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 - April 24, 2018

The fish have been rising on Silver Creek, the Rainbows are coming off of spawn and the days are getting warmer. Time to get ready for Opening Day! Here is a quick list of things you may want to consider before the season goes into full swing.

Check those waders for leaks! Put on those waders and go stand in the water. Then make one of three decisions. You are good to go for the season with nice dry waders. It’s time to fix the small leaks in those waders or it’s time to throw those nasty old, leaky waders in the garbage and start the season warm and dry!

Check your wading boots. Do you need new laces? New soles? New boots? Keep invasive species in mind and consider a rubber sole bottom with cleats. Ditch the felt sole, the new rubber soles are just as good once you make the mental adjustment.

Check your fly line. Is it cracked? Is the tip sinking on your floating line? Is it full of memory coils? If any of these are true, treat yourself and get a new line. It will add joy to your fishing day. We promise!

Check your reel. Do you need to lubricate any of the parts? Are all the screws tight and flush on the reel seat? Is the reel well balanced to the rod? Give your reel the once over every few months and you’ll get a lot more life out of it!

Are your fly boxes organized? Have you got last year’s Callibaetis out of your Baetis box? Are your Hoppers separated from your Stoneflies? This is also a good time to pre-tie dropper rigs for Green Drake the first Green Drake hatches of the year.

If you have a drift boat or a raft, get that thing cleaned out! Last year’s beer cans and water bottles don’t need to be on the floor of that boat any longer! Check your trailer registration, your ropes and lines and your oars. Be sure you have your invasive species sticker in place and ready to go so you aren’t’ scrambling for one the day you want to float.

Get some maps out, turn on Google Earth and start exploring! This is a great time of year to make a plan to see and fish some waters you have never seen or fished before!

Finally, make a plan to join us the night before Opening Day for our big party with Hank Patterson and Hillfolk Noir!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fly Fishing Report - January 3, 2018

There is no end in sight to this spring like weather. There is a chance for snow over the weekend, but probably not enough to influence the fishing. If anything it may dampen the urge to travel to the lower Lost River or the South Fork of the Boise. The good news is, when its 40 degrees outside in January, you won’t have ice freezing in your guides!

The fishing on the Big Wood has been generally good, although the constant high pressure and bright sun make for diminutive Midge hatches on most days. Trying to find that classic winter day with Midges lining the banks and fish heads up everywhere is hard to come by. The good news is, with less than stellar skiing conditions we have a bunch of great winter fisheries to fall back on!

If we do get a short low pressure system in over the weekend, anglers may find the conditions right for some great dry fly activity. If you see heads up try Griffiths Gnats and Tie-Down Midges fished in tandem. If nothing else the cloud cover should provide a darker day and perhaps get some of the bigger fish out in the open and moving about the river systems. This could be especially true on Silver Creek, where a darker day should turn the Streamer fishing on.

The weekend system should be brief, so be prepared for more of the same the rest of the time. Expect Nymphing with Midge patters like Zebra Nymphs and Brassies to take fish and have some Streamers to fish in brighter patterns on the bright days. Mini Zonkers are one of our favorites on any of our area rivers.

If you fish the Creek, be aware that Duck Hunting season is still happening for a few more weeks, so please don’t approach areas where you see decoys in the water or hear shooting. The Creek is open to catch and release fishing downstream from the Highway 20 Bridge.

With the holidays complete, we know a lot of anglers will be heading to the Salt Water in the coming months to chase flats species. Picabo Angler has a ton of experience in this warm water arena and we are happy to help advise you on your trip, build you a trip, or even host you and your small group to one of our favorite destinations! Get out there and explore!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - December 7, 2017

Cold days and short fishing windows are the norm right now, but the rivers are wide open and seeing very, very little angling pressure. This is a good time to get out on the water, as the day time temperatures are rising above the freezing mark, making fishing comfortable throughout the afternoon.

