Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - July 25, 2017

We are halfway through our summer fly fishing season in the Sun Valley area. What a summer it has been! We knew with 200% snow pack that we would be in for a special season and a delayed start on many waters, and both have transpired. The influx of water made for an incredible June and July on Silver Creek. With the Creek being the only game in the state of Idaho at times, we were blessed with great hatches, cold water, good currents and anglers willing to work together to make sure a good time was had by all!

We move toward August now with all our area waters beginning to fish very well. Anglers are enjoying the Big Wood River while relearning it after a massive spring runoff. Green Drakes are winding down, but there are plenty of hungry fish out there looking for Stoneflies and Hoppers or your favorite attractor pattern! The water remains high with plenty of volume, so be aware and be careful.

The upper Lost continues to come into shape. The East Fork has seen plenty of angler pressure and modest catch rates, but as the water continues to fall the North Fork, Wild Horse Creek and the Main Lost should begin to produce some fun days on the water.

Silver Creek continues to be remarkable, and with all the area waters beginning to fish the angling pressure on the Creek is minimal. The Trico Spinner Fall in the morning continues to gain steam. Fish are still locking on Damsel Flies in the afternoon and the Hopper action is really gaining steam. We should be in for an epic late summer Hopper fishery on the Creek! The evenings are a grab bag of insects that include PMDs, Baetis, and Callibaetis. The Mouse fishing has remained productive and should pick up steam as the fall approaches.

The South Fork of the Boise is fishing well with Hoppers and Cicadas fished out of a driftboat. Pink Alberts are hatching in the afternoons and the magical evening hour on the South Fork always seems to bring fish to the surface.

The Lower Lost remains high and it will be awhile before we are fishing there. Magic Reservoir has been very good lately, with low light hours being particularly productive. Anglers are floating the Salmon River and catching fish from boats. Finally, the Little Wood River is coming into shape, but the mosquito factor is a 10 right now!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fishing Report - July 20, 2016

Anglers, we are entering another transitional time of the year again. The waters are dropping fast and the rivers that were barely wadable a few weeks ago are now approaching levels where stealth and fly pattern are important. With the coming heat we can expect the fishing windows to also become early and late. The good news is we are starting to see the beginnings of a really good Hopper year. This will keep the afternoons interesting!

Silver Creek is fishing very well with Trico and Callibaetis right now. There are some PMD opportunities still, but the Trico is heavy in the early morning and lasting until 11:00ish. The Callibaetis is also showing in the morning and can be a game changer on Kilpatrick Pond. In the afternoon hours, Streamers in the pond or Hoppers in the river are the main players.

The Big Wood is about to go into the August doldrums, meaning it is also going to start fishing early and late. If you head out in the evenings the Caddis activity will build and the Rusty Spinner fly can be your best friend for the next 2 or 3 weeks. During the day, think about fishing Hopper / Dropper combinations. Dave’s Hopper is the best Hopper on the Big Wood. Fish a Prince or Hares Ear Nymph underneath it.

The Little Wood has fewer mosquitoes then a few weeks ago, but by all means still go there prepared for the onslaught, no matter the time of the day. Be fully covered up and have spray. Short of that and it’s not worth the agony. If you get a bit of a breeze and you are prepared it is doable.

The South Fork of the Boise is fishing O.K. with Caddis at night and Pink Albert action building during the days. If you are fishing Pink Alberts pay very close attention to the shallow water and also know that the Pinks emerge with their wing fully exposed before they swim off the bottom of the river. Have flies to match this accordingly.

The Upper Lost is still fishing very well with large attractors and Hoppers. The Streamer fishing is also very good, but decreased flows should knock that action back a bit. Plan of Little Yellow Sallies and Flying Ants to become the main hatches this coming week and beyond.

The Lower Lost will come on strong as the waters drops moving closer to the fall!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley / Picabo Fishing Report - June 30, 2016

With almost all our fisheries producing very good activity with Green Drakes, Tricos and Salmon Flies, we thought we would head over to the Little Wood River yesterday so we could finally update the one river we've had very little reporting on. 

It only took a few minutes to realize why we have heard little to nothing about the fishing. The Mosquito population in the woods along the upper Little Wood is staggering. We geared up, went to the river and within moments we were running for the truck! 

I suppose if you had the full Alaska bug protection covering you, there is probably some pretty good fishing to be had, as the flows and clarity looked great. For now though, there are so many other great places to fish its probably best to let the blood suckers have it for a few weeks. 

There are plenty of Mosquitoes on the Wood and Silver Creek as well, but nothing like what we experienced north of Carey. Be patient, they will go away. Stay in the higher elevations for now!

