A low-pressure system is making its way into the Valley late this week and over the weekend. This means great fishing throughout all of our area waters.
With not much of a duck migration happening and a lot of the big game season closing, the timing for great fishing couldn’t be better. In fact, a few weeks ago we wrote about fishing off the extra Thanksgiving calories you may have consumed. This week, we are saying get ahead of that calorie count for Christmas and get on the water!
Silver Creek fish respond well to the low-pressure days, but they also really like the darkness created by cloud cover and snow. The Creek remains open from Kilpatrick Bridge downstream, but the idea of float tubing for a day in the winter has little appeal. The river below Highway 20 is the best place to fish, and anglers don’t really need to be in the water unless you are releasing a big one!
Streamer fishing is the name of the game on the Creek all winter long. Fish dark patterns on dark days and bright patterns on bright days. Do not fish a lot of weight. Try to fish 2X and 3X tippets, as well. Cast across the river and retrieve the fly with your rod tip down near the water as the fly swings below you.
The Big Wood is a great winter fishery, if not among the best in the nation. This is especially true when you consider the amount of winter dry-fly activity that can be found here. A variety of nymph patterns will also work if the fish aren’t rising. Try Midge patterns like Zebra Nymphs and Tie Downs. The Wood is also a great place to Streamer fish if nothing else is working or you just want to target bigger fish.
The other rivers, like the South Fork of the Boise and the Lower Lost River, are also fishing well, but with snow coming, take the drive into consideration. The Lower Lost may be tamer as there are services available in Mackay and you can spend the night, but the South Fork is more remote and anglers need to be 100 percent self-reliant and be able to get yourself out of a wintry situation should the need arise. If you go, fish all the same patterns you would have for the Wood or the Creek.
Happy and safe fishing, everyone!