Silver Creek is now closed upstream of the Highway 20 Bridge. This includes the Double R Ranch as well as the Silver Creek Preserve. The river does remain open from Highway 20 downstream for catch and release fishing. It will remain open until the end of February. Streamers are really the best way to fish the Creek this time of the year. Think about using dark colors on dark days and bright colors on bright days. Cast your streamer to the far bank and retrieve it slowly. With the water turning colder, the fish will be more inclined to chase something they can catch without a huge expenditure of energy. Some days, just let the fly swing without stripping it. You may be surprised by the difference. In any event, the fish will want a certain speed and action, so keep adjusting until you find it. Once you know how they want the fly presented, stick to it!

The Big Wood is one of our best “offseason” fisheries, as it rarely freezes and the fish tend to pod up into winter holes. Look for slow moving, waist deep water is a good start. The fish should mostly be in the center of the runs, avoiding the fast currents, unless the big Midge hatches are going, in which cast look for the fish in the heads and tails of the pools. Fish Streamers and nymphs. A two Nymph rig under a strike indicator is a great way to go. Try Brassies and Zebra Midges.

The Lower Lost is still fishing decent and there is hardly anyone fishing it. The drive is enough to keep most anglers away, and throw in a dash of cold weather and you can have it to yourself! It is primarily a Nymphing river this time of the season. Normally the same flies you would use in the winter in the Big Wood will work just fine on the Lower Lost.

Finally, the South Fork of the Boise can be a nice excursion on a sunny day. Again, the same winter Nymph selection is all you need!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report, November 9, 2017

Winter has arrived in the Sun Valley Area, and with that comes winter fishing! We are blessed to have some of the best winter fishing in the west. We will slowly transition to full blown Midge season, and with that comes all our winter dry fly opportunity. In the meantime though, get your strike indicators out, your double Nymph rigs and your Streamer box as well!

Silver Creek remains open to fishing upstream of Hwy 20 until the end of November. Anglers may continue to see a few rising fish on Baetis hatches in the middle of the day, if the day gets warm enough. The Brown Trout should be mostly done spawning and although they may be thin, they should be looking to put some fat stores away as fast as they can this month! The river downstream of Hwy 20 remains open until the end of November. This water is best fished with Streamers between now and the end of the season.

The Big Wood is always a steady fishery this time of the year. The Rainbows feel the water cooling and they will eat with a little less caution than they have been the past few months. Fish Nymphs or Streamers throughout the system. Copper Johns, Prince Nymphs and most Olive colored Streamers will bring plenty of fish to the net.

The South Fork of the Boise is another decent early winter fishery where a nymph rig fished in the deeper runs and holes will produce some nice sized fish. Use caution when driving down the hill to the river in inclement weather. If it snows, don’t go without tire chains.

The Lower Lost River is also a fun place for early winter fishing. Double Nymph rigs fished with a heavy fly paired with a small Midge patterns can be very effective. Red or Black Zebra Midges are an excellent choice when fished under a Bead Head Prince Nymph, Hares Ear, Pheasant Tail or Copper John.

Keep an eye on the weather in the next few days and weeks. Pay special attention to the day after change…the second of two consecutive sunny days or the second of two consecutive cloudy days is the time to be fishing. Not to beat a dead mule here, but also please remember a change of warm dry clothes when you fish, charge your cell phone and be ready for a cold weather emergency!

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 Fishing Report - November 11, 2016

A Hoppertunity lost is no Hoppertunity at all. The forgotten bug of the Fall is almost always the Grasshopper. This bug, which is generally associated with hot, windy days in the summer is a hardy insect and the chance to fish this big bug is always given up on prematurely. Here we are in November, and many of our desert rivers continue to flow low and the hatches have begun to dwindle, yet go walk the South Fork of the Boise, Silver Creek, or the lower Big Wood. What you will see is a plethora of Hoppers still.