John

Sun Valley / Picabo Fishing Report - June 22, 2016

The water is clearing fast on the Big Wood, the Upper Lost and the Little Wood! The fishing will remain a challenge as the flows begin to drop, but things will also get easier and easier with each passing day. 

The return of the heat has had an influence on Silver Creek, knocking back a bit of the hatch activity, and moving the best fishing to the early morning and late evening hours. Midday activity should come on quick when the wind dies down and Blue Damsel comes out. 

It's a great week to get out and explore! There is a lot of new water opening up, and even some new runs to explore as we experience our first true spring run-off in many, many years. 

Have your Green Drakes, Royal Stimulators, Copper Johns, Prince Nymphs, Girdle Bugs and Streamers in your fly box! Things are about to get really good out there!

Sun Valley / Picabo Fishing Report - June 21, 2016

The last week of muddy water is upon us. Stay patient people! Looking at the CFS (Cubic Feet Per Second) graphs this week, the flows are no longer making the big downward and upward swings. The graphs are now showing the flows adjusting with nighttime and daytime temperatures. This means the volume will begin to decrease at a slower pace, but the water should begin to clear rapidly.

Once again, when you decide to get out on our freestone streams. Wear a tight wading belt, fish with a friend and PLEASE leave your dog at home. Every year dogs perish the high flows of the Big Wood. Don’t let yours be next.

Looking ahead to clear water have your Green Drakes ready, as well as your Stimulators and your favorite dropper flies, like Copper Johns, Prince Nymphs, and Pheasant Tails. Try to find soft water in side channels and along the banks. The river is most likely going to fish best very low (South of Bellevue) and very high (North of Ketchum).

Silver Creek continues to fish very well. The afternoons are still where it’s at for the best hatches and most fish rising. PMD, Callibaetis, Green Drakes, Blue Damsel, Baetis Spinners, Ants and Beetles are all important to your fly box. Looking ahead, get your Trico selection in order. They are anywhere from two weeks to one month away. Baby Hoppers are also starting to appear in good numbers, so be sure to add that fly box to your bag!

The South Fork of the Boise continues to baffle us like always. Caddis are prolific at night, but not a lot of fish eating them. The big foam flies will work one day, then not another. Salmon Flies have yet to make a serious appearance, although this week that hatch should begin with some vigor. The best fly continues to be Salmon Fly nymphs fished deep, or Copper John / Small Stone Nymph combinations, also fished deep.

Finally, the Little Wood should begin to fish soon, although right now the mosquitos in the vicinity are trying to compete for your blood and they are all winning! If you go when the water drops to fishable flows, be sure to target the middle of the day and bring bug spray and appropriate clothing! Green Drakes and Stimulators are the flies for this area, just scale everything back a size or two, including leader length and fly size.

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley / Picabo Area Fishing Report - June 15, 2016

A massive hole has been left in the Sun Valley fly fishing community. Dave Faltings from Silver Creek Outfitters passed after a hell of a fight against ALS. Dave will be entered into fishing lore as a true legend. A guy that could bring Steelhead to his dry fly, while the rest of us tried to get a strike any way we could. If Dave met you, he knew you and remembered you each time he saw you. His prowess as a fly angler only being surpassed by his prowess as a kind hearted friend to many. If you knew Dave, take some time this week to catch a fish in his honor then sit quietly and reflect on how we can all be more like him. We may never get there, but people like Dave are rare, and anything we can do to emulate him will make us, and the people around us, better.

Silver Creek was loved dearly by Dave. If you go to fish this week, plan on cooler temperatures bringing the Baetis hatches and Spinner Falls to the forefront. Hot weather bugs like the Green Drake, Callibaetis, and Blue Damsel may come into play, but it will be late afternoon before temps are right for these insects. PMD action should continue to show late in the day and some in the morning. Ants and Beetles are still hot patterns and should remain so for the better part of the summer. Expect the action to move toward the Ant and away from the Beetle as summer progresses.

The Big Wood is dropping in a hurry and the cool temperatures this week should provide us a fishery! Plan on Stimulators with Prince Nymph droppers, or Colorado Green Drakes with Epoxy Back Green Drake droppers. If the water clears and stays clear the Green Drake action should explode with the warm days forecast for Sunday and early next week.

The Upper Lost is following the same path as the Big Wood. Normally the Lost would clear after the Wood, but with the higher elevation and cold nights this week, we can probably plan on some fishing up there by weeks end.

The South Fork of the Boise should be coming on this week. Salmon Flies and Caddis are due on the river and the current Cicada situation looks very good! Midweek fishing will help you avoid the crowds on the weekend. If you have a strong skill set on the oars, start on the lower river. If not, stay up high.

