Sun Valley Fly Fishing Report

Sun Valley / Picabo Area Fishing Report - November 1, 2018

Here comes the cold! A significant change in our weather patterns means temperatures should be dropping about 10 degrees less than what we’ve been experiencing. This could mean the beginning of the end of the dry fly season in the Sun Valley area. The heat of the day could produce some small dry fly windows, especially if it is calm out. Think late afternoons if you want to try to fish the surface.

Silver Creek has a few more hatches left. The Fall Baetis here can sometimes last until Thanksgiving, but that fishing window could shrink down to an hour or two of decent rises. The Brown Trout will be coming off the spawn soon. This means a lot of big hungry trout are going to be out hunting and looking to pack on the calories before winter sets in. This means Streamer fishing and especially on cloudy days and low light periods. The Creek can be a spectacular place in the late fall, just watch the weather and try to find some nice fair days to go fish.

The Big Wood will still fish surprising well with some large attractors in the fall. Consider large Royal Wulffs, H and L Variants and even some Orange or Royal Stimulators. The Midge activity in the early evening is also a nice precursor and warm up for this winter’s Midge hatches! If nothing seems to be working get out an Olive Bugger and fish a lot of water. You will find some nice fish with the proper Streamer techniques. Now, if all else fails, fish a Prince Nymph / Red Copper John tandem under a strike indicator!

The Lower Lost River is still a great place to be in the Fall. Manageable flows and hungry fish mean anglers are finding good success. Nymphing is the norm and a variety of Midge patterns and small Baetis patterns will do the trick!

O.K. it is time to pay closer attention to the weather before you travel to fish. We would suggest taking time this week and putting together a winter fishing / travel kit. Fill an bag with a dry change of warm clothes. Pack some food and water and throw a good sleeping bag in the truck as well. Freak storms, muddy or snowy roads and short daylight hours means we all need to take precautions as we enter the winter fishing season. Be safe and have fun!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing Report

Sun Valley / Picabo Area Fishing Report - October 24, 2018

A fall mix of weather is upon us. Sun, rain and clouds are all in the forecast, but daytime temperatures should remain comfortable. Cloudy days are certainly going to influence the hatches, but still no need to wake up and get to the water early. Best fishing times should remain between lunch and dinner.

Silver Creek hatch activity remains strong in the middle and later half of the day. The Baetis is the dominant hatch, and this activity could increase with the cloud cover this week. The Mahogany Dun is also still out and about, although in fewer numbers. Expect to see this hatch along with the Baetis late in the day. Don’t hesitate to check out the downstream access points like Silver Creek East to see the best hatches of this insect. Lastly, the October Caddis is still hatching. Anglers can pick up a few fish with this fly during the day by treating it like a Grasshopper. The actual occurrence of the bug should take place closer to the evening hours.

The Big Wood is still fishing very well. We haven’t had a season this good on the Big Wood since our first big forest fires a decade ago. Great hatches, lots of fish and sizable fish have all been in the mix. Now, with angler numbers down for the season, its’s a great time to be out there! Fish Baetis wets and dry and be prepared for some Streamer fishing or Nymph Fishing when the fish aren’t rising. Olive Streamers fish while moving at a decent pace will take plenty of fish. Copper John’s in Red and Copper under a strike indicator will also produce fish.

The Lower Lost remains a great place to fish this fall. Decent Baetis hatches and lots of fish distribution are making for happy anglers. Nymphing is the norm and fishing tandem nymphs will produce good catch rates. Try large nymphs as the lead fly, like a Prince Nymph or Copper John. Drop a small micro-nymph behind these, like a Zebra Nymph or your favorite Tungsten Beaded pattern.  Move slowly up the river and even fish the shallow riffles. Move slow enough and you should be able to site nymph a few fish if the sun is out!

The South Fork of the Boise continues to pump out cookie cutter days of fabulous Baetis hatches. This is a great place to cast and blast as well! Chukar hunt all morning and catch the hatch after lunch!

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 27th, 2017

Happy New Year from Picabo Angler! Cold days are upon us, but the fishing is great! With little snow to speak of fly fishing our local waters is a great fall back in the Sun Valley area. The rivers are open to catch and release fishing and the anglers that have taken advantage of this are catching some nice sized fish.

The Big Wood is a wonderful winter fishery. The fish have begun rising to winter Midge hatches and the biggest fish are coming to Streamers and Nymph rigs with regularity. Expect fishing windows to last from about 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Find the slow moving water and watch the heaviest foam lines and back eddies. The rising fish are found in thigh deep water where they gather and slowly move their way toward shallower lies as the hatches progress. Fish Streamers virtually anywhere with a focus on water without heavy currents. The same can be said for Nymph set-ups. Fish double Nymph rigs under strike indicators and keep on the move until you start hooking up! If you find one, you’ll find several as they are much less solitary in the winter and tolerate each other a lot more.

