Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - February 13, 2018

Outstanding fly fishing continues this month as the mild winter weather continues in the Sun Valley area. The skiers may be having an off season this winter, but the fly anglers are all smiles right now, as high catch rates and sizable fish continue to be the norm. We see no change in this pattern in the immediate future, so get your waders on and get out there!

Fly anglers that have been on Silver Creek the past few weekends are sending us pictures of one giant Brown Trout after another. These are normally the pics we see taken in the darkness of a summer night while Mouse fishing. This February the “Hog Shots” on the Creek just keep coming! It is the perfect conditions of warm enough weather and just enough tint in the normally gin clear spring creek waters.

The weather is very comfortable, allowing anglers to stay out throughout the course of the day. Couple this with the tint in the water that keeps the big fish out in the open and on the hunt all day and you have the makings of an epic fishery.

We have about two weeks left to fish Silver Creek before the season closes for spawning. The fishing is almost all Streamers and is relatively easy for those that can cast big flies decent distances. Even if you can get your fly only halfway across the river, you have a great chance to catch a nice fish.

Try to stay on the bank while you fish, so they don’t feel your presence in the water. DO get in the water for releasing the fish and especially for photos. It is super important to “Keep ‘em Wet” while releasing. Try to get your photo of the fish partially in the water, or a quick lift for a picture while the water is still dripping off the fish. Keep in mind, handling fish is a skill set that is as important as casting, reading the water or any other part of fly fishing.

The Big Wood and Lower Lost remain very productive fisheries with the typical winter flies like Zebra Nymphs and Tie-Down Midges. Anglers can expect a nice combination of nymph fishing and dry fly fishing throughout the day. With March quickly approaching keep your eyes open for the Little Black Stonefly! This wingless bug should start showing up soon. If you see it, tie on a Prince Nymph and swing your fly close to the bank!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fly Fishing

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - November 28, 2017

Fall like weather has continued into the Holiday Season. This has brought the Baetis hatches on Silver Creek all the way to the months end. The last day to fish Silver Creek upstream of Highway 20 (Silver Creek Preserve) is Thursday, November 30th. This is your last best chance to fish dry flies on the Creek until the opener in late May. The Creek remains open downstream of the Highway 20 Bridge until the end of February, but this is mostly Streamer and Mousing water as we head into true winter weather.

If you fish the Creek this week try to be on the water by 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. and if you want to fish dries, get your licks in by 3:00 p.m. Streamer fishing will be effective throughout the winter on the downstream stretches and through Kilpatrick Pond this week.

Fishing on the Big Wood is consistent with nymphs and streamers right now. The cold weather Midge hatches will appear eventually, in the meantime cover a lot of water and fish the riffles with Price Nymphs and Zebra Nymphs. Olive Buggers will take fish throughout the system, so get out and take advantage of the warm days!

The Lost River is much like the Big Wood this month, it is mostly a nymph fishery. Strike indicators and double nymph rigs fished deep will take fish. Pay close attention to the ledges and drops, as the fish like to nose up to those area adjacent shallow water, yet within racing distance to deep cover. Try Copper Johns in Red and in a variety of sizes. The Lost River fish will also key on your favorite Midge patterns.

The South Fork of the Boise is still a viable fishery and the driving conditions into the canyon are good. It is a quiet time on the South Fork and most area rivers. This may be the quietest time on all the area water until the Christmas crowds arrive. With hunting and skiing in full swing, and not many people in the Valley until the week before Christmas, the rivers are seeing few anglers. If quiet fishing is what you like, you’ll not find a better 2 to 3 weeks.

If you need any help on the water, our guide staff is still heading out daily and having great luck! We switch to winter guide rates on December 1st, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of the low rates, especially novices and beginners. It’s a great time to learn a little before next summer’s season!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - December 29, 2015

Happy New Year from all of us here at Picabo Angler!

Let’s talk pressure systems. We had wonderful low pressure fishing conditions for nearly a month now. We couldn’t ask for more or better in the winter months. The low pressure provides the snow and the ideal conditions for fish. Yet, not here we are with a few weeks of high pressure and artic cold temperatures. Does this mean bad fishing? Absolutely not.

Change is the most important factor when considering barometric pressure and how it effects your fishing. Is low pressure better? Yes, more often than not it is, but what we are really after are those days of change. More importantly we are looking for the day after change!

Regardless of whether Sun Valley is under a low or high pressure system, one thing is for certain. When the day comes that we go from cloudy skies to crystal clear skies, that is the precursor for some great fishing as the next day, or second day of the pressure change, is almost always a red hot catch rate day.

With that said, keep your eyes on a web site like weather underground that shows a graph with the pressure. This will help you pick the right days to be on the water no matter how cold it is, and it will help you save those less fishy days for fly tying, rod building, or reading a good book.

If you head out on the water this week, Silver Creek is pretty well frozen over. With that said stay tuned with us as we will let you know when the ice breaks. The day after that happens we can expect some world class streamer fishing and some great opportunities to catch some massive Silver Creek trout.

The Big Wood will fish through the cold snap as the current speed will keep parts of the river from freezing and give anglers an opportunity to pursue fish through the middle of the day. Be careful around icy river banks and also where you park. Bring a snow shovel just in case. There have been days when I’ve needed a snow shovel to carve out a parking area at some of the public access points!

If you don’t want to hassle with that, we do run our winter guide service at a reduced rate through the month of March. Call us at 208.788.3536 if you’d like to learn more or book an afternoon with one of our world class guides!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - December 15, 2015

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…There is no shortage of snow and low pressure systems thus far this winter. Meaning that all the great things that come with a big winter includes fishing! It’s a great thing living in a mountain town where 2 feet of the white stuff can make people smile from ear to ear! Plow operators are making money, skiers are enjoying fresh tracks, and anglers are also making them!

One of the best parts of a big storm is not only the lack of anglers on the water when you want to be there, but also the snowy banks make it perfectly clear whether or not anyone has been where you are headed since the last big storm.

Finding these long stretches of water and river where there are no tracks for days and weeks after the storms adds a lot to the mindset of anglers. It is a clear indication of water wear fish have been enjoying their winter hatches with no pressure on them. This translates to successful fishing more often than not! Couple this with the glorious beauty of the river corridor and it’s hard to find something more enjoyable to do on a winter’s day.

If you decide to fish this week, have your dry flies, nymphs and streamers. If you are fishing on Silver Creek (open below Hwy 20 bridge) fish streamers on heavy tippet. When you select your fly just remember bright flies on bright days and clear water and dark flies on dark days and darker water.

If you are fishing the Big Wood, Brassies and Zebra nymphs are all you need. Have them in Copper, Red and Black colors. Fish them in tandem underneath a strike indicator. Put the big flies on first and then tie a smaller nymph into the hook shank of the “lead” fly.

Big Wood anglers should also have dry flies. A Griffith’s Gnat and Tie-Down Midge are all one needs when the fish pod up on Midges. Fish them together on 6X tippets about 18 inches apart. Use a large Griffith’s Gnat as the lead fly to silhouette against the gray, flat light. If the fish are “Midging” on the surface, use plenty of stealth when approaching them, but get as close as you can in order to get a great visual on your flies.

Enjoy the glorious experience of winter fishing. Be safe, be warm and have fun!

Happy Fishing Everyone 

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - Dec. 7, 2015 (or what to get a fly angler for Christmas)

There is plenty of low pressure in the mix this week. Expect excellent winter fishing all around Sun Valley. With that said, here are a few thoughts about the coming holiday and fly fishing.

“What do I get my husband / wife / significant other/ for Christmas this year? They already have everything?”

Well. I can answer that question easily. It is free, you can wrap it symbolically if you’d like. You can write it in a card. You can verbalize it over a coffee and Baileys on Christmas morning. However you want to present this gift to the angler, you can be sure it will be among the most precious things you ever give them…

Give your fly angler – Time.

Time on the water. Time to sit on the banks of a river and think about you, while you think they are thinking about fishing. Time to leave work behind, and yes, even family for a few hours. Time to immerse themselves in a river and in a wilderness without once looking at the time to see if they need to head home. Time is what the fly angler wants and what a fly angler needs.

You really want to give your fly angler a gift? A big gift? Like a new truck in the driveway, but even better? Give them enough time to take a trip! A whole week in Cuba, British Columbia, Florida, Mexico, the Bahamas. Make it really special by assuring them their dog will be loved and fed while they are gone. Assure them that everyone at home and work will live without a daily text, phone call or email. Let them unplug from the world at home and let them plug into a world of coral reefs, foam lines, and brands of beer and rum they’ve never heard of.

There is nothing a fly angler wants more. We don’t need a fancy new rod or a reel made out of NASA left overs. We don’t need gold inlayed fly boxes or first edition fly fishing books…Given enough TIME we will fashion a fly rod out of a willow branch, make a reel out of an old coke can. We will fish with rusty hooks kept in an old chew can. We will read newspapers written in languages we don’t understand, and we will fish in muddy backwaters - if we just have enough time.

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - March 2, 2015

March is here! The number one month for catch rates is upon us! With a week of sunny days forecast we should have some excellent fishing under Sun Valley skies. Expect great hatches and lots of fish filling themselves up on whatever they can find before the spawning season of April and May.

We made it to the South Fork of the Boise the past few weekends. Despite great weather, the fishing was just so-so. The best action came at the mouths of creeks and the tops of side channels where pre-spawn activity was enough to get some big fish to let their guard down. Midges and a few Baetis were present, but the Copper John was the fly most fish got caught on. We had some luck with Girdle Bugs and Zebra Nymphs as well.

The Big Wood continues to fish well, with the Midge being the main fair and a few Little Black Stoneflies also contributing to the Trout’s food source! Plan on Nymphing early in the day and fishing dry flies by lunch time! If you fish the dry, a Trailing Shuck Midge fished behind a Griffiths Gnat is still our favorite winter set up. With blue skies forecast the rest of the week, plan on a cooler breeze to go along with it. Continue to fish in hats and fingerless gloves! Bring plenty of layers to shed or cover up with.

Silver Creek is now closed for the season. The river will reopen May 23rd, so start tying your PMDs, Brown Drakes, Baetis and big Beetles for the first week of the spring!

The Big Lost is the one river that will remain open throughout March, April and May. The later we get into the spring, the better it will fish, but March can be very, very good on the Lower Lost. Midges are the main food source now, but as we move forward, expect to see more and more Baetis hatches.

If you decide to head “Around the Horn” and fish the Lost, don’t forget to stop by Picabo Angler for a great fly selection, beer, ice and breakfast or lunch to go! We have recently expanded our Outfitting business so come on in and check out our larger space! We are super excited about the coming season and all new product should begin arriving throughout the spring.

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report - February 2nd, 2015

February is the last month to get on Silver Creek before the spring closure. The Creek is open to Catch and Release fishing downstream from the Hwy 20 Bridge. The weather predictions for the week include mostly cloudy days in the South Valley, which should make for excellent fishing through the week and weekend. The clouds and subsequent low pressure should also make for excellent fishing on the Big Wood, Big Lost and the South Fork of the Boise.

The biggest fish in Silver Creek are far more active with cloud cover and a bit of tint to the water. These conditions allow the bigger fish to come out from under the banks and ice shelves with a little less fear of attack from above. The fishing continues to mainly be streamer fishing, with non-weighted flies. Try different stripping techniques until you hook up, and then stick with that one!

The Big Wood should also fish very well with cloud cover. February is a fun month on the Wood as dry fly fishing, nymph fishing, and streamer fishing are all effective ways to catch fish. Despite the variety of techniques, anglers don’t need a huge variety of flies. Griffiths Gants and Tie-Down Midges are great dry flies, Zebra Nymphs and Brassies are excellent nymph patterns, and for streamer try olive woolly buggers.

The Big Lost should also be on an angler’s radar this week. The same flies you would use on the Big Wood should be plenty effective on the Lost as well. You may want to also focus on a few more weighted nymphs like Price Nymphs and Hares Ears if the sun happens to pop out. There are plenty of deep buckets on the Lost and being able to prospect the bottoms of these in the dead of winter can often produce your biggest Lost River Rainbows of the season!

The South Fork of the Boise is also a great place to go under cloudy skies, although it can be infinitely less predictable and more fickle… but, when it turns on the fishing here can be as good as it gets anywhere in the West.

If you are looking for a great winter fishing experience, don’t hesitate to hire a guide. Most full time guides are sitting by the phone in the winter, dying to show guests how great the winter fishing can be. Winter rates are also very affordable and here in Picabo we even throw in private access to water rarely fished!

Happy Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report--December 11th

More warm days, some cloudy weather and a little bit of snow melt will all contribute to good fishing this week. Thus far it has been a very mild winter for our local fish populations. This is probably not a bad thing after a stressful summer for them. With the ash from the fires of two years ago in the Big Wood, the drought that hit Silver Creek hard and the flooding and landslides that covered the South Fork of the Boise, perhaps it’s not a bad thing that our fish get a little bit of a reprieve and some time to catch up on fat stores for the rest of winter.

Nymphing and Streamer fishing are still the name of the game. Think about primarily fishing nymphs and tandem rigs of nymphs when the sun is out. When the cloud cover gets heavy, especially on Silver Creek, get your Streamers out and plan on catching the rivers biggest fish!

The rivers get busier during the holidays, so if you like your winter solitude, try to get out there this week and this weekend. It is also the time of year when Fly Fishing Guide Rates drop quite a bit. Down here in Picabo we run half day trips for $300 for 1 or 2 guests, all inclusive. We also offer a great opportunity to fish some great private water.

