March Madness on our local waters is in full swing.
On Silver Creek, fishing remains open on Kilpatrick Pond until the end of March. Downstream of the Highway 20 bridge, fishing is now open year-round. Now is the time to fish big streamers to predatory brown trout, and swing dark leeches for the Creek’s resident rainbows and browns. There has been good midge and BWO activity on select days, so it can be helpful to carry two rigs—one for streamers and one for dries. There have been some very large trout caught on Silver Creek lately.
On the Big Wood River, midge and BWO activity will be most prevalent in the afternoons. Keep your eye out for foam lines, eddies, and slow current seams, as the tiny bugs will be concentrated in these areas. Feeding rainbow trout can be fooled with long, light leaders and your favorite midge and BWO patterns in sizes 18–24. Trailing Shuck Midges, Griffith Gnats, Last Chance People with disabilities, and Parachute Adams are all effective imitations. When there is little or no surface feeding activity, nymphing can be extremely productive. A two-fly rig consisting of a larger attractor pattern such as a Woolly Bugger, oversize Prince Nymph, Rubber Legs, Girdle Bug, or Copper John, followed by a small Zebra Midge or Brassie, is the way to go. As a reminder, the last day to fish on the Big Wood is March 31.
There are a limited number of days to fish our tailwaters right now. The South Fork of the Boise will be closed at the end of March. The Lower Big Lost River is going to be limited as well, and while it does remain open year-round, we can expect flows to increase during the month of April. All the same flies and techniques you use on the Big Wood will work just fine on the South Fork and the Big Lost; both waters can see excellent spring Blue-Winged Olive hatches.
Spring steelhead season on the upper Salmon River between Stanley and Challis will really pick up at the end of March through the season closure at the end of April. Again, keep an eye on conditions and waterflows. Nymphing with large, gaudy stonefly and egg imitations is most productive, but fish can be caught swinging bunny leeches, buggers, etc.
Keep an eye out on weather conditions and river flows, as this time of year conditions can change rapidly. Idaho river levels can be found on the USGS website.
Happy fishing everyone!
