Week of June 8, 2009
There has not been a great deal to report since the Memorial Day opener a couple of weeks ago. As most of you know we have been inundated and blessed with rain storms, almost beyond memory, in the last couple of weeks. It has removed a great deal of the snowpack, but has created landslides, muddied waters and reduced our fishable water considerably. We are still in the midst of runoff, and it looks as though current weather conditions will continue for another week. We need the water so there really are no complaints. It bodes well for later in the season when fishermen want it and farmers need it.
With water conditions the way they were, it was an opportune time for Susanne and I to visit the Hill Country of Texas for some bass and bluegill fishing. Some 3 to 5 pound bass and nice bluegill action on poppers was a nice diversion for a week. Wet wading the Rio Frio River was also pretty nice.
South Fork of the Boise
The South Fork is flowing at 2,960 cfs. Big!! Floatable if you know what you are doing, not wadeable. Fish eddies and edgewater with large stonefly nymphs right now. With these cold flows it will probably delay some of the hatches, but look foward to caddis and stoneflys by early July.
Yellowstone Park
The Madison in the Park is flowing at 992 right now, which is about 150 cfs over normal. The Firehole and Gibbon are also above normal. Water conditions are clear, but the cool, cloudy weather will delay the caddis and stonefly hatches on these streams. If you are thinking a trip in that vicinity you may want to delay a bit for good dry fly activity.
Mountain Lakes
Not ready yet.
Big Wood River
The Big Wood is flowing at 1,850 cfs today. It is dropping, but muddy. There was some fishing to be had with large stonefly nymph patterns and streamers in the upper river and channels, before the most recent rain. The river upstream of Ketchum will be workable before the main river below Warm Springs Creek. Look forward to the Green Drakes to show towards the end of June and into July.
Magic Reservoir is a good option right now. There have been some good reports from Seagull point and around the Lava arm. Strip a perch imitation or green or brown bugger on a sink tip or sinking line for best results. We have a lot of good Magic patterns in the fly bins. A float tube with fins is good help to explore, but walking the bank is also productive.
Big Lost River
The upper Big Lost is like the Big Wood, flowing at 1,380 cfs and dropping. Hopefully the East Fork will be clear enough to wet a fly by the end of June.
The lower Big Lost is flowing at 1,110. It was flowing at 650 last week and nymphable, but with Mackay Reservoir full, I don’t expect it to drop much in the near future. There will be some water dumpage for a while. At these levels wading is dangerous. There is some fishing, but spots are few and far between right now.
Little Wood River (Desert)
The Little Wood in the desert is worth a trip. As it is still mostly Silver Creek water, it is fishable. Don’t expect huge numbers of fish, but it is much improved over the last two of years. There are even some very nice browns in the 15 to 20 inch range in the system. Most of the rainbows are small 8-13 inches. The water in the Little Wood clouded up a bit with Silver Creek’s increased flows, but fish still rose to large dries and take stonefly or prince nymphs readily. Be aware of rattlesnakes on sunny warm days. The desert is blooming which is a pretty rare treat as well. Hopefully good water conditions will hold for the Little Wood this summer and it will return to it’s former glory.
Silver Creek
Silver Creek is flowing at 193 cfs. Normal flows are 125 cfs. It was even over 200 cfs at one point. It looks great. Moss growth is good, and below the RR ranch, the creek is bank full.
Silver Creek is the flowing water game in the valley. Pale Morning Dun, Enermis, Baetis, Callibaetis, Damsel Flies, Ants, and Beetles would be the dry fly choices right now. There have been some decent PMD spinner falls and mid day emergences. If you don’t get a hatch, you may have to fish a pheasant tail nymph or small ostrich nymph to take fish. Size 16 matches both the PMD and the callibaetis nymphs.
The Brown Drake hatch has been trickling for a week. There have been a couple of emergences and some spinner falls. The hatching to date has been sporadic, but has been happening the entire length of the brown drake reach, from below the Picabo Bridge to the Highway bridge below the RR. Fish will rise even blind casting a drake imitation. They are looking for the big fly and we even rose fish to a large grey wullf on a guide trip the other day. When the bugs do get on the water they can be very selective. Our custom tied drake spinner is a great fly when it happens, the drake nymph can also be important. Stop in the shop and take a look at our brown drake selection. The guys take pride in having the right stuff for all of our local hatches.
Carey Lake
Still a good time to tube Carey Lake for some big bluegill with a Stayner Ducktail or Prince nymph under an indicator. Black leeches or black popper will also work for the bass.
Salmon River
There are 129,000 Chinook over Bonneville now and 39,000 over Lower Granite Dam in Idaho. The Salmon season on the upper river around Stanley is still in place. Hopefully we will get a longer window this year so we can cast a fly at them when the river drops.
Closing Notes
Our big news is that after nearly 15 years in our present location on the south end of Ketchum, Lost River Outfitters has decided to move the shop. By July 1 we will be moved into our new location two blocks north, north of Bank of America and across the street from the Pioneer and Sturtevants, in the Jones Building next to the Burger Grill. The new location will offer more visibility, space, and efficiency than our current location. There is parking and a rear entrance as in our current location. There is a rear deck to relax on after your trip.
We are very happy with our decision and look forward to better serving our old customers and greeting new clients with a fresh new face.
Fish far and fine,
Scott Schnebly
Lost River Outfitters