The fishing all around Sun Valley is pretty darned good right now. Slightly milder temperatures have been great for anglers and fish alike. We are slowly approaching our fall hatches but, as of now, it’s still summer as far as the fish are concerned.
The fishing on Silver Creek is great in the mornings when the wind stays down. The Baetis Emerger has been the main bug, with some Tricos showing in certain areas. If you want to fish them and can’t find them, you need to explore!
If the wind does come up, there is still great opportunity to fish Callibaetis, Hoppers and Damselflies in the middle of the day. In the evening, the Baetis are the main targets of trout, and when the sun goes down and it’s dark (about 9:30), the Mouse fishing is getting better and better.
The Big Wood continues to fish best during the morning and evening hours. Rusty Spinners are a great choice in the evening as well as Elk-Hair Caddis. Trico is the morning fare and Hoppers rule the afternoon. Small attractors and small nymphs are also a great way to search the water. Stay on the move and make sure you have your Flying Ant patterns as they can sometimes dominate the river this time of the year.
The Upper Lost is fishing very well with small dries, but plan on walking a lot between fish. The low flows move fish into the most obvious holding water, with plenty of shallows between those areas. A size 16 Royal Trude is your best friend on the Upper.
The Lower Lost is fishing okay with Trico in the mornings. It can be very good, but really depends on the day. Some days the bugs hit the water en masse and other days they show in the air, but never really seem to make it to the water in numbers large enough to get the fish up. Crane flies are still in play and the water is at a wadeable level these days. Anglers wait all year to move easily in the Lost River system. From here on out it should get easier and easier.
The South Fork of the Boise is still fishing at drift boat levels with Pink Alberts and Hoppers. This is a good time of the season to “show them something different.” If you have a favorite nymph or dry, give it a try! They’ve seen plenty of standards at this point.
Happy fishing, everyone!