Fishing Report

The fishing is about to turn epic. Are you ready?

True fall weather has descended over the Valley and the hatches and fishing that come with it have begun. Plan on shorter fishing windows and late morning starts as we enter one of the best times of the year for anglers.

Silver Creek angler numbers are way down as the kids have returned to school and hunting season has pulled locals into the fields. A late-morning start means sleeping in and extra time for coffee.

Anglers will be greeted by a few Tricos here and there, and very good Baetis fishing. The Baetis hatch has really been taking off around 2 p.m. The activity from that point on may last right up to the Mousing hours of dusk.

With fall Baetis hatches, be sure to have very, very small patterns. Fishing sizes 22 and 24 puts you in the game. If you can fish an extended body fly on an open loop so that it can swing around and come to life, you’re even more in the game. Mahogany Duns are coming, so have them at the ready. Ants, Beetles and most definitely Hoppers are in play as well. When we get to the peak of warmth for the day, plan of seeing some Callibaetis in the slow water areas of the Creek.

The Western Red Quill, also known as Hecuba, is beginning to show up on the Big Wood. This is bringing bigger fish up and changing the game from shy fish to fish that want to fatten up before winter.

The fall Baetis is ramping up as well, so be sure you can drop to 6X tippets and size 20 Baetis when the moment arrives.

The Red Quill and fall Baetis should show on the Upper Lost in the coming days, if not already. Hoppers and small Attractor Flies are still catching fish up top. The Lower Lost is going to turn into Baetis central as the Trico action wanes with cooler days.

Expect the massive blanket hatches of fall Baetis on the South Fork of the Boise as well. This action will ramp up as we move closer to October, but these can be some of the best hatches of the season on this river. There is some decent wading on the river right now, but it’s still high enough to be dangerous, so please wade with caution!

Happy fishing, everyone!