Throw in cooler temperatures and now you have a very vulnerable insect. One that would normally hop into the water to avoid birds and other predators would normally swim (kick) back to the shore. Now though, the Hoppers hit the water and are all but comatose when they do. Making them an easy target for fish and also giving anglers a clue as to how to treat the fly on the water. No reason to twitch the fly when the real thing is frozen in time.

The list of bugs that seemingly go unnoticed also includes the October Caddis. This bug, much like big Salmon Flies on the Big Wood or the Green Drakes on Silver Creek, is not one you see massive hatches of…instead the bug trickles off all Fall long under our noses, and the fish love them! You can find October Caddis on the Big Wood, Silver Creek, the South Fork of the Boise, the Lost River and pretty much everywhere you fish trout in the west. Just don’t go looking for skies filled with orange bodies Caddis, instead think about searching the water much the way you would fish a Hopper pattern.

Finally the Crane Fly is the last insect I’ll mention here in the list of forgotten Fall bugs. It is never going to show in huge numbers and it’s most effective over smooth water, but a long riffle is also an effective place to fish this fly. The Crane Fly is one of the most entertaining bugs to fish as anglers generally skate the fly on the surface downstream of where they are wading. This makes for explosive takes more akin to a Bass than a Trout. The end result is the fish miss the fly quite often, but watching them explode on it is worth the price of admission! When they don’t miss it – Even Better!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fishing Report - October 27, 2016

Fall and Winter continue to battle for supremacy this week which results in some pretty awesome fishing all over the place, but especially on Silver Creek! The Mahogany Dun continues to swarm several times a day, beginning around lunch time and then off and on all day until the sun sets. The Fall Baetis is still present and we continue to fish Hopers, Ants and Beetles with a lot of success!

The Brown Trout are in full spawning mode now and there are “Redds” Spawning beds all over the Creek. If you see these clear patches of gravel, stay out of them and leave these fish alone so they can complete their spawning cycle, much the way you and I would like to complete ours! With that said, fishing an egg pattern behind and around these Redds could result in some nice Rainbow hook ups!

The Lost River is worth skipping this week, unless you see flows return to normal. For reasons unknown to us, the flows on the Lower Lost have been reduced to a trickle, forcing fish to pool up and line up. The flows have been recording below 50 CFS.  Wait for flows to return to the 100 CFS mark before you waste your time driving all the way over the hill. It pretty much has become winter on the Upper Lost and it looks like it could get white up there again this week.

In any case, no matter where you fish right now, stay on top of the weather and road conditions. Be prepared for winter to show up unannounced at any time. Don’t get caught in a bad situation that you could have prevented with a few minutes of extra prep time. Bring extra warm clothes, keep your gas tank full, keep a sleeping bag and some food and water in your vehicle. Be sure to charge your cell phone batteries and TELL someone where you are going fishing and when you will return!

With all these preparations now made, think about heading to the South Fork of the Boise for Fall Baetis, October Caddis, Crane Flies and Hopper fishing. The South Fork really turns off and on this time of the year, so if you go one day and it isn’t good. Don’t give up on the river…there can be some awfully big fall hatches in the bottom of that spectacular canyon!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fishing Report - Sept 28, 2016

Cooling temperatures are beginning to close the daytime fishing windows. Expect a shift closer and closer to midday fishing as things continue to cool down. This doesn’t mean we will see a drop off in fishing. In fact we should see a true push away from the summer hatches, including the big Callibaetis hatches we have been experiencing, and a lot more of the Fall Baetis, Mahogany Duns.

Silver Creek is truly special right now. I have been saying this for weeks, but if you want to see the Creek full of crystal clear water, now is the time. If you want to see massive Bull Moose walking about and watch the evening ritual of Bull Elk bugling, now is the time. If you want to see the beginnings of the water fowl migration, coupled with the migration of giant Brown Trout, now is the time!

Plan on the fishing to start later and later in the day. Right now about 10:00 is plenty early and by weeks end 11:00 should suffice. Once the action begins, anglers can normally fish pretty close to dark this time of the year. If you want to stay, this is the best time of the year to target the biggest fish in the Creek with a Mouse pattern after dark.

Take all your Silver Creek techniques if you head for the Big Wood this week. Fall Baetis and fish moving into the slick water tail-outs of the runs will force anglers to bring out the 6X tippets and a low profile as you approach. Patterns like Gulper Specials, and Parachute Adams in a size 20 and 22 will work great.  Fish small Orange Stimulators north of town to imitate the October Caddis and don’t forget a big size 12 H and L Variant when nothing else is working.

The Upper Lost is beginning to quiet down for the season, but if you want solitude and some decent fishing there is still some opportunity for adventurous anglers. The Lower Lost continues to fish well with Baetis and most red colored nymphs like Copper Johns and San Juan Worms.

The South Fork of the Boise should bust loose with Fall Baetis earlier in the day as the temperatures are cooling. The fishing has been good, but a late start has kept anglers away. Expect things to crank up around noonish as we feel the air chill.

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 14, 2016

Silver Creek is absolutely magical right now! The river is flowing higher than it has in years. The fish are eating with abandon most of the day. Callibaetis and Hoppers are bringing greedy fish to the surface and the Mahogany Dun is due to show this week, if it hasn’t already! Honestly, the Creek is worth the trip just to see it right now. It looks spectacular. Anglers staying late will find the Mouse fishing as good as it gets. The next two weeks on Silver Creek may turn out to be the best two weeks of the season. Don’t miss this!

The South Fork of the Boise should drop to 300 CFS by Friday. That means a reduction in flows most of the week. If you are planning a trip, watch the USGS graphs and try to wait for things to stabilize. When they do expect Fall Baetis hatches to continue and even grow in intensity. If you go, start late in the day and fish right up to dark.

The Big Wood continues to fish well with the Western Red Quill and the Fall Baetis. Hoppers are also in the mix in the bright parts of the day. When fishing the Western Red Quill use all your favorite Green Drake flies. They will work very well for this hatch. H and L Variants are great as well as Parachute Adams, Irresistible Adams and Gray Wulffs. The Fall Baetis is easily matched with very small Parachute Adams and Gulper Specials. Bring your spring creek techniques to this hatch and watch the tail of the pools!

The Lower Lost River continues to impress with big numbers of fish being caught - being replaced by anglers catching fewer, but much larger fish as of late! The Baetis action and Nymphing is the way to go. Be sure you have nymphs in red colors in your box as well. Copper Johns and San Juan Worms are great flies once the Kokanee that spill over the dam start spawning.

The Upper Lost is low and fishing well for anglers on the move, but it is a long walk between pools. Small attractors are the way to go, with a nod toward Red Quill sizes and colors. There is road work happening on Trail Creek later this week, so if you go, check your local news sources for open and closed times of the day.

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 - Sept 1, 2016

A cooling trend is coming which may spell the end to any significant summer hatches that are left. It is time for the fall bugs! We may have to fish our way through a few weeks of transition, but fall is in the air and the bugs that come with it make for some if the seasons best fishing!

On Silver Creek, expect to see a drop off in the Callibaetis activity as well as Trico in the mornings. In the late summer and early fall we do experience a Trico condition where the air is not warm enough for them, but they try to hatch anyway. The end result is insects that normally would hatch in the dark are out in the mornings and stuck on the water. The fish key on this quickly and take advantage of these easy meals without the ability to fly away. So don’t put your Trico box away just yet!

Expect Hopper action to continue and be strong. The colder it gets and the less energy the Hoppers have, the more susceptible to fish they become. Baetis action should stay strong and even increase as we near the massive Fall Baetis hatches. Now is the time to stock up on Fall Baetis patterns as well as Mahogany Duns. Mouse fishing continues to get better and better as the Browns start their spawning run. They are displaced, angry and voracious as they try to pack on the calories before they spawn.

Expect the Big Wood to start fishing better during the day. The cool mornings and evenings will start pushing the peak activity to late morning and afternoon. Expect fish to start moving into the slick water and tail-outs of the biggest pools.

The Upper Lost should see much of the same conditions as the Wood, with a focus on Flying Ants. On any given day this time of the year, the Flying Ant can become the most important fly in your box. The Lower Lost is still in the middle of Trico madness, but that could begin to wane with the cooler mornings.

The South Fork of the Boise continues to flow at driftboat levels and Hoppers, Ants and Beetles are great choices fished both dry and drowned. The Pink Albert is day to day, but this hot weather bug should also get knocked back by cooler days.

Fill your fly boxes with tiny Baetis, Mahogany Dun and Western Red Quills and you’ll be ready for the coming attraction!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

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 15, 2016

Callibaetis! Anglers, you don't have to get up early to catch the only hatches of the day anymore! The Callibaetis has come to the stillwater sections of Silver Creek in large numbers. The action has been starting around noon and peaking around 2:00 p.m. By 4:00 p.m. the action is over for the day. These hours are always able to change day to day, but as a guideline, eat an early lunch and get to the river in the heat of the day. Bring your float tube as the best fishing during Callibaetis hatches centers around the Kilpatrick Bridge area. If you don't have a tube, we will rent you one, or you can check out the bank fishing on Sullivan's Slough! 

We have a huge selection of Callibaetis and we pick our patterns specifically for the Creek!

John

Sun Valley Fishing Report - August 8, 2016

The coolest day of the week is tomorrow. We shouldn't break 80 in Picabo. Bring a lot of Baetis and Calllibaetis. It should be a good late morning fishery on the Creek. The entire day could be decent if the wind stays down. If it doesn't stay down, bring Hoppers. 

On the Big Wood it's little Attractors and Caddis. Small nymph rigs are also catching fish. The very early morning remains the best time to find bigger fish. Streamer fish before they go sulk under a log all day. 

On the upper Lost. Fish in the shadows. Bring your best sidearm/skip cast and get your bugs under the bushes. Get it next to the bank and under the bushes and you will catch the rivers biggest fish. Practice those casts in the backyard, bring plenty of flies and then go search for Fine Spotted Cutthroat gold! 

John

Sun Valley Fishing Report - August 4, 2016

The heat has subsided quite a bit the last few days. The smoke is clearing some as well, although that seems to change by the day and with the wind direction. The highs that were in the 90s are now in the 80s making the day more comfortable. It also means getting to Silver Creek and most area rivers at 7:30 or 8:00 instead of first light!

The Hopper action is picking up and the Trico action is not slowing down! There is still a lot of fun to be had on the Creek prior to Mouse fishing hours! Fish are still eating Callibaetis dries on the slough and this ads to the afternoon offerings on the Creek. If you fish the Hopper, have PINK bodies on them. They are keyed on that color this season.

Our other area waters are fishing well all day with the biggest fish getting caught at low light periods. We are almost to the Flying Ant time of the year, so be sure you have them in your fly box. Last August we saw many days where you had to have an Ant to catch any decent amount of fish. Don’t get caught without them.

John

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 Fishing Report - July 12, 2016

We begin our return to summer temperatures today. Plan on Trico activity on Silver Creek to really ramp up as we head closer to the weekend. The Hopper activity on the Creek, although not red hot yet, is as good as we've seen for a few years. The Baby Hopper flies are bringing fish to the surface on the windy afternoons, and there seems to be plenty of those lately!

Cool nights are really helping keep water temperatures in the perfect range on the Creek. This is spurring on great hatch activity and is great for the general health of the fish! 

Our freestone streams remain in great shape and are fishing really well with Stimulators, Parachute Adams and other small attractor flies. Standard nymph patterns are also taking plenty of fish.

Get your sun screen and bug spray back out for the week. It is going to be a good one!