Sun Valley Fishing Report

Camera: Nikon D3S

Lens: Nikon 24 PC-E

 

Finding clear water other than Silver Creek right now is hard.  While the Big Wood has finally started to drop, it's still flowing just over double where it usually is this time of year.  It's really anybody's guess as to exactly when the Wood will become easily fishable, but it won't be long before the aggressive wade fishermen can get out there and enjoy some big water dry fly fishing.  Think green drakes and big stimi's.  The Big Lost has dropped to 1,350 cfs which is still pretty high...  And, well, Silver Creek.  Silver Creek has been busy and difficult and inconsistent but the wind the last couple of days has not been a problem.  The water level seems to have gone up a bit and there have been plenty of risers but they have not been easy.  Still the same bugs: Baetis, pmd's, green drakes, and a few callibaetis.  The day time highs are forecast to be in the upper-eighties for Picabo.

Sun Valley Fishing Report & Black & White Tilt/Shift Images

Lines & Sky 1

Here's a series I am calling, "Lines & Sky." 

Camera: Nikon D3S

Lens: Nikon 24 PC-E

Ok, the fishing:  The Big Lost and the Big Wood are still blown and it's really looking like it will be at least 10 or so days until we see any worthwhile changes.  The Wood, even north and upstream of Trail Cr. & Warms Springs Cr., is super high and chocolate milk; just about zero clarity.  That leaves us with Silver Creek which is still pretty inconsistent.  The high in Picabo today was somewhere just under 90 degrees and the wind picked up by 9:45 AM which blew many of the little bugs right off the creek.  The wind did taper off by 12:30 or so.  The bugs are: baetis, pmd's, green drakes, and callibaetis.  Think beetles and ants too.

Sun Valley Fishing Report

Big Wood River:  Running around 2,450 cfs the Wood is off color and cruising.  It will be awhile, probably after the 4th of July, before it becomes reasonably fishable.  The Big Lost keeps going up as expected and is running at 1,350 cfs as I write this.  Silver Creek is our only real viable option and has been inconsistent.  Pmd's, baetis, callibaetis and a few green drakes in the Nature Conservancy area.  I fished the S-Turns in the Nature Conservancy today and it was SLOW.  We had a good but short pmd and baetis emergence and by 10:30 or 11 it was over.  On the brown drake front, it could be over other than a few little trickles here and there.  Could still be worth the effort to head down tonight but there were very few bugs in the grass today which means you would be hoping for a spinner fall...

 

Here are a few images taken on Silver Creek 2 nights ago:

Camera: Nikon D3S

Lens: Nikon 24 PC-E

Brown Drakes & Spring Green

 

Camera: Nikon D3S

Lenses: Nikon 24 PC-E & Micro 105

The Big Lost is now just over 1,000 cfs and is cruising right along and the Big Wood is just under 2,500 cfs.  Silver Creek is in the middle of brown drake madness and there are baetis, pmds, callibaetis and a few green drakes in the Nature Conservancy area.  The mosquitoes have also arrived...

Sun Valley Fishing Report

2 image pano taken with the Nikon 24 PC-E lens & Nikon D3S

The Lost is still flowing just under 500 cfs which can't last for that much longer and the Wood is right around 1,900 cfs.  Silver Creek is the place right now and the BIG question has been whether or not the brown drake madness has started yet.  And the answer is not really or kind of but mainly not...  There was an emergence yesterday afternoon that got some bugs out of the water and fish looking at them but nothing--or at least nothing where I was--last night happened.  This is looking like a summer solstice hatch this year.

Bugs or no bugs, an evening on the "Creek" is still spectacular... 

Camