Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - March 29, 2016

With only a few days left in the season on many rivers, it is time to get creative! The Big Wood River is closed to all fishing on April 1st. Silver Creek is also closed to all fishing. Both rivers will open back up May 28th this year. Plan on the Big Wood being muddy for the opener as spring runoff should peak sometime in May. Silver Creek should be phenomenal on the opener!

In the meantime, the Lost River remains open to fish all year. Reports have been getting increasingly better on the Lower Lost. When the wind is down the Midge and Baetis fishing has been excellent. When the wind comes back up the fishery can be downright difficult. When this happens switch to Nymphing techniques and cover the water thoroughly and be prepared to use a variety of flies. Be sure to have some Pheasant Tail Nymphs to cover the Baetis and plenty of Zebra Midges for the Midge days.

Places to consider for the next few weeks include Carey Lake. This is an excellent time of year to catch a mess of Blue Gills for a fish taco fry. Small nymphs stripped through the water is all one needs. If you are in the area, the Little Wood in the desert stretch can be an o.k. place to wet a line and catch a few trout. It’s never gangbusters in this stretch, but it is beautiful and a great place to spend an afternoon.

Carp fishing in the Snake is going to get better and better as the weather gets nicer. Get your Google Earth on and search for the shallow water flats found all over the Snake River reservoirs. Try to pick the calmest days so that you can see the fish working.

The Reservoir fishing in both Mackay and Magic should be getting really good. Warming water gets those reservoir fish hungry and thinking about the pre-spawn. They will want to fatten up. Fish near the river mouths and even near seasonal Creeks. Anderson Ranch Reservoir and the Little Wood Reservoir are also great places to check out and catch a variety of fish.

Reservoirs can be fished from a boat, float tube or just off the bank. If you head out on the water, take a friend. Beware of the wind, and have proper floatation and emergency flares and whistles, just in case. Always check the weather first and have fun!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - March 8, 2016

The sun rises over the flats and we can see tails sticking out of the water in many places. There must be 20 fish up on this flat alone. The wind is down today so the movement of cruising fish is easy to see. We begin to creep up on the closest targets for an accurate cast. My first attempt is off the mark and the fish turns and heads for a channel. My cousin on the other hand puts his fly right between the fishes and eyes and within seconds his 7-weight is arced over as the fish freaks out in shallow water and the fight is on!

How many planes did we take? How much sunscreen did we use? How much did all of this cost? Well, to be truthful, we didn’t get on a plane, I forgot my sunscreen and bought a small tube at the Flying J and the cost was a ½ tank of gas, a sixer of beer and two roast beef sandwiches.

We are on the Snake River fishing for Carp today. My cousin had spent the week before going over Google Earth looking for potential flats we could wade along the Snake River looking for these fish that love to feed in the shallows. These areas are not hard to find. Boat ramps, scenic overlooks, riverside trails and access via boat all represent easy opportunity to test your saltwater skills right here in Idaho.

Fly selection requires you bring your nymph box to the river with you. San Juan Worms, Damsel Nymphs, Leeches, small Buggers and anything else you can imagine living in the river mud are effective on Carp. A nine foot, fluorocarbon Leader tapered to about 8 pounds will hook plenty of fish. Consider even longer leaders on really calm days.

Be sure that Carp are not easy to catch. Their reputation implies that they are, but just take a fly and give it a shot. You may just find that the selective nature and hard fighting ability of these fish is worthy of your attention. You may also find upon returning home, that they may need even more of your attention on ensuing days.

Keep your eyes on the wind down south. If you see some days where the gusts are staying below 10 mph then you are probably going to be able to find plenty of targets. Carp fishing has been one of the most active areas in the fly fishing industry the past few years, and for good reason. Check it out!

Happy Fishing Everyone!