Silver Creek remains virtually untouched so far this winter. The Streamer fishing here can be great and can often produce and anglers biggest fish of the season. If you head down here toward Picabo, keep in mind that the river is only open downstream of the Highway 20 Bridge and only open to catch and release fishing. Large streamers fished on the swing will take a few fish. Try to target fish with bright colors on bright days and darker colors on darker days. No weight is necessary as the fish will happily chase your Streamer just under the surface and the visuals when fishing here can be really exciting. Anglers will often see the wake and the take when the fish strikes.

The Lower Lost is a bit of a drive away, but with the current conditions, storms and drifting snow don’t seem to be a factor. Make this trip around through Picabo and we can show you the flies and even send you down the road with lunch in hand!

The lack of snow and easy winter driving also make the South Fork of the Boise an attractive place to fish until the first big storms arrive. Use the all the same flies you would fish on local rivers. Zebra Midges, Streamers, Brassies and Tie-Down Midges are all excellent choices!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - August 8, 2017

We have waited a long time for a good Grasshopper season. We now have a GREAT Hopper season underway! One of the greatest joys in fly fishing, is without question, “The Hopper Take”! We wait months and months and months as fly anglers for the opportunity to throw the big bug. We see the Brown Drake early season and the Salmon Fly on a few rivers and get the opportunity to cast big dry flies. Then every few years we get Hoppers in fantastic numbers. When it happen it seems to happen on all our rivers.

This season the South Fork of the Boise set the bar high early with Hopper action practically ties to the Salmon Fly hatch. The Hoppers continue to grow and be eaten on the South Fork. Drift Boats are the way to go if you want to cover a lot of water with a big foam Hopper. We carry the Morrish Hopper in Pink and Tan.

The Hopper / Dropper rig on any river right now is not a bad way to go. On Silver Creek, think pure and forgo the Dropper so you can see the big “Inhale” on the flat water! Silver Creek is still fishing well with Damsels when the wind is down. The Stalcup Damsel in Blue or Tan is the fly these fish really want to eat. The Callibaetis hatches and spinner falls seem to be growing again, as the size drops to nearly an 18. Try to find small size 16 patterns or big 18s. Tricos continue to bring up pods of fish if you are in the right place. If it’s 9:00 a.m. and you aren’t seeing fish podded up, think about trying a completely new area.

Both the Upper and Lower Lost rivers are fishing well with a Hopper, or Hopper / Dropper set up. The downriver flows are still challenging, but the tributaries like the North and East Forks are fishable. The flows on the Lower Lost are still challenging to wade while staying in the river channel, but some Crane Fly action and some Nymphing will catch fish. In most runs the Hopper is a great searching pattern.

The Big Wood is providing anglers with broad smiles as everyone learns new spots and new runs that the fish have also learned and love! Those medium sized attractors both wet and dry are the way to go. Oh, and HOPPERS!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - August 1, 2017

When everything is fishing well, it is easy to get spread out, and the past week on the local rivers showed that. Great fishing is happening in so many areas right now that angler numbers in any one area have dropped dramatically. Anglers are exploring all the new runs on all the rivers that were “rebuilt” during this year’s epic spring run-off. Anglers are beginning to boat as the water drops during a time of year when rivers are normally becoming too low to float! The end result is great fishing with fewer anglers.

Silver Creek just continues to impress as the Trico spinner falls continue to build and move upstream. When the wind stays down in the morning the show has been starting around 8:00 a.m. The Baetis and Callibaetis are on the water in the morning as well. This action has been lasting until almost lunch time. Anglers that are willing to go back after lunch are finding days of epic Damsel Fly activity. The Hopper action is building quickly!

It’s Adams Season on the Big Wood these days. A complete line of Adams Flies can take an angler through a day or week of fishing on the Big Wood right now. Parachute Adams, Adams Irresistible, and Standard Adams are producing fish. The Irresistible Adams fished in large sizes is a great searching pattern, while the Parachute and Standard Adams in a variety of sizes work wonderfully on rising fish. If things get slow, hang a Prince Nymph from a Royal Stimulator and search all the water you can.

The Upper Lost continues to come into shape. Large dry flies, Streamers and Nymph rigs are all working throughout the system, but with the falling water, anglers have a great chance to cast large, bushy dry flies to big fish. The flows on the main Lost are still high enough to be dangerous, so be careful on the main. The flows in the tributaries are reasonable and wade-able.

The South Fork of the Boise is Hopper central these days, with some Cicadas and Pink Alberts in the mix as well. Anglers staying late are seeing a nice evening rise, as many fish are refusing to play in the bright sun! The river is still at boating levels and things have changes some, so if you haven’t floated this year, be hyper aware of these changes.

With another hot week upon us, expect the fishing to remain hot as well!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - June 30, 2017

It has been a long time since we reported on rivers with decreasing flows...We are knocking on the door to some pretty good fishing, as things finally begin to normalize. We are not there yet, as some rivers are clearing but the volume still means very little holding water and places to cast a fly. Other rivers are on the cusp of being explored in areas, and trust us, there is going to be plenty of exploring to do as the rivers runs and holes have most likely changed big time! Caution is still a must, and please continue to leave your dog at home when approaching these local rivers. We should be fishing on almost all our area waters in the coming 2 weeks, with a few exceptions. In the meantime Silver Creek continues to produce and fish well and the Trico spinner falls continue to garner steam!

CFS  - Cubic Feet per Second

Silver Creek - 132

South Fork of the Boise - 3000

Big Wood - 1890

Lower Lost River - 1610

Upper Lost River - 1410

Little Wood - 454

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - June 14, 2017

THE SUN IS OUT! A slow return to summer temperatures means we can expect a slow return to the epic fishing we saw on Silver Creek the first two weeks of the season. Plan on seeing a large variety of bugs and plenty of rising fish with each warming day.

Anglers should expect to see quite a few Green Drakes on the Creek this week. The Brown Drakes are all but gone for the season, but with the warmth, if we saw a freak occurrence some nights this week, we would not be surprised. The PMD “Pale Morning Dun” should also begin to come off in force this week. The Callibaetis action remains strong as well as the small Baetis “Blue Winged Olive” hatches and spinner falls.

Terrestrials are still a great bet and a few Damsel flies should appear with the sun. Baby Hoppers have made their way onto the scene and we should be able to cast smaller patterns in the next few weeks. The Streamer action on the Creek has been really good under the cloudy weather, but bright sun is the forecast, so this action may drop off a bit.

Elsewhere, our freestone rivers, the Big Wood and Upper Big Lost remain really high and really dangerous. Flows should increase all week. Stay away from this water, and be sure to keep your dog miles from this mess! If you want to swim them, take them to a local lake, pond or reservoir.

The South Fork of the Boise flows have been dropped some. The outflows below the dam could increase if the flows coming in increase, so keep your eyes on the CFS before you make the commitment to go. If the flows haven’t been stable for a day or two, it’s probably not going to fish well. If the flows remain constant, we may begin to see the Salmon Flies on the lower river.

Reaching way out, the Henry’s Fork and the Owyhee are two outlying rivers from our area, but they are at least fishing. For up to the minute reports on the Owyhee you can check out Idaho Angler in Boise, and the Trout Hunter in Island Park can fill you in on everything Henry’s Fork.

Magic Reservoir continues to fish well and it is a nice alternative and change from fishing the same areas until the waters drop on our local rivers. Finally, we are blessed in the sense that we may not have a lot of places to fish, but Silver Creek has been a world class fishery since opening day!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Brown Drake Update 06/07/17

The Drakes revved back up again last night. Anglers in the Silver Creek East and West access points were treated to a big spinner fall. Anglers closer to Picabo were greeted with fewer bugs, but plenty of rising fish and all the elbow room they wanted! Tonight should be even more epic in the same upstream areas as last night. There are still bugs from top to bottom and fish eating them, so don't hesitate to spread out, if it's fish you are after. If you want see "The Show" stay closer to Highway 20! See you later today!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Fishing Report - May 2, 2017

A special season is about to begin on Silver Creek. Flows have been holding steady at around 226 CFS for nearly a week. There is little fluctuation, so there is no reason to expect any significant drop before the opener! We could start the season at a higher flow than we ever saw all of last season! This means a healthy fisher, healthy fish, and more fish spread throughout the system! So far the hatches have been awesome. The giant size 14 Baetis have been joined by daily PMD occurrences. Expect the Baetis to get smaller at Opening Day approaches, and the PMD action should continue to ramp up as the spring temperatures rise.

The ongoing question about Brown Drakes is anyone’s guess right now! With a return to more normal historic flows, we wonder if we will also see a return to the mid-June event that has occurred at the end of May for the past three seasons. We’ll go kick up some nymphs soon and give you our prediction. Stay tuned!

With Opening Day around the corner, don’t forget our second annual “Evening with Hank Patterson” on Friday night the 26th. Doors and beers will open at 6:00 p.m. with Hank taking over the entertainment at 7:00 p.m. This is a free event to fundraise for the folks at Reel Recovery. We encourage you to attend, lend your support and mostly get a nice long laugh in the night before we all go fishing!