Happy Fishing Everyone!

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 - February 2, 2016

This is one of those weeks or two week periods where we like to say, “They don’t call it Sun Valley for nothing!” Bright, sunny days should not hamper the fishing as the fish still have to eat. What it does mean is that stealth is as important as any part or your fishing repertoire.

We are at a point in the winter season, where most fish have seen at least a few winter flies. They will continue to eat the Midges, but with less abandon, while they search for the true flies and trailing shucks amongst the foam lines.

The sky may be sunny this week, but you may want to layer up just so that you can creep up the snowy banks on your hands and knees in order to get the best casting position available. This holds true when Nymphing in shallow water, thin riffles and tail outs of pools. It is even more important is you are going to stalk rising fish.

For one reason or another it is an easy thing to let your guard down in the winter. Perhaps the easy nature of the fishing, at least in early winter, or perhaps it’s the starkness of it all. In either case, take a fly angler, put them in a dark green parka and silhouette them against the snow.  It is easy to see why you need to stay behind the rising fish while keeping a low profile.

Bright days on the Big Wood River generally means shorter fishing windows because of colder temps. If you are eager to get out the door before the temps hit a reasonable mark think about using the clear skies to travel.

If you don’t have the whole day, think about hitting Silver Creek with Streamers. The Waterfowl Hunting season is over and the Creek is very quiet right now. The Creek is open to fish downstream of Hwy 20. Think about fishing the Willows and Point of Rocks. Snow Shoes are not a terrible idea if you want to get well into the access points.

If you have more time, look at the South Fork of the Boise and the Lower Lost Rivers. The South Fork can have some decent Midge hatches, and is a good place to go for big fish. The lower Lost is similar, although maybe a bit more Nymphing in the bright sun. It is also a great place to catch huge Rainbows!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - January 19, 2016

The Wood River Sculpin is unique in that its home pretty much consists of the Big Wood and Little Wood Rivers. This dark olive bottom dwelling fish is not a target for fly anglers, but it is certainly a target of the biggest trout that live in the Big and Little Wood systems. The volume of Wood River Sculpin makes it a year around target of the fish and therefore a fly we cast all year long.

Imitating this Sculpin is not difficult and can be done with a variety of flies. Dark Olive Matukas, Olive Buggers, Sparkle Minnows and most olive colored articulated patterns work just fine. There is one fly tied as a specific imitation of the Wood River Sculpin, which is the Philo Beto. This fly is found at Lost River Outfitters in Ketchum and was developed by the owner Scott Schnebly and his son Blake in the early 1990s when Blake was a young boy. The fly is loosely named for Clint Eastwood’s character Philo Beddoe in the movie Any Which Way but Loose. Tied from the Philo Plume feather off an olive died Pheasant Rump, the Philo Beto Streamer is slam dunk when fished on the Big Wood, Little Wood or pretty much anywhere Sculpins swim.

Sculpin imitations are best fished with a bead-head, or some external weight. When I fish the Philo Beto I like to put a small split shot right at the head of the fly. This gives the fly a jigging action and also help me keep if from snagging on the bottom by controlling the depth right at the fly as opposed to several inches or feet above the fly. Try to fish the fly swinging across the river on a tight line, keeping the fly as close to the bottom as you dare. The true Sculpin will dart from rock to rock along the river bottom, trying to avoid being eaten, but plenty of them do get eaten and they represent a major calorie intake for wintering trout.

When fishing Streamer imitations fish them on Fluorocarbon Leaders so that when you strip strike the leader does not stretch, but instead buries the hook in the fish’s mouth. Fish a stout tippet, taper it to about 2X. Nine feet is plenty of length. Cast across the river and retrieve the fly with your rod tip on the water and the line coming into the tip in a straight line. Enjoy all the big fish you’re going to catch!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - July 13, 2015

Summer continues to pass with one odd weather system after another. There has certainly been an effect on the fishing, although not in a negative way. We just need to get used to seeing things like Tricos at 2:00 p.m. or Callibaetis at 7:30 a.m. How about Pink Alberts on the South Fork before Salmon flies? The only predictable thing happening right now is the unpredictability. This in turn has really made for a fun year. The right place at the right time is a mantra all anglers should adopt right now! The only way to overcome all this unpredictability is to stay on the water all day, and at least half the night. There are worse things…

When the summer weather does act normal, plan on Tricos on Silver Creek, mixed with PMD and Baetis. This event happens when the air temps hit 70 degrees. Be on the Creek early for the day’s best mayfly activity. If you plan to stay past lunch the best hatch of the season continues to be the Damsel Fly. Look for wind breaks behind the cattails, and weed patches sticking up with trout stacking up behind them.

