boats are the way to go if you want to cover a lot of water with a big foam Hopper. We carry the Morrish Hopper in Pink and Tan.

The Hopper / Dropper rig on any river right now is not a bad way to go. On Silver Creek, think pure and forgo the Dropper so you can see the big “Inhale” on the flat water! Silver Creek is still fishing well with Damsels when the wind is down. The Stalcup Damsel in Blue or Tan is the fly these fish really want to eat. The Callibaetis hatches and spinner falls seem to be growing again, as the size drops to nearly an 18. Try to find small size 16 patterns or big 18s. Tricos continue to bring up pods of fish if you are in the right place. If it’s 9:00 a.m. and you aren’t seeing fish podded up, think about trying a completely new area.

Both the Upper and Lower Lost rivers are fishing well with a Hopper, or Hopper / Dropper set up. The downriver flows are still challenging, but the tributaries like the North and East Forks are fishable. The flows on the Lower Lost are still challenging to wade while staying in the river channel, but some Crane Fly action and some Nymphing will catch fish. In most runs the Hopper is a great searching pattern.

The Big Wood is providing anglers with broad smiles as everyone learns new spots and new runs that the fish have also learned and love! Those medium sized attractors both wet and dry are the way to go. Oh, and HOPPERS!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - August 1, 2017

When everything is fishing well, it is easy to get spread out, and the past week on the local rivers showed that. Great fishing is happening in so many areas right now that angler numbers in any one area have dropped dramatically. Anglers are exploring all the new runs on all the rivers that were “rebuilt” during this year’s epic spring run-off. Anglers are beginning to boat as the water drops during a time of year when rivers are normally becoming too low to float! The end result is great fishing with fewer anglers.

Silver Creek just continues to impress as the Trico spinner falls continue to build and move upstream. When the wind stays down in the morning the show has been starting around 8:00 a.m. The Baetis and Callibaetis are on the water in the morning as well. This action has been lasting until almost lunch time. Anglers that are willing to go back after lunch are finding days of epic Damsel Fly activity. The Hopper action is building quickly!

It’s Adams Season on the Big Wood these days. A complete line of Adams Flies can take an angler through a day or week of fishing on the Big Wood right now. Parachute Adams, Adams Irresistible, and Standard Adams are producing fish. The Irresistible Adams fished in large sizes is a great searching pattern, while the Parachute and Standard Adams in a variety of sizes work wonderfully on rising fish. If things get slow, hang a Prince Nymph from a Royal Stimulator and search all the water you can.

The Upper Lost continues to come into shape. Large dry flies, Streamers and Nymph rigs are all working throughout the system, but with the falling water, anglers have a great chance to cast large, bushy dry flies to big fish. The flows on the main Lost are still high enough to be dangerous, so be careful on the main. The flows in the tributaries are reasonable and wade-able.

The South Fork of the Boise is Hopper central these days, with some Cicadas and Pink Alberts in the mix as well. Anglers staying late are seeing a nice evening rise, as many fish are refusing to play in the bright sun! The river is still at boating levels and things have changes some, so if you haven’t floated this year, be hyper aware of these changes.

With another hot week upon us, expect the fishing to remain hot as well!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Spring is knocking hard on our door! A week of temperatures in the low to mid 40’s on the Valley floor means that our local fish are going to feel a pretty significant change in the conditions. They should begin to act accordingly. Look for fish to begin turning spawning colors. They should also go into a prespawn mode, meaning they are going to become more aggressive and eat with a little more abandon. The warmer weather may spur on the hatches as well. So the long and short is the fishing should get really good this week!

Silver Creek remains closed to all fishing until May 27th. The Big Wood remains open to catch and release fishing until the end of March. The Big Lost River is also open and remains open year around now. The South Fork of the Boise is fishable until the end of the month. Finally, the Salmon is open and a few Steelhead are being caught well downstream of Stanley. Expect that action to increase as the days begin to warm.

March is a wonderful time of the year to fish. It is a great time for beginners to learn as catch rates are generally high, and there are fewer anglers on the river than in the high season. The hatches are also limited to Midges and Little Black Stoneflies. The fish will also take big nymphs and streamers aggressively.

