Fly Fishing Forecast June 15th – 22nd

“The trout fly of today grew out of the trout fly of yesterday.” ~ John McDonald

Fly fishing has a rich tradition. One such tradition is passing the love of the sport on to the next generation. If you have a father who took you fishing and taught you how to to fly fish, now is a good time to appreciate those lessons. We have everything an angler could want or need, and if you are not sure what that is, a gift card would suffice. After all, the fly fisher of today grew out of the fly fisher of yesterday. Let’s say thank you.

SILVER CREEK
The Creek in June can best be described as sporadic. Still, the days are long, there are very few other anglers, and with the high water there are not too many other options. To match the unpredictable nature of the Creek, be prepared to search for sippers with small size 18 or 20 Baetis, swing streamers, float ants and beetles along the reeds and banks, drift a PMD, Callibaetis, or even a Green Drake over likely trout lies. You need a good selection of Harrop’s Baetis in size 18 and 20, PMDs is size 16, Callibaetis Duns, Spinners and Cripples in size 14 and 16, and Green Drake Duns and Cripples in size 12. Also, have a good selection of ants andbeetlesfrom size 12 to 16 for when the wind puts a chop on the surface. You might try a damsel nymph if you fish the Pond. If you stay late, add some tan and olive Caddis is size 16 and 18 to your arsenal. So get on down to the Creek before the crowds of July and August and enjoy the variety of fishing opportunities.

BIG WOOD
The flows on the Wood have dropped to around 1,000 CFS; that is half what it was during the heat wave last week. It is very likely that we may start to see some Green Drakes in the lower river as soon as next week.  In the meanwhile, the river is still far from prime, but some fishing can be done in the side channels with large Green Drake nymphs and rubber legged stones.

SF OF THE BOISE
The flows are back down to 1700 CFS, a perfect floating level with some limited wade access.  There are still quite a few Cicada around and the Salmon Fly hatch should begin to materialize on the lower river.

THE SALMON
The flows are still very high, but we anticipate being able to float and fish as soon as next week. In the meanwhile, the stretch of river around the hatchery, while high, can stay relatively clear this time of year and has decent numbers of whitefish and a few trout. Try deep nymphing with rubber legged stones or streamers.

BIG LOST
Flows have dropped to 650 CFS. This is still too high. Once the flows drop below 350 CFS in late July, early August, this river will be ready to fish again.

UPPER BIG LOST
All the headwaters of the Lost are still too high to fish. This area typically follows the same pattern as the Wood. Once the upper Wood north of Ketchum drops, clears, and becomes fishable, the upper reaches of the Lost will follow suit.

STILLWATERS & LOCAL WATERS
Gavers Lagoon, Penny, and Lakecreek ponds are great locations for a family picnic and some fishing. Magic, Mackay, and Little Wood reservoirs are good options with a float tube, pontoon, or from a boat. If you do go out in a watercraft, be sure to always have a safety whistle and a life jacket as the wind can be unpredictable this time of year. I like to pull Seal buggers & Pops buggers in black or olive off of a sinking line like a type 3 or 5 or suspend a team of nymphs off an indicator like Prince nymphs, Copper Johns, or classic Chironomids with a floating line. Whatever you decide to do, come on by the shop and we will hook you up with the best flies for your situation.