Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley short term fishing forecast.

Silver Creek, Idaho short term fishing forecast. The dark clouds, the wind, the cold, are all still with us today. Things should blow through tonight. By tomorrow we should see the late morning sun and a slow warm up to normal summer temperatures. When this happens expect the PMD action and Green Drake action on the Nature Conservancy to really ramp up. We should see good hatches throughout the system including Callibaetis, Baetis and Ants. If you are fishing today, think about casting Streamers, as the dark skies will have the biggest fish out in the open looking for bait fish.

Everyday is a good day to fish! Get out there!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - December 2, 2015

Jack Frost and Old Man Winter teamed up this past week and made a pretty good case for staying in the house to tie some flies! Don’t fret as the conditions should change by Thursday back to what we would consider “normal” winter fishing conditions. This means we get back to fishing windows that should last from 11:00 a.m. to about 4:00 p.m.

If nothing else this past week reminded us of why we carry tire chains, extra food and water, as well as a change of clothes. Are fun level is often dictated by how prepared and safe we can be. Take this to heart and always be prepared when heading out into the wilds of Idaho. Even if you are only 4 miles from town – Town is still in the middle of wilderness!

Getting back into the swing of winter fishing, anglers should be prepared to nymph the standard winter flies. Try Zebras Nymphs and Brassies as primary flies and fish them under a strike indicator. One and a half the waters depth is the standard rule for the depth to set your indicator, or about an arm length on the Big Wood.

Approaching the Christmas Holiday means we also approach the winter dry fly season. Low pressure and warmish days could provide the first significant Midge hatches of the winter. This means fill your fly box with Griffiths Gnats, Tie-Down Midges and Trailing Shuck Midge patterns. Have some dry shake as well. If you find rising fish, use the Griffiths Gnat as a lead fly. They are easy to see and will help you locate your Trailing Shuck patterns. Tie your Trialing Shuck patterns 18 inches behind the Griffiths Gnat from the bend in the hook. Dress both flies well with a dry shake type floatant, being sure not to get any on the tail of the Trailing Shuck. You want the shuck in the water or the film on the surface. This easy target is what the fish are keying on, and is what will make them choose your fly over thousands of real Midges!

Road conditions by the weekend should be pretty decent and allow anglers to travel to the Lost and the South Fork of the Boise. Silver Creek should start producing nice fish being taken on Streamers. Remember, Silver Creek is only open from the Highway 20 Bridge downstream for the months of December through February.

Happy Fishing Everyone!

A Thank You.

Summer is wrapping up quickly in Picabo. Good things are coming though, as the fall is our favorite season down here on the Creek! Yet, sadly with the end of summer, we say goodbye to our college bound summer helpers; Nathan Nelson and Phoebe Bean.

It seems like years instead of months since the Brown Drake hatch in May. Watching Nathan run around like mad, working in the shop, getting dirty in the field, being the last one to the water at the end of the day - with the Drakes in full swing - and smiling all the way through it for weeks…was a proud moment for all of us! Nathan was thrown into the frying pan this summer. Starting your first fly shop gig on one of the world’s most challenging waters is not ideal, but it is necessary as Picabo Angler continues to grow. Nathan learned fast, fished hard and met a whole lot of fly anglers from all over the globe.

NATHAN NELSON

Phoebe blew all our minds when she put together a women’s fly fishing course that became the highlight of the summer at Picabo Angler! Seven women were lucky enough to see Phoebe Bean unleash 21 years of fishing knowledge and then share some time on the water with her. Her knowledge coupled with her personality and drive sets Phoebe apart and makes her the kind of teacher that can easily go “beyond” fishing instruction... The outpouring of good vibes permeated the shop for weeks and the phone began ringing with requests for more classes. Phoebe has promised no less than three next summer! She wants it known that new AND returning students are all welcome to join her.

PHOEBE BEAN

One thing Picabo Angler has been striving to do is create a vibe on kindness on the Creek, urging anglers to say hello to one another, compare notes, help with flies, help each other find a spot, or even share a beer with a stranger. We are proud to be that hub and be a part of a fly fishing community where we are all brothers and sisters of the fly. Phoebe and Nathan came into the shop, not knowing that was our mission, but they both understood it right away. Mostly by watching a swarm of people during the madness of Brown Drakes be amazingly awesome to one another!

So thank all of you “Picabo Anglers” for helping these two great young people feel welcome and supported. Many a high level angler could have been standoffish with our summer help, but instead you all shared knowledge and bought enough flies and hats to get everyone back next season! We’re super proud of the summer we just had! Thank You Nathan! Thank You Phoebe! Thank You Anglers!

See you in the fall!

John Huber

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - May 18, 2015

If you listen closely you will hear the sounds of zippers being pulled closed on wader bags, float tubes being aired up, click and pawl drags being tested, and the sound of fly boxes being snapped shut. Opening Day is upon us Idaho!

Silver Creek is the place to be this weekend as recent rains have blessed this special body of water with a nice cleansing and levels high enough to spread the fish throughout the system. Partly cloudy conditions coupled with warmish temperatures spells great mayfly activity. Expect Baetis and P.M.D.s to take center stage, but also be aware the Callibaetis has been very strong here on warm days. No matter what, be sure to have Beetle and Ant patterns!

The Brown Drake is still a week or more away and will most likely appear once we return to a weather pattern of warm sunny days and temperate nights. Keep an eye on the forecast, or do it the fun way and just show up at Picabo Bridge every evening after the weekend and wait for the first big night!

The Big Wood may fish a little on the weekend, it really depends on the rain and how hard it is coming down. The clarity seems to be changing day to day, and although the flows aren’t huge, there are probably better places to be for now.

The Lost River is fishable as of now, but again, there are a lot of variables here, both above and below the Mackay Dam. Keep an eye on the CFS below the dam, if it doesn’t jump to high you may find some o.k. fishing. The upper Lost will fish depending on the clarity.

The Little Wood River will have some fishing above and below the Little Wood Reservoir Dam. Think big Stone and Salmon Flies.

The South Fork of the Boise is also worth a look, but this river is generally better the later we get into June.

All in all, Opening Day presents a few challenges to finding the best fishing. Pay close attention to the details like CFS and Weather before you decide where to be. You can count on Silver Creek fishing, and of course Picabo Angler and the Nature Conservancy will  hosting our annual Opening Day parties, so no matter whether you fish or not on the opener, come on down to Picabo and enjoy a wonderful day with friends and all your brothers and sisters of the fly!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Silver Creek Access Primer #4

Here is our latest Silver Creek access primer and it's on The Willows access point. We have done these videos starting at the farthest downstream public access (Priest Rapids Video Primer #1) and we are working our way upstream showcasing all of the public access points on Silver Creek.