Week of October 6, 2009
As my son, Blake, noticed when he was about 5 years old, “Now I get it Dad, we get three months of summer and then it’s winter.” Pretty much the case. We missed fall. I spent the last three weeks guiding in Yellowstone in September and it was the same there. Bright sunny skies and warm days. Hatches were scarce, and the riffle waters produced the best.
The ski hill reports 20 inches of snow. The waters have definitely cooled, though, and the fishing is very good.
We will warm in the next few days and get closer to normal.
South Fork of the Boise
The South Fork is fishing very well and is wadeable at 311 cfs. Baetis and Pink Alberts are hatching. A great fall diversion and a bit lower elevation for some warmer temperatures.
Yellowstone Park
I would stick to the west side of the Park right now. The cold weather will shut down the fish in the Lamar Valley. We had a good September guiding there, but hot sunny days made the riffled waters fish best. The Yellowstone was great as was the fast water on the Lamar. Slough Creek fished best when the wind was blowing 10 to 20 mph. The Madison is flowing at 414 cfs with normal flows at 420. I would target the rainbows and browns moving up from Hebgen Lake right now, if I were planning a Yellowstone trip. Baetis fishing on the Firehole will also be an option. Water temps on the Madison were already down to 56 degrees at the end of September and there were browns and rainbows on the move. Fish rose to baetis, the fall caddis, and midges. My favorite is a size 8 or 10 prince nymph for the big migratory fish. Swinging a size 8 soft hackle is also a producer. The tug is the drug!!!
Mountain Lakes
Better wear your high tops if you want to get your last licks in, snow!!
Big Wood River
The Big Wood is flowing at 230 cfs with normal flows being 185. The red quill hatch of September was almost non-existent. Baetis have been on the menu in the afternoons, however. There are still a few tricos hanging on in some reaches, but that should wane as the fall wears on. Before the hatch begins a couple of small weighted nymphs on light flurocarbon tippets will do the trick. Streamer fishing is also an option this time of year as the water grows cold. Our philo betto streamer pattern tied to imitate the Wood River sculpin does well.
The water has been shut off in the canyon below Magic. Flows are dead zero and the best technique for those pools are a nymph hung below an indicator. Play with the depth and you are on. We have a couple of pheasant tail patterns in the shop that work well with that technique.
Browns are moving up out of Magic, take care in catching and releasing as they are in the river to spawn. There are some trophy fish there, in very small water. The Madison run really has nothing over us in that regard. We just don’t have as much water for them to swim in.
Big Lost River
The upper Big Lost is flowing at 138 cfs with normal flows at about 120. Unless we get some nice Indian summer days coming up, I would probably ignore the upper Lost and Copper Basin. If you must get in one last lick you may see baetis and midges, but small nymphs and zebra midges in the slow, deep pools will still be the best producers. By now the fish have moved out of the riffled water at those high elevations.
The lower Lost is flowing at 230 cfs with normal flows at 175. Expect the water to drop further soon, as irrigation season is drawing to a close quickly with the freezing night time temperatures. The lower Lost is fishing well with residual tricos, baetis and midges. As the water drops, many new lies open up and it gets even better. Small nymphs and zebra midges on light tippets will work before the surface action begins. The baetis is usually an afternoon emergence on the lower as in most waters. Cloudy days often trigger a big emergence.
Little Wood River (Desert)
Not out of the question. I had a client land a 21 inch brown at the end of August. It looks like there was good survival this last summer, thanks to spring rains and a cool summer. Great news for next year. The browns will be looking to gravel right now, but will still eat large prince nymphs and steamers. Take care in fishing for them, as they will make more for the future.
Silver Creek
Silver Creek is flowing at 150 cfs with normal flows about 120. Those are very healthy flows. Before the cold set in many large fish were still targeting hopper patterns. They may still remember, but the frosts will kill the hoppers fairly soon, so get there before they forget. Look for afternoon paraleptoplebia, mahogany duns, and baetis to be the hatchs on the water. A size 16 pheasant tail is a great fly when the fish key to the mahoganies this time of year. They almost prefer the nymph to the dry. The Silver Creek browns are in spawn on the Conservancy so eggs will take rainbows and even some browns below the redds.
Salmon River
The Salmon at Whitebird is running at about 4,500 cfs, which is normal and is clear.
The steelhead in the Salmon are already at the town of Salmon, and are being caught. The numbers coming up the Columbia are at near record levels. Some daily dam counts are over 9,000 fish per day. They are all over the system right now. There are nearly 600,000 fish over Bonneville right now and 211,000+ over lower Granite coming into Idaho, with about 1/4 of them, 50,000, being wild. Last year we barely broke 180,000 for the total run. Most are A run, one year ocean fish, but so plentiful the department has raised the daily bag limit to five per day.
We will have great fishing for these guys with the long rods into November. A good year to learn to spey cast and even try the dry fly for these wonderful sea run rainbows. If you would like a spey casting lesson or a stinger steelhead fly tying lesson check in at the shop. We are running classes. We are also booking the steelhead lodge for next April. Let us know if you are interested. 208-726-1706
Closing Notes
Look forward to a good month of fall steelhead and a great spring year. The trout should be in great shape for the winter with our good summer water condtions.
Look for us at our new location at 371 N. Main in Ketchum, north of Bank of America. Our old shop closes Oct. 15 if you are still looking for some bargain waders or Bahama clothing.
Fish far and fine,
Scott Schnebly
Lost River Outfitters