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A fantastic amount of winter weather has set the fishing on fire in the Sun Valley / Picabo area. With more of this cloudy, wintry weather ahead of us, we can expect another round of great Midge hatches, and more of the big fish out and about looking to eat under the dark skies.
Silver Creek has been fishing pretty well. The fishing varies from pretty good to off the charts depending on what day you fish and how “bitey” the fish are. The one thing you can count on is the big fish are out under the dark sky and under the cover of the turbid water. When this happens, anglers have their best chance of the season to lay into a very big brown trout and even some good-sized rainbows.
Streamer fishing is the name of the game on the Creek in the winter, so come armed, or stop by the fly shop and we’ll get you the right patterns. If you are interested in fishing private water, inquire when you are in the store. We have a modest rod fee on some great winter water.
The Big Wood seems to always fish well when we see big winter storms. The fish and insects in this river react to low-pressure systems with abandon. Big hatches get the fish up and eating, even during the duration of the heaviest snowfalls. The wintry weather also has the fish so fired up it is a great time to fish Nymphs like Zebras and Girdle Bugs, as well as Streamers like olive-colored Buggers. If you get a chance, pop into Lost River Outfitters and ask for Filo-Beto. This olive Streamer will get the job done on the Wood River!
If you haven’t been to the lower Lost River this winter, think about making a trip between storms and staying for a few days in Mackay. This can be a great little respite for local anglers looking to get out of town for a few days, and it’s a great option for visitors looking for a slightly different experience than the Big Wood. The South Fork of the Boise is another option, but we do try to avoid the canyon when winter weather sets in. It is not uncommon to drive all the way to the hill above the dam, only to find it closed from top to bottom.
Get out and have fun in this weather, but please be safe doing it.
Happy fishing, everyone!