Warm weather also means tough walking conditions through the soft snow. A pair of snow shoes will get you a lot farther from main access points than not having them and you can move a lot faster than walking in the river.

Try to get out as often as you can right now, as the true spring months are setting up to show us a lot of high water. The gradual melt will help for now, but when it begins to come down as run-off things are going to get crazy.

A few things you should think about for the early summer season this year include getting studs on your boots. They make a huge difference in gripping the bottom and the pushy currents this season are going to be significant. You should also find a really good wading staff to help navigate the heavy water that is coming. A really good wader belt is also important and could be the one piece of equipment that could save your life in a worse case scenario. Anglers don’t need to be scared, but a little common sense goes a long way!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fishing Report - September 22, 2016

The Mahogany Duns have arrived! Sprinkle in prolific Callibaetis hatches, Fall Baetis hatches and the best Hopper fishing in three years and you have the recipe for a one great fall fishery on Silver Creek! The flows are as high as we’ve seen in a decade, the river looks healthy and clean, the Brown Trout are on the move prior to their spawning season and BIG fish are being caught!

If you want to fish the Creek plan on being on the water around 10:00ish in the morning. You may even catch the remainder of the Trico activity as the late emerging Duns are stuck to the water. This is easy pickings for fish and angler alike! The fishing lasts until dark and then it’s time for Mouse fishing. When the Browns are moving up river they tend to eat everything in their path, making the fall is the peak of the Mouse fishing season!

The Big Wood continues to impress with Red Quills and Fall Baetis being complimented by excellent Hopper fishing. Expect this action to continue into mid-October and then sporadically into November! The October Caddis should be appearing soon North of Ketchum. This is a small hatch and an isolated one, but it can be very, very good.

The Upper Lost is not seeing a lot of insect activity right now, although that could change if the weather cools a bit more. The fishing is still good with small nymphs, Royal Trudes and Hoppers! The Lower Lost is Baetis central and any red colored nymph when the hatches aren’t on. If you go to the Lost this week, keep in mind the road is closed from 8 – 4 during the day as they attempt to cover some of those tire popping rocks!

The South Fork of the Boise continues to rock and roll with Fall Baetis. The fishing is best in the late afternoon and often continues all the way into the dark evening hours. If you go, don’t get in a rush in the morning. Take your time getting there and plan to stay late. Pack a lunch and a dinner!

Right now everything is fishing great ad the angler numbers are at a seasonal low. Take advantage of this and get out there on one of these spectacular Fall days. Bring your camera and load your fly boxes. This is among the best two week stretches of fishing you will find in the Sun Valley are all season!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fishing Report - September 7, 2016

The fishing is about to turn epic! Are you ready? True fall weather has descended over the valley and the hatches and fishing that come with have begun! Plan on shorter fishing windows and late morning starts as we enter one of the best times of the year for anglers.

Silver Creek angler numbers are way down as the kids have returned to school and hunting season has pulled locals into the fields. A late morning start means sleeping in and extra time for coffee. Anglers will be greeted by a few Tricos here and there, and very good Baetis fishing. The Baetis hatch has really been taking off around 2:00 p.m. The activity form that point on may last right up to the Mousing hours of dusk. With Fall Baetis hatches be sure to have very, very small patterns. Fishing sizes 22 and 24 puts you in the game. If you can fish an extended body fly on an open loop so that it can swing around and come to life, you’re even more in the game! Mahogany Duns are coming, so have them at the ready. Ants, Beetles and most definitely Hoppers are in play as well. When we get to the peak of warmth for the day plan of seeing some Callibaetis in the slow water areas of the Creek.

The Western Red Quill also known as Hecuba is beginning to show up on the Big Wood. This is bringing bigger fish up and changing the game from shy fish, to fish that want to fatten up before winter. The Fall Baetis is ramping up as well, so be sure you can drop to 6X tippets and size 20 Baetis when the moment arrives.

The Red Quill and Fall Baetis should show on the Upper Lost in the coming days, if not already. Hoppers and small Attractor Flies are still catching fish up top. The Lower Lost is going to turn into Baetis central as the Trico action wanes with cooler days.

