Week of July 8, 2007
Yes, Martha it is hot and dusty. Sorry about the last two fishing reports. They somehow did not get posted.
South Fork of the Boise
The South Fork is flowing at 1820 cfs. They pumped it up last weekend, slowing the rise. Stonefly action was good last week and the bug is so big they will still remember it. Evening caddis is still happening. The canyon can get very hot and the water is very cold, in the low forties, below Anderson Dam. Expect to nymph in the afternoons if you want to make a full day of it.
Yellowstone Park
The Park service has closed fishing in the afternoons on most rivers in Yellowstone. Slough creek is closed, period. Water temps are high and levels are low. Protection of the fishery is critical when these conditons exist, especially in the Madison, Gibbon, and Firehole.
If you are headed for the Park and want to fish, I would take a boat or float tube and plan on some Lake fishing. The callibaetis on Yellowstone can be fun north of Pelican bay, and streamer fishing with a tip also productive. If you are planning a fishing trip, I would wait until conditons change or September, when the waters cool.
Mountain Lakes
Get an early start and get the uphill over in the morning. Baker Lake has some good reports. Upper Marshall is fishing with beaded nymphs. Hoppers are starting to show and beetles or size 12 ants are always an option for rising fish. Great way to get away from the crowds and get some exercise.
Big Wood River
The Big Wood is flowing at 181 cfs. It is pretty low. Most of the drake action is over. They can still be found North of Ketchum emerging in the early afternoon, but waning. Best top water fishing in the morning in the waters below Ketchum to Bellevue, before it warms too much. Some early morning caddis, mid day yellow sallies, rusty spinners and some trico starting to show on the lower Wood. On low water years trico is a player on the Big Wood. This looks like one of those. As the Wood drops so should the size of the nymphs you fish. Instead of size 6-10 stonefly nymphs, try weighted 14-20 double nymph rigs with long leaders and flurocarbon tippets on both flies. Time for thorax bead pts and zebra midges.
Big Lost River
The upper Big Lost is flowing at 230 cfs. There is still some high elevation snow in the Lost drainage. The river looks good and is fishing pretty well. Some large rainbow, both fine spot cutts and west slope cutts as well as some big brookies to 15 inches last week. Hatches are still green drake, western green drake, yellow sallies and giant stones on the upper main and in the Copper Basin area. Again with the heat, fish early and take a break when the rise slows down in the afternoon. Caddis are around in the cooler morning hours and again in the evening or if it gets cloudy with the odd thundershower that builds. The upper Lost Basin has been hit with a few showers that passed over the Wood River Valley and showered the Lost system. The fish are fat, healthy and fiesty. Please release your catch in the upper Lost. The river is still in recovery phase from whirling disease and is doing well.
The lower Lost is flowing at 455 cfs. It is very fishable. Hatches are caddis, pmd, yellow sallies and a few giant stones. Mackay reservoir is still pretty full and the lower Lost is not flowing huge capacity, so this fishery should stay in good shape all summer. Most of the hatches slow during the month of August except for skating giant Crane flys and this water becomes nymphy. Enjoy the dry fly now.
Little Wood River (Desert)
Not an option right now, too hot.
Above the Little Wood Resevoir the Little Wood can be a delight however. Morning dry fly is the best as this little river heats up quickly and the fish will quit feeding in the heat of the day. These fish will still eat a size 10 royal wulff like in the old days.
Silver Creek
Tricos are in full swing. They began to show at the end of June and are now happening, and will get stronger during the month of July. This tiny black and white spinner begins to show on the water when the air temperature hits 68 degrees. That means an early morning start, and as the word gets out, both early for the fish rise and to get your favorite drift lane on the Creek. The baetis spinner fall is also present, so don’t be fooled by the dorsal and tail rise into thinking you are seeing trico. The baetis adult crawls into the water on anything that protrudes from the surface to lay its eggs. Spotted waders? Baetis eggs. The spent adult then floats away just under the film. A difficult imitation, but a micro shot on your tippet knot with soft hackle baetis nymph or a no hackle is a great method. Fished downstream to a rise with very light line tension. With the trico rise you see the mouth and hear the pod bug sucking. Some pmd spinners will fall with the trico or just after, so be prepared to switch to the sulphur when that happens. If you take an early lunch break and can stand the heat, callibaetis will begin to spin and keep the fish looking until mid afternoon. The hackle stacker callibaetis is a great imitation when there are both spinners and duns on the water. Evening caddis are still around. The evening rise is less crowded if you need your Silver Creek fix.
Salmon River
A great way to cool off. Blow up the raft and grab some yellow humpies. A nice way to spend the day, below the Yankee Fork.
Closing Notes
Try something different?
Float tube Anderson Reservoir for some smallies or morning action on Magic with some perch buggers. You will need full sinks or tips for both.
Fly of the week: Purple Haze Madame X.
Fish far and fine,
Scott Schnebly
Lost River Outfitters