Week of May 5, 2007
Although many waters are closed, and it is time to collect flies and gear, there are many fine fly fishing opportunities out there. It is a great time for reservoirs and lakes, which we ignore most of the rest of the year.
Silver Creek
Silver Creek is closed until May 26th. Warm spring days might bring us brown drakes around opening day??
Already hatching PMD’s.
Carey Lake
Great fun right now with a fly and nymph for bluegill. Float tube and fish the edges of the canal water with a stayner ducktails or size 8-10 prince nymph a couple of feet below an indicator. Some bass can be taken this way, but stripping a black streamer is more effective for bass. Large bluegill are 9-13 inches. That is big, and they are good swimmers!
Salmon River
Our April at the Steelhead Lodge in Stanley went very well this year. Some days clients hooked over ten steelhead a day. The run was early and plentiful. The Sawtooth hatchery received over 4,000 fish. Nearly double the annual average. There were not many wild fish captured and most of the large “B” run fish were found below Torrey’s Hole. Some very nice bull trout, one 30 1/2 inch fish, were caught during this season. The last two springs experienced big water leaving Idaho, which could mean the next couple of year’s steelhead runs will also be good. If you are interested in next year at our lodge, please call early. Some dates are already full.
Water conditions on the last day of April, the last day to steelhead, were murky. The Salmon River is open all year. Smolt fishing will be good, until they all leave for the Pacific. Whitefish are still looking for eggs, and nymphs. If you catch a steelhead, a trout over 20 inches, it must be released. All tributaries of the Salmon are closed until May 26.
South Fork of the Boise
Closed until May 26.
Anderson Reservoir is worth the trip, however. Fishing for smallmouth bass from a float tube is worth the effort on a warm May day. Strip brown buggers on a sink tip off the steep or wooded banks. Last year we caught smallmouth to 18 inches. There are bull trout and rainbow to be had as well. The kokanee don’t respond as well to the fly.
Yellowstone Park
Closed until May 26, Memorial day weekend.
We will be guiding the Madison, Firehole and Gibbon June 6th-19th. June is the month for stonefly, caddis and PMD hatches on these waters. We will get a report out while we are there.
Mountain Lakes
At ice out these lakes fish well at the inlets and outlets. Check at the shop if you are headed into the high country. We might have some current informtion.
Big Wood River
The Big Wood is closed until Memorial Day weekend. Opening day is May 26. With our low snowpack and little run off, it will probably be very fishable opening day.
Magic Reservoir is nearly full. It fished very well just at ice out. Strip brown and olive buggers for rainbow, perch, and some smallmouth bass with sinking lines or sink tips in the bays. The midge hatches will begin at the end of May, and dangling a size 12 chironomid, zug bug, or prince can be very effective, if you want to watch an indicator bob. Personally, I like the vicious strike on the streamer as the rainbows prey on the perch minnows with a vengence.
Big Lost River
The Big Lost is closed until Memorial Day weekend. Opening day is May 26. The lower Lost will no doubt be fishable opening weekend. The upper Lost experiences very cold run off water conditions and probably won’t fish until mid-late June even though it runs clear.
Little Wood River (Desert)
Open!!! For those of you in need of a river fix this beautiful desert stream is the place to cast a fly. The Little Wood is running clear. There are fish. Both rainbow and browns. Offerings don’t have to be micro. Large stonefly and prince nymphs in sizes 6-10, streamers, and large dry flys on warm days. Look for the large pteronartys, American Salmon fly, emergence and egg laying phase. Sofa pillows, foam bodied drys, and large orange turks turantulas, fished in the heavy water, is my preferred method of fishing the Little Wood this time of year.
The upper Little Wood is closed until May 26.
The Little Wood Reservoir is open and will fish in the bays and off the banks with wooley buggers, stayner ducktails, six paks, and carey specials.
Closing Notes
We have some store specials:
2006 Patagonia waders 40% off.
2006 Asolo Hiking boots 40% off.
208-726-1706
Fish far and fine,
Scott Schnebly
Lost River Outfitters