Sun Valley Fishing Report - November 3, 2016

If you are really into 50 to 60 degree weather and love sunshine, then this is the week for you! Autumn continues to hold winter off on the valley floors and that means more days of short, but fantastic fishing windows!

On Silver Creek, many of the Browns are finishing up their spawn, although there are still plenty on Redds, so please walk carefully. The fish that are done spawning are going to be hungry! That means big meals like Mouse flies and Streamers will get plenty of attention. This type of action should pick up as more and more fish get done spawning and then look to fatten up for the winter.

The Mahogany Dun and Fall Baetis continue to trickle off and our newest, most favorite hatch on the Creek is the October Caddis! The new gravels that were exposed all over after the Kilpatrick project a few years back, must have made a difference for the Caddis, because this year they are all over and the fish are eating them. A small Orange Stimulator is the ticket! Hoppers, Beetles and Ants are also big time producers. If you have given up on Hopper fishing, think twice!

The Big Wood continues to be a beautiful place to spend a fall day. With the leaves stacking up and the fishing windows shifting to late afternoon, a lazy day can become fast and furious when the Fall Baetis show up. Nymphing with Copper Johns and Hares Ears are also a great choice. The October Caddis north of Ketchum is a fun hatch to match and the Streamer fishing right now will be off the charts!

The Lost River continues to trickle through Mackay and it’s pretty disappointing to look at the low water here. For reasons yet to be explained to us the flows remain around 50 CFS. Keep an eye on the gauge and if the flows return to normal head on over. In the meantime there are better places to fish, without stressing these now low water denizens.

The South Fork of the Boise continues as one of our favorite Fall fisheries, if for no other reason than the canyon light found there this time of year. Mix in a few big Rainbows eating Baetis and standard nymph patterns and you have the makings of a great day. If the fishing is slow, bring a shotgun and go look for the plenitude of Chukar that call the canyon home!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - October 14, 2014

With true fall weather upon this week, expect true fall fishing. The daily hatch and spinner fall windows are going to be much shorter, but the action could also intensify within those windows. This is also a time of year to start going back to some big bushy dry flies on our freestone streams. The H and L Variant and the Royal Stimulator are must haves on the Big Wood and the upper Big Lost right now. The fish have seen plenty of October Caddis and Western Red Quills to turn them back on to the biggest dry flies!

To the west the South Fork of the Boise is very wadable and the fishing is o.k. Take a lot of small nymph patterns and Fall Baetis patterns if you go. Be patient and try a variety of techniques and flies. Be ready to adjust day to day as well. The fly that may be hot on a Friday may be a dud on a Saturday. Be flexible and enjoy one of the most scenic places we fish in the fall!

Silver Creek continues to shine and the cool fall days this week are really going to get things percolating on the Creek. Mahogany Duns love cool bright days and in turn the fish love Mahogany Duns! This is a great hatch and a productive one for anglers. Hoppers are still working and the early morning seems to be the best time to throw them. If you get to the Creek before the daily hatches, try a big foam hopper in the gray of the morning light. You may be surprised. If the wind comes up on you during the afternoon look to throw Ants and Beetles in the wind chop in the middle of the river. Again, you may be surprised by the size of the fish that will come up for something small and black. The particular pattern isn’t that important, just have something you can see in the chop in a size 16 or 14.

Duck and Deer season opened this week, adding to the beauty of this time of the year, but with that said, anglers should take a little caution and think about wearing a few brighter colors to the rivers for the rest of the month. Leave the tan coat at home in favor of your red one! Nothing to worry about, just a precaution.

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - Sept. 22, 2014

The fall hatches are upon us! Some of the best hatches of the year are ramping up this week and last and they should continue well into the month of October. Brown Trout are in pre-spawn mode and Browns and Rainbows alike are feeling the cool nights dropping the water temps thus sending them into a hurry up and get fat before winter mode! This means hungry fish and fish that have been putting their guard up all summer are now letting it down, because soon enough there won’t be hardy any significant hatches to dine on besides the minute winter Midge.

On the Big Wood there are three significant hatches. The smallest event, as well as the spottiest along the river is the October Caddis. This hatch is found best, north of Ketchum and although you won’t see a lot of the insect flying you will see a lot of their shucks on the rocks. Royal Stimulators, Orange Stimulators and Royal Trudes fished in medium sizes are all a good bet to match this bug. Beadhead Hares Ears are an excellent nymph choice to imitate them.

The Fall Baetis is the other wonderful hatch on the Big Wood. This bug will blanket the water on warm fall afternoons. Fish your Silver Creek patterns for this insect.  Size 20 – 22 is about right. Gulper Specials, Parachute Adams and any extended body BWO pattern is the way to go on this hatch. Plan if fishing 6X as well.

The third hatch is the Western Red Quill or Hecuba. This is a big bug! We like fishing our leftover Green Drake patterns to match this hatch. If you see a big emergence of this bug, you may also see your best day on the Big Wood this year!

On Silver Creek the Mahogany Dun is starting to show. This insect likes bright, cool, fall days and can be found in excellent numbers throughout the system, especially on the lower reaches of the Creek near Picabo. The fish get really greedy when this hatch starts. It normally blends in with the Fall Baetis on the Creek, so if you are fishing this hatch be very ready to switch quickly back and forth between the Mahogany and the Baetis. Having two rods rigged is not a terrible idea. The fish will switch back and forth as the Mahogany Dun will come and go in waves throughout the steady Baetis hatches.

Happy Fishing Everyone!