On our freestone streams, the Wood and the Upper Lost, expect to fish small attractors and cover lots of water. The morning activity has the most bugs, but fish will come the surface all day. Really concentrate on the banks and shaded zones when the sun is high.

The South Fork of the Boise continues to be a head scratcher with Salmon Flies reported to Indian Rock, but not much above. By the time of this writing (and reading) expect the Salmon Flies to be somewhere between Indian Rock and the Dam. Pink Alberts have started in the afternoon, although the intensity still needs to build to get the fish feeding on them.

The Little Wood continues to fish very well above the reservoir. Big attractors are the way to go when the sun isn’t on the water. Scale back a few sizes if you are fishing midday.

A quick words on our guide staff: We believe in putting the angling public first at Picabo Angler. With that said, be sure that none of our guides can be found repeatedly hitting the same spots daily. We want to share great fishing with everyone! Like our guides always say – Guiding is a skill set, not a spot.

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 - June 8, 2015

Summer like conditions have returned to Silver Creek and the Wood River Valley. With the heat comes some additional runoff, mostly from snows left by the spring storms. Just as the rivers began to drop, this newest heat wave has brought them back up and at a flow that make our freestone streams rough to fish. The good news is, this should be the last of the runoff, and by this time next week all our rivers should be fishable, and with the beginnings of great hatches.

Coming off of the Brown Drake hatch, anglers can expect more big bugs in the form of Salmon Flies and Stoneflies. The Green Drake should be making its first appearance with the clearing of our local waters as well.

On Silver Creek the PMDs, Callibaetis and Baetis are taking turns stealing the show from each other, but with the hot weather, expect the bright bodied Green Drakes to begin showing in the mid afternoon. This insect can be a game changer on the Creek when the heat of summer settles into the afternoon hours and anglers are looking hard to find a decent hatch.

The Big Wood, the Little Wood and the upper Lost River are going to peak again this week, but get ready because some of the seasons best fishing is about to happen on these streams. A combination of Green Drakes, Stoneflies, Salmon Flies, baby Hoppers and Crane Flies should set all these systems on fire!

With high flows continuing, please wade with caution, leave your pups at home for another few weeks, fish with a friend as well as a secure wading belt and tell someone where you are fishing! Also - Wading staffs are a good idea in the early season.

The South Fork of the Boise is most likely the scene of the next big hatch, the Salmon Fly. No reports from anglers yet, but it’s always better to be the first reporting! If you go, please scout the river, be aware of all the new rapids, be liberal with your lifejacket and keep an eye on your fellow angler and boaters!

Finally, be ready for a lot of change this week. Summer heat will change the fishing dramatically. Expect the hours of great fishing to change on the Creek, and expect a few fantastic weeks on our freestones the second the water begins to drop and turn glacial green!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - May 25, 2015

The opening weekend is behind us, and what a weekend it was! Rain nor sleet, nor hail, not even tornado warnings were able to dampen the spirit of anglers all over Silver Creek. Crazy weather systems have finally settled into a more normal pattern, but what was left behind in the wake of the weekend storms was water! Silver Creek went from nearly record low flows to nearly record high flows in a matter of days. Making it even more interesting, the Brown Drakes began trickling off Friday night before the opener, and teased anglers to the water’s edge every night since. The weather prevented a major hatch, but get ready because the Drake is on! Brown Drakes love the hot weather and the forecast is for more of just that.

Elsewhere on the Creek - Callibaetis, Baetis and PMDs were all present at times and with the sun this week, the PMD should begin to take center stage up and down the river. If you are coming down to fish the Creek, stop on into Picabo Angler and check out our new layout, our new product and our HUGE fly selection ordered specifically to help you have the best chance to catch fish on this wonderful, yet technical river!

The South Fork of the Boise fished well over the opener and should be at driftboat levels by midweek. Girdle Bugs, Prince Nymphs or any of your favorite Stonefly Nymphs will produce fish. Keep in mind this river is going to be in a state of change this season, as higher flows mover things around. Please boat safely and with caution.

The Big Wood has mostly been unfishable lately, but should begin to clear and fish very well, very soon. Big Stimulators with bead-head droppers is the way to go when the river clears. This is the same on the Upper Lost River as well as its tributaries. The flows remain high, and tough to wade on the Lower Lost River, but with some exploring anglers can find some nice pockets to fish. Plan on Nymphing if you go.

The Little Wood River north of Carey is clear enough to fish and should produce some fun fishing with general Attractor Patterns and your favorite Stonefly dries like Royal Stimulators.