Expect the massive blanket hatches of Fall Baetis on the South Fork of the Boise as well. This action will ramp up as we move closer to October, but these can be some of the best hatches of the season on this river. There is some decent wading on the river right now, but it’s still high enough to be dangerous, so please wade with caution!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

A happy angler joined our guide Chad Chorney two days ago!

Sun Valley Fishing Report - August 24, 2016

The fishing all around Sun Valley is pretty darn good right now. Slightly milder temperatures have been great for anglers and fish alike. We are slowly approaching our fall hatches, but as of now, it’s still summer as far as the fish are concerned!

The fishing on Silver Creek is great in the mornings when the wind stays down. The Baetis emerger has been the main bug, with some Tricos showing in certain areas. If you want to fish them and can’t find them, you need to explore! If the wind does come up, there is still great opportunity to fish Callibaetis, Hoppers and Damsel flies in the middle of the day. In the evening the Baetis are the main targets of trout, and when the sun goes down and its dark (about 9:30) the Mouse fishing is getting better and better.

The Big Wood continues to fish best during the morning and evening hours. Rusty Spinners are a great choice in the evening as well as Elk Hair Caddis. Trico is the morning faire and Hoppers rule the afternoon. Small attractors and small nymphs are also a great way to search the water. Stay on the move and make sure you have your Flying Ant patterns as they can sometime dominate the river this time of the year.  

The Upper Lost is fishing very well with small dries, but plan on walking a lot between fish. The low flows move fish into the most obvious holding water with plenty of shallows between those areas. A size 16 Royal Trude is your best friend on the Upper!

The Lower Lost is fishing o.k. with Trico in the mornings. It can be very good, but really depends on the day. Some days the bugs hit the water en masse and other days they show in the air, but never really seem to make it to the water in numbers large enough to get the fish up. Crane Flies are still in play and the water is at a wadable level these days. Anglers wait all year to move easily in the Lost River system. From here on out it should get easier and easier.

The South Fork of the Boise is still fishing at driftboat levels with Pink Alberts and Hoppers. This is a good time of the season to “show them something different.” If you have a favorite nymph or dry, give it a try! They’ve seen plenty of standards at this point!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fishing Report - August 2, 2016

One of the purest joys in fly fishing is discovery. Finding the right fly, finding that big fish, finding that secret creek are all joyous occasions. This week Silver Creek has put forth a hatch that is akin to discovery. The Damsel Fly is the hatch, and despite it being a hatch we see each summer, the activity we’ve seen in the past week is unparalleled on this river! Starting around noon, Damsel Flies are blanketing the water in numbers large enough to hear their wing beats. Even when the wind is blowing anglers can find places where the fish are taking Damsels.

Look for the biggest weed beds on the Creek and then spend some time watching the edges and the drop offs behind these patches. The fish have been eating with such vigor that even on the windy days they can be seen eating weeds off the surface due to mistaken identity and pure hunger.

If you fish the Damsel Flies on the Creek, keep in mind the hook set is very, very different. When a fish takes your Damsel you must wait, and wait and wait, and then set the hook hard! Your tippet material should not be lighter than a 3X. The old adage about saying “god save the queen” before your hook set is true here, and maybe even say it twice.

While you search for fish feeding on Damsels a pink colored Hopper is working very well on the Creek. Windy days are best, but they aren’t required. The calmer the day, the tighter you want to fish your Hopper to the bank.

The Big Wood is fishing well. Plan in Trico in the morning, Hoppers in the afternoon and Caddis in the evenings. Fish light tippets like 5X and 6X. Small nymphs are also an effective way to fish if things get slow on the surface.

The upper Lost River is fishing on par with the Big Wood. Light Tippets and Flying Ants are a great way to go. If you get stumped fish small steamers into the pools and certainly fish the low light periods and coolest times of the day.

The South Fork of the Boise is still at boating flows and Hoppers fished near the bank will take some fish. Pink Albert is the big hatch and happens in the heat of the day.

Over all despite the heat and smoke, the fishing is very, very good right now. Cover up from the sun and get out there!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Big Cats

Anglers, this picture was taken today and sent to us by our friend Dick Dahlgren. The photo was taken on the lower Lost River near Mackay. Apparently this guy is being seen often in the river corridor. Please be aware.