“Fishing is a condition of the mind wherein one cannot possibly have a bad time.” ~Zane Grey To the outside observer, the motionless angler standing still as a rock, midriver seemed miserable. They could see the snow covering the mountain down to the bank and the steel gray glare on the water’s surface. They felt a sympathetic chill. What they…
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“You can't be unhappy in the middle of a big, beautiful river.” ~ Jim Harrison While December is a magical and serene time to be in the middle of a river fly fishing, if you are freezing, it is difficult to enjoy the moment. A successful winter fly fishing outing begins with preparation and planning. To begin with, there is…
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"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday." ~ A.A. Milne. With the patience of a Taoist we wait for our rivers to open. The Wood closed the end of March on a high note...the fishing was fantastic. And now the flows have jumped as high as 1,300 CFS with the recent warm weather. With a…
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"But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flower, its bloom is shed; Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white then melts forever." ~ Robert Burns The run-off started early this year since March came in like a lamb. However, April has come in like a lion, and we we have received some more high…
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"Never make predictions, especially about the future." ~ Casey Stengel The Big Wood Basin snow water equivalent is at 70% of normal as of March 16th. For those already looking ahead to summer, all signs are pointing to an early and moderate run off and a good early fishing season on our local waters. In the meanwhile, the steelhead are…
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The steelhead coming up river from the Pacific Ocean to the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery have to travel nearly 1000 miles and pass over 8 dams. And this year, they are early to the dance! Typically these fish begin to show towards the end of March in the stretch of the Salmon between Stanley and Challis with the season closing the…
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This July promises to be one of best in years. The long days of summer are upon us and we have multiple fishing opportunities rife with possibility from sun up to sundown. Our local rivers are dropping everyday and opening up more and more river to explore. The most difficult part of your fishing day will be choosing what to…
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Happy 4th of July! If you are coming up to Sun Valley to enjoy the 4th of July festivities, be sure to add a fly fishing outing to your agenda. First, it is a great way to stay cool as our day time highs go between the high 80s to 90s; and second, the lower than average flows combined with…
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Mother's Day is fast approaching. In lieu of chocolate and flowers, or better yet, in addition to, you might consider booking a trip to take your favorite mother fly fishing this summer. We are looking forward to a great season, and nothing says, "I love you" better than time spent fly fishing...with a guide. A recent warming trend has brought…
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To allow the wild rainbows time to spawn in peace, the Wood, the South Fork of the Boise and all their tributaries are now closed, but will reopen, along with Silver Creek, on May 25th. In the meanwhile, there still are plenty of fishing opportunities for those willing to travel outside the Wood River Valley. In fact, April offers a…
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