While the warm weather persists, it does open up a great opportunity for Chukar hunting the nearby ridge lines. There are plenty of birds out there this year, and the low hills are also full of Hungarian Partridge. If you’ve never upland hunted, this would be a perfect week to get out there and give it a try. You may need to find a friend with a hunting dog, but hey, it’s Sun Valley, we all own hunting dogs!

The Ducks and Geese are a little scarcer and spread out lately. Once we get some colder days again, the waterfowl hunting should pick back up. In the meantime, small water techniques are probably the best. Use very few decoys, call softly and be VERY well concealed in whatever blind you are using. It is tricky hunting right now, be very comfortable temperatures. For the best action head down to the Snake until we freeze back up and the hunting returns to Silver Creek.

Happy Hunting and Fishing Everyone!

Sun Valley Fishing Report

A wintery mix of weather bodes well for another great week of fishing. Expect the fishing to just keep getting better and better. The timing of the season’s first full weeks of low pressure coupled with the timing of pre-spawn activity is a fly angler’s winter dream come true.

Each year as we move closer and closer to the spring months, and almost always by the last few weeks of February, the fish (Rainbow Trout) begin to exhibit pre-spawn behaviors. This means several things happen. The trout will begin to move and explore, looking for the depth and gravels they desire for spawning. They will also begin to make some of their first physical changes. In February this is subtle and starts with color changes, as fish “Brighten Up” from their dull winter coloring. The most important behavioral change, as far as anglers are concerned, is the need for the fish to pack on the calories needed to make it through the spawn in good shape.

Once a fish enters this pre-spawn mode, the normal caution the trout takes when eating gets tossed to the side in favor of a voracious appetite and a desire to eat almost anything they can track down. This is common behavior as trout eat little to nothing while they spawn and the need for calories is great.

For fly anglers this pre-spawn pattern means the season’s best catch rates. The midge hatches will continue to grow in size and duration through late February and all of March providing enough food for trout to send them into a near frenzied state. The flies you should have in your box this time of the year include Streamers, Red Brassies and Zebra Nymphs, Zug Bugs, Hares Ears, Prince Nymphs, Girdle Bugs, Montana Stones, Tie Down Midges and Griffiths Gnats.

Just how voracious will the trout become? A few years ago on the Big Wood River during a massive Midge Hatch, we cast Deer Hair Bumble Bee patterns just to see if they’d eat them…in February…they ate them over and over again. This is not to say you shouldn’t come to the river ready to match the hatch, it is just evidence to how pre-spawn activity affects the fish.

If you’ve been dying to get down to Silver Creek to fish streamers for large Brown Trout, you only have two weeks left! The Creek closes at the end of the month. We have private water on Silver Creek and there is no access fee this time of year when you hire a guide. It's $300 for the rest of February to hire a Picabo Angler guide on Silver Creek AND fish private water that sees very little pressure. The cost is for one or two anglers. Hope to see you soon.

Happy Fishing Everyone!

A winter brown trout caught on Feb. 17th of this year. Silver Creek.

Late January Sun Valley Fishing Report

Our warm and dry weather has ramped up the winter fishing. The Big Wood River has been good to excellent on the nymphing side. Think girddle bugs, zebra midges, prince nymphs, pheasant tails, etc. There has been increasing midge activity on the surface and that should only improve as we move into February. If you want to throw dries bring your smallest midge patterns and look for the foamy seams near the slower water. The warmest part of the day, approx 12 to 3:30 or so, has been the best time to be out.

The Lower Big Lost River has also been fishing well with nymphing as the most consistent approach. Like the Big Wood, you can find fish feeding on the surface in the slower water during the heat of the day. Small stuff has been the best fare: Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tails, #22 Para Adams, #22 Trailing Shuck Midges, etc.

If streamer fishing is your thing Silver Creek has been good to great with the best of it to come over the next 5 weeks. Silver Creek is open downstream of the HWY 20 Bridge through all of February. While the surface activity has yet to really get going, the fish have been more than willing to chase, roll on, crash, slowly stripped streamers. Fly color doesn't seem to matter much. The water clarity is a little off which makes for better fishing on the sunnier days. If you have a chance to get down on the Creek prior to the end of February it is also a great time of year to catch that monster brown that has eluded you...

Below are a few shots taken on Silver Creek. January, 23rd 2014.

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John Huber releases a winter Brown. Silver Creek.

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While the majority of fish caught are Browns, there are plenty of healthy Rainbows as well.

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Nick Anderson reaps the reward of taking a quick break from Picabo Angler and hitting the Creek just a few minutes walk behind the shop.