The only other options for opening weekend will be tailwater like the South Fork of the Boise and the Lower Lost River. These areas are flow dependent though. The South Fork of the Boise will be boating water, with major flows, so experienced boaters only!

The Lower Lost River may fish depending on the flows, but at this point we think it would be a long shot to have fishable waters over there once the irrigation starts and the water is needed downstream.

The good news is we are blessed with Silver Creek, and we are blessed with the kindness of the anglers that fish here. Don’t worry about how many people are out and about on the opener. It is a celebration! Not everyone is fishing, many just come to be a part of this wonderful weekend. So plan a trip to Picabo on May 26th for an Evening with Hank Patterson, and again on the 27th for Opening Day! Heck, you may as well camp out!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fly Fishing Report

February 1, 2017

Warming temperatures, clouds and some snow are moving into the Sun Valley area again this week. This should make the local fly fishing fabulous! Last week all of Silver Creek thawed for a few days and 1 or 2 anglers took advantage of this! It has since refroze in some places, although there is still some open water to fish. With the warmth coming we can expect Silver Creek to open back up from the ice, and we should have the normal fantastic winter fishing all of February.

If you come to Picabo to fish, keep in mind that Point of Rocks is the best place for access. Snow shoes and / or a float tube could really open up some water for you. Plan of fishing Streamers most of the time, with a little chance for Midge activity. Remember, dark flies on dark days and bright flies on bright days! Treat the fishery like you are Steelhead fishing. Cast across the river, let your streamer come across the current with your rod tip on the water following the line across. When the fish hits you will see the boil in the water. Let the fish hook himself why you gently raise the rod. If you don’t get a strike in a few casts, take a few steps downstream. Repeat this through all the best looking water. Do keep in mind that the fish in Silver Creek like to spend the afternoon in shallow water sunning themselves, so don’t ignore those big flat areas, especially adjacent deep water.

Expect the Big Wood and Lower Lost to have great Midge activity this week. The low pressure and clouds should spur this on, providing some great dry fly fishing in the hip deep riffles and runs up and down both rivers. February is the month we start seeing the first signs of the Little Black Stoneflies. They may not occur until later in the month, but be prepared. A Prince Nymph or large Zug Bug fished on the swing is the best way to imitate this insect. Fish it all the way into the bank as these bugs crawl to the shore and the fish look for them in the shallows before they climb out of the water.

Remember, take extra clothes, food and water with you when you fish. Tell a friend where you are going and try not to fish alone! Safety First!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Mouse Fishing Report - August 17, 2016

Chi-Towns own Hanley Dawson fished with Picabo Angler tonight. Yes, the Mouse fishing is getting good!

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 - August 2, 2016

One of the purest joys in fly fishing is discovery. Finding the right fly, finding that big fish, finding that secret creek are all joyous occasions. This week Silver Creek has put forth a hatch that is akin to discovery. The Damsel Fly is the hatch, and despite it being a hatch we see each summer, the activity we’ve seen in the past week is unparalleled on this river! Starting around noon, Damsel Flies are blanketing the water in numbers large enough to hear their wing beats. Even when the wind is blowing anglers can find places where the fish are taking Damsels.

Look for the biggest weed beds on the Creek and then spend some time watching the edges and the drop offs behind these patches. The fish have been eating with such vigor that even on the windy days they can be seen eating weeds off the surface due to mistaken identity and pure hunger.

If you fish the Damsel Flies on the Creek, keep in mind the hook set is very, very different. When a fish takes your Damsel you must wait, and wait and wait, and then set the hook hard! Your tippet material should not be lighter than a 3X. The old adage about saying “god save the queen” before your hook set is true here, and maybe even say it twice.

While you search for fish feeding on Damsels a pink colored Hopper is working very well on the Creek. Windy days are best, but they aren’t required. The calmer the day, the tighter you want to fish your Hopper to the bank.

The Big Wood is fishing well. Plan in Trico in the morning, Hoppers in the afternoon and Caddis in the evenings. Fish light tippets like 5X and 6X. Small nymphs are also an effective way to fish if things get slow on the surface.

The upper Lost River is fishing on par with the Big Wood. Light Tippets and Flying Ants are a great way to go. If you get stumped fish small steamers into the pools and certainly fish the low light periods and coolest times of the day.

The South Fork of the Boise is still at boating flows and Hoppers fished near the bank will take some fish. Pink Albert is the big hatch and happens in the heat of the day.

Over all despite the heat and smoke, the fishing is very, very good right now. Cover up from the sun and get out there!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

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