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Winter fishing is a pure joy and, once coupled with fresh snowfall, there is hardly a better way to spend a day in Sun Valley and Picabo.
The fishing has been very good on all our area waters. Anglers need to watch the weather windows as conditions have been changing quickly. The Silver Creek area has seen some windy days, and although uncomfortable for anglers, the fishing has been outstanding. The fishing in the north Valley is great, although the fishing times are later than normal.
Fishing the Big Wood in the winter is a scenic and productive venture. The Midge hatches are in full force, although it seems with the unstable pressure systems that the hatches are happening later in the day than what we are used to. There is no need to rush to the river in the morning, with the best of the hatches happening after lunch and right up until sunset.
The river is low right now so seek out winter water where the fish are able to hold with some depth. Thigh to waist deep is about the right depth, and the slower the current, the better. If the fish are not on the Midge, try Sculpin patterns and small attractor nymphs like a Prince Nymph or Hare’s Ear.
Silver Creek is fishing great with Streamers. The fish have responded well with the crazy weather this past week, and the closer we get to spring, the better it should keep getting. Fishing unweighted Streamers down and across the Creek will draw some strikes—and this time of the season, some really nice-sized fish!
There are still a few more weeks of duck hunting left on Silver Creek, so please take that into consideration when you’re out there and give hunters some distance until the season closes near the end of the month.
The South Fork of the Boise continues to fish well this winter. The weather is definitely in play if you head down into the canyon, so always be prepared. The Midge hatch is day to day, but if you hit it right, there is hardly a more fun place to winter fish.
We have been getting few to no reports on the lower Lost River, which means the fish have not been seeing too many angler days. It is probably worth the drive over when the conditions are right. The winter Nymphing on the Lost can be outstanding.
Happy fishing, everyone!
