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!

Sun Valley Fishing Report - July 31, 2016

A fair to good Trico spinner fall greeted anglers this week, but whatever the Trico activity lacked was more than made up for by the single greatest Damsel Fly day I've seen in 25 years on the Creek. By noon fish were podding behind weed beds and erupting on every Damsel they could get. Fish were taking Damsels off of floating pieces of plants and algae, they were charging into the weed beds to knock the bugs off. A spectacular show! 

Between groups of fish feeding on Damsels, pink bodies Hoppers were the rage! The biggest fish were looking for them and eating them with no subtlety. 

There is no reason this action shouldn't continue through these hot days ahead. Cover yourself up head to toe with Sun Gloves, a Sun Mask, Long Sleeves and a full brim hat. You will stay cool and be able to witness this midday madness! It is some of the best fishing of the year on the Creek and some of the easiest!

John

Sun Valley / Picabo Area Fishing Update - June 14, 2016

Clouds and wind have made the Creek anyone's guess today. A slow morning should be followed by a great afternoon. Yesterday's biggest hatches began around 5:00 p.m. Although most anglers show up on the Creek in the morning, the afternoon hours have had the best fishing ever since Opening Day several weeks ago. 

If you have the time, show up on the Creek around 3:00 p.m. and stay until dark for the best fishing of the day. If you are restricted to morning and afternoon fishing then load up on all the options; PMD, BWO, Ant, Beetle, Green Drake, Callibaetis and Damsel Fly. 

The Mouse fishing is as good as ever if you plan to stay past dark! We'll see you in Picabo!

John

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - July 7, 2015

Trico time is upon us at Silver Creek! Couple that insect with fantastic afternoon Damsel Fly activity, then sprinkle in some late night Mouse fishing and anglers are set up for some great spring creek fishing! We love that the Trico is happening early this year. The peak activity can be found in the S-Turns on the Nature Conservancy property and by weeks end we can expect to find this Spinner Fall up and down the entire river. When the Trico “feed” begins to taper off, expect to see PMD and Baetis for at least another hour or so before the afternoon lull. Once you are done fishing the morning hatches and spinner falls, come on by Picabo Angler for some lunch at our Grill and the head back out for the banner year of Damsel Fly fishing we’ve been having! If you still aren’t sated after that, look to hang in there until dark and try Mouse fishing. The Big Browns have been eating Mouse Flies better than ever this year!

On the Wood and Upper Lost Rivers, the Green Drakes are well up the systems and should be wrapping up for the season by weeks end. Fishing Stonefly and Salmon Fly imitations remains viable on most rivers, especially the South Fork of the Boise where the Salmon Flies are making their way to the dam! This is the week to fish if you want to hit the Salmon Fly on this awesome river.

The Salmon River is fishing very well and is another great place to go cast big attractor flies at nice sized Cutts and Rainbows. Floating the river is the best way to fish it. If you don’t have a boat and want to see the river up close and personal, let one of our great guides row you down and put you over these hungry fish.

The Lower Lost continues to fish in spots with nymph and double nymph rigs. Wading can be tough, but jumping from spot to spot by vehicle can be productive. Copper Johns are a great way to go, and if you need to fish dries, try skating a Crane Fly. We have some excellent imitations in the store this year.

Over all we can expect another great week of fishing throughout the Sun Valley area. Temps should be more comfortable for fish and anglers alike, and the water conditions and hatches are as good as it gets right now!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - June 29, 2015

Green Drake madness continues throughout the Sun Valley area! Valley wide we are seeing great hatches and spinner falls of the Green Drake. On the Big Wood expect to see the Drake hatching strong mid-valley with a push up into Ketchum and North by weeks end. The timing of the hatch this year is generally 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The Drake loves to hatch in the heat of the day, and with all the “extra” heat this summer the timing of the hatch has moved to an earlier time. Normally 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. would be more like it. The Green Drake can also be found first thing in the morning, before the sun gets on the water. Look to fish the spinner fall of Drakes over very fast, choppy water. One of the best techniques for fishing the spinner fall is to drown your dry fly at the bottom of the heavy water where you see them flying. Fish it with an indicator or sight fish it, looking for the flash of the fish eating just under the surface.

Anglers will also find Green Drakes on the Little Wood River and the Upper Lost River, as well as Silver Creek. On the Little Wood and the Lost, expect to see some bugs, but not like you would find on the Big Wood. Our favorite flies for this event on all the rivers except Silver Creek is the Colorado Green Drake and the Cripple. On Silver Creek the Green Drake is brighter in color and the fish really prefer the Harrop patterns like the Last Chance Cripple or even a nice extended body fly.

This is really a fun time of the year as we can finally rig up big, bushy dry flies and wet wade the rivers, searching for fish as we go! It is a brief amount of time that we can do this, so get out there every day this week, every evening after work, or whenever you can squeeze a few moments on the rivers.

The “other” hatch that is happening right now, and not being talked about as much as the Drake is the Damsel Fly action. This has really been gaining momentum on the Creek the past few hot days and this action should last well into the summer. Coupled with the morning PMD, Callibaetis and the first few sightings of Tricos, the Creek is about to come into the summer season in all its glory, and with all its awesome challenges!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - July 21, 2014

Expect another great week of fishing, as flows remain high enough in most rivers to provide excellent opportunity prior to the low summer flows that will eventually bring many fisheries to a more technical point.

On Silver Creek, the fishing remains incredible in the mornings and right on into the lunch hour. The Silver Creek Preserve remains closed to fishing until 10:00 a.m. but the rest of the river is open and the hatches and spinner falls have been fabulous. The mornings are bringing varying degrees of Trico activity, followed promptly by Baetis and PMD flurries. Once this action ends, anglers can immediately cut back their leaders and tie on Blue Damsel patterns. This has been a very good fly in the late mornings and afternoons.

The Big Wood and Upper Lost River are fishing very well right now, with a slight lean toward becoming low light fisheries. The mornings and evenings are producing rising fish and the afternoons become a time to search with big dries and maybe a dropper underneath.

The Lower Lost is fishing well and earlier in the season than mot years. The low flows mean easier access for anglers. Small nymphs like Pheasant Tails and Red Copper Johns are producing nicely. Have a variety of sizes in Parachute Adams if you go as well. Skating Crane flies is another exciting way to fish the Lost. We are carrying the new foam bodied Mackay Special here at Picabo Angler, and if you haven’t fished it, we recommend you give this a try!

The Little Wood is a river we haven’t written about much this season, as the recent fires and low flows have made the desert stretch a non-event and the upstream waters above Little Wood Reservoir have a seemingly small population of fish this summer. It’s still a great place to go for some quietude and to cast big dry flies to fair sized fish.

The South Fork of the Boise has been fishing very well. The Pink Albert hatch has been coming on stronger and with a few stoneflies, hoppers and cicadas, the banks are fishing well on some days. There is still no camping allowed and the access points are different and dictated by new rapids, so fewer anglers are floating than in years past. The weekdays can be a very good time to explore the South Fork. The float from the Village Put In down to Indian Rock has been a good bet. If you go, be safe and scout the water before you float it!

Happy Fishing Everyone!