We have a week left to fish our local waters before the season closes for spawning fish. It’s always a bummer when the season closes for a few short months. The good news is the fishing right now is incredible and we have some more distant year-round fisheries.
The fishing on the Big Wood right now is a whole lot of use-whatever-technique-you-like. With the rainbow population in pre-spawn mode, the fish are looking to fatten up after a long winter and pack down the calories for the spring spawning event. This means you can nymph, streamer fish or fish dry flies! If you fish nymphs, try flies that imitate the Little Black Stonefly that is present these days. Prince Nymphs and Black Backed Hare’s Ears and Pheasant Tails are a good choice. Try these in a size 12 or 14. You can also attach smaller nymphs like Zebra Nymphs or Lightning Bugs under the bigger ones. Brassies are also a great choice, still. If you fish a streamer, just make sure it has some olive color to it. Dry-fly action is going to be Midge fishing. Tie-Down Midges and Griffith’s Gnats are the go-to setup.
Silver Creek is on fire is you like streamer fishing! With a little tint to the water and some warmer days, all the fish are out and hunting bait. We may still see some big Midge hatches before the week is up, but if we don’t get them, who cares when the streamer fishing is this good! The Nature Conservancy remains closed until May 29, but anglers will find the best fishing downstream anyhow. The Highway 20 Bridge all the way to Picabo Bridge is great water and great fishing.
The South Fork of the Boise and the lower Lost River are fishing well and may be your best bet for finding some spring dry-fly action. Some later-in-the-day Baetis is always a possibility on either river. Keep in mind the South Fork will close at the end of the month, but the lower Lost River stays open all year now.
It really is an incredible time to be fishing. Angler numbers are down and the daytime temperatures are coming up. Keep in mind the fish are in pre-spawn mode, so please handle them gently and try not to take them out of the water.
Happy fishing, everyone!