Finally, like we always say, the Brown Drake hatch is here, so let’s all be kind to one another and enjoy the laughter and fun being had up and down the lower stretches of the Creek. Help your fellow angler and enjoy this hatch as much for its surreal nature as the fishing opportunity it brings!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - April 13th, 2015

There is some pretty fine weather in the forecast this week. Warm days give fly anglers a great chance to explore. With temperatures in the mid-seventies down on the Snake, and a bright sun to go with it, the Carp fishing should be excellent! Use your favorite Damsel Fly Nymphs, tied upside down so that the hook point rides sticking up. Find yourself some Carp along the banks, bays and backwaters of the Snake and try to present your offering right on their noses. Fishing a 10 foot length of 2x Fluorocarbon is about right with minor adjustments for water clarity and finicky fish.

The reservoir fishing should pick back up if the wind will stay down a bit more this week, than last. A calm, warm day on Magic, the Little Wood or even Anderson Ranch for some Bass can be one of the most fun days anglers can have on the water. Take long leaders and your favorite streamers and enjoy the tight-line retrieve and take!

The Lost River and the Little Wood River remain open for fishing. The spawning activity on the Lost should be increasing in the coming days and weeks, so please be careful about not walking on the Redds of spawning fish. On calm days expect to fish Baetis Dries on the Lost and when the wind comes up plan of Nymphing. The Little Wood is primarily a place to cast Streamers right now, with a little bit of opportunity to cast some Nymphs.

There are still a few Steelhead to be caught on the Salmon River, although one can expect angler numbers to spike with the beautiful weather! If you go, be aware the fish are well into their spawning activity now, so be aware of their Redds also.

Spring is such a great time of the season here. Take advantage of the weather and the opportunity to explore! Search the Malad River and Billingsley Creek, try to time ice-out on the low elevation lakes, and look for arrowheads and morels while you look for fish! The Bass fishing on Carey Lake has been good, Fish Creek Reservoir may still hold a few surprises, even try little Brook Trout in Lake Creek, which can become an adventure in the spring! We are also on the cusp of the new season, so if you tie flies, now is the time! P.M.D, Baetis and Brown Drakes will all be upon us soon!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - April 4th, 2015

Do you miss Silver Creek? Do you miss seeing the fish rise and the ducks fly overhead? If you do, we have great news! Picabo Angler’s Silver Creek Webcam is now up and running! Watch in real time as the bugs hatch and the fish rise. This is also a great way to check wind and weather on the Creek. The camera may be accessed via www.picaboangler.com. Just logon to our website and click the tab at the top of the page labeled Webcam.

We are a little over a month away from the general trout opener in Idaho, but there are still a lot of great fishing opportunities for those anglers that can’t wait for the season to begin! The bulk of the fly fishing happening right now is on the Lower Big Lost River below Mackay Reservoir. There have been hatches of Baetis and some Midges in the afternoon, making for great dry fly opportunities. When the fish aren’t rising the Nymphing has been excellent. Use small Baetis Nymphs, anything Red in color, and your favorite general nymph patterns.

Expect very little change in the weather this week. The temps should hover around 60 degrees on the warm days, and with a little overcast and no wind the Baetis should hatch. The weekend is predicted to be a bit sunnier, so Nymphing may be the way to go as we head toward the weekend.

The Little Wood is fishing fair, with the big Salmon Flies due to come off in the desert stretch anytime now. With warm weather predicted this weekend, a large Stimulator fished in the same method as a Hopper may produce some nice fish and good strikes! Don’t expect to see massive hatches of Salmon Flies, but if you see one here and one there, chances are it is on! This hatch is not long lasting, and there are those that don’t even believe it exists, but be sure that it does! It is just a matter of going and trying until it works.

Other places to fish include all our local reservoirs. They can be very exciting places to fish in the spring. Plump rainbows are the norm in Magic Reservoir with a few nice Browns being caught occasionally. On the Little Wood Reservoir, expect small Rainbows, but plenty of them. Fish your favorite Streamers a few feet deep. Strip the line in slow, but set the hook hard when you feel the strike!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

52 RIVERS IN 52 WEEKS

We recently hosted angler Shelley Walchak as she nears the finish line to her project 52Rivers! Shelley is fishing 52 Rivers in 52 Weeks and blogging as she goes. The plan is to write a book about this amazing journey when it finally winds down. Shelley is a fine angler and an inspiration to anyone who has ever thought about dropping what they are doing and choosing to follow their bliss! Way to go Shelley! Here is a link to her site and a blog about her time with us.