While we welcome September, we also welcome the unofficial start of fall in the Wood River Valley. Steady temperatures remain with us over the next week, with cool mornings and sunny afternoons heating up into the mid to high 70s. The hopper fishing is strong on all area rivers—a hopper/dropper set-up will be productive throughout the day wherever you end up.
Silver Creek: Silver Creek has been fishing great! The Preserve remains open from 9 a.m. to sunset. Don’t forget to check in. Trico action on the Creek has tapered off, and with that has come a ramp-up of the Callibaetis and Baetis from mornings into the early afternoon. Later into the day you can expect to see Damsels and Hoppers, with Ants and Beetles always fishing well. A dry dropper with a micro nymph will be productive throughout the day. Remember if you are fishing hoppers that pink is the way to go. The Moorish Hopper and the Club Sandwich are excellent choices!
Big Wood: The Big Wood continues to fish well despite low flows; fish can be found in the riffles and at the end of runs. Mornings are generating Trico and Baetis action. Hopper/dropper set-ups in the afternoons are productive, using a small Zebra Midge, Rainbow Warrior or Copper John as your dropper. Caddis flies are fishing well into the low light of the evenings. We expect to see an emergence of the Western Red Quill any day now, so be sure to have some in your fly box. Your Green Drake patterns left over from last spring will make a great imitation for the Red Quill or try large Adams and Wulff patterns. The fly that is tied for this hatch is the Quill Gordon—a great fly, although not a necessity if you have left over Drakes.
Lost River: Flows in the Upper Lost River remain low, but fishing continues to be productive if you cover a lot of water. Mornings are a bit cool and fish become more active as the air temperature rises throughout the day. Look for fish in deeper pockets, along dark undercut banks, and along quiet seams. While you cover lots of water, fish your favorite terrestrial or attractor patterns. Adding a dropper will double your chances.
Across the valley, the brown trout population is going to begin pre-spawn activity, so that means fish Streamers if nothing else is happening on the water. They are going to be hunting calories!
Happy fishing, everyone!