Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - August 24, 2015

Cooler night are becoming the norm as we approach September. What this means to the angler is prolific fishing, as fish feel the change and begin looking to fatten up for the winter. Brown Trout and Brook Trout are getting ready for their spawning season, so they will become even more voracious eaters as they try to pack on the calories for the several weeks of spawning and fighting.

On the Creek the Mouse fishing remains red hot and the best way to land that “fish of a lifetime.” Callibaetis and Trico are still present in numbers large enough to get the fish up and we can expect the Baetis hatches to begin growing with the approach of autumn. Hoppers and Ants remain the best Terrestrials to throw, and between you and I and all the other readers, I would have no hesitation only throwing a Flying Ant pattern morning, noon and night for the rest of the warm summer days we have!

The Big Wood remains a viable fishery when we go a few days without storms. Trico is still the best morning activity, with Hoppers being the afternoon bug of choice, and Caddis or Rusty Spinners in the evening.

The Upper Lost River is fishing really well with Ants and Hoppers as well as prolific midday Baetis hatches. There is plenty of walking to do between holes, but anglers willing to put in maximum effort will catch plenty of nice sized fish.

The Lower Lost flows continue to fluctuate with 400 CFS the level at the time of this writing. Crane Flies and Trico remain a constant, but the higher flows limit the access and the areas where fish will rise. If you go, be flexible, ready to move and think about fishing lower in the system where some of the water gets diverted.

The South Fork of the Boise remains at drift boat levels with Pink Albert and Hoppers like a Club Sandwich being excellent choices. 

Rounding out the month, Grouse Hunting opens on the 30th and Dove season on the 1st of September. Grouse numbers look fantastic this year, but we aren’t seeing a lot of local Doves. Hunters may want to get a bit farther south for Dove limits.

Finally, there is a lot to do right now from Panfish at Carey Lake all the way into the high-country where Brookies and Cutts are on the cusp of the August spawn at altitude! Get out and EXPLORE!

Happy Fishing and Hunting Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - August 25, 2014

When was the last time you broke out your fingerless fishing gloves, a neck gator and a hat when you were fishing Idaho in August? Who would have thought it would come to pass this season? Ideally we are trending back to a more normal August this week, but at this point we could have a snow-nado for all I know!

So, short of a Snow-nado, forest fire, flood or some other trick Mother Nature has rolled up her sleeve, perhaps we can get back to some summertime hatches and world class fishing. Silver Creek has benefited a great deal from the cloud cover and the extra water in the system and with the return of the sun we can expect the return of the Trico spinner falls, the Hopper action and Callibaetis afternoons. This may ramp back up slowly, but the fish should be hungry and ready to take advantage of some lighter conditions and more consistent hatches.

For those of you with guns and dogs, the beginning of the Upland season starts this week. Grouse opens on Saturday and the word is that there are a lot of Grouse this fall! This is a great bird to hunt in the cool forest early in the morning while we wait for temperatures to come down. Hunters can avoid rattlesnakes and overheating dogs by taking advantage of this time of the day at this time of the year.

Dove hunting opens on Monday! If you haven’t checked yet, Idaho Fish and Game announced this:

The Fish and Game Commission has approved liberal limits in response to new harvest strategies for North America's most abundant game bird. The daily limit for mourning doves will be 15, and the possession limit will be 45. The season will last 60 days, from September 1 through October 30.

The new harvest strategy approved by the Pacific Flyway Council is designed to conserve mourning dove populations while minimizing annual regulatory change. While this may be confusing to Idaho hunters in the first year, in the long run the goal is to provide more consistent seasons and limits in the future.

Great news for Dove hunters and foodies alike, as Dove is certainly one of the best tasting game birds out there. We are coming quickly into the finest time of the season for outdoors people in Idaho. So get out there and cast and blast this weekend. Be sure to have all your licenses updates and be sure to have your migratory bird stamp for Doves!

 Happy Fishing and Hunting Everyone!

Upland Primer for Dogs and Pups!

Greetings Upland Hunters

Please join us for the final two weeks of August with your pups in training!

With temperatures still too hot for hard working adult dogs to hunt long distances we are going to reserve the time from August 18th to the 29th for hunters wishing to introduce their new gun dogs to birds.

Join us every weekday morning and some weekends from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. as we head into the field with Chukar to practice a variety of hunting scenarios. Work of pointing, flushing, retrieving or just let your pup find a few birds! We are happy to put them out for you one bird at a time to ensure your puppy’s success.

This “clinic” is open to mature dogs that will be in the field for the first time this season or those that need a tune up. This will also be great for puppies that are hot off the press! This is a perfect time to socialize your new dogs, let them hear a few shots and get comfortable out in the field.

Picabo Angler Outfitter and Guides John Huber and Ross Copperman will be training their own puppies ranging from 1 year to 12 weeks and you will be able to train alongside of them.

Each dog owner will receive 4 Chukar to do as they wish with. We will plant them all at once, or one at a time. The cost is $175 per session. We will be on the Picabo Angler Shooting Preserve with adult Chukars. Reservations are required to keep group sizes to just a few dogs and owners. Call John Huber at 208.788.3536 to make your reservations.

This is a very low pressure, relaxed atmosphere, where our goal is to introduce puppies to birds in the cool morning hours and where fun is more important than perfection.

We look forward to seeing you in the field!

John Huber

john@picaboangler.com

208.788.3536

John Huber and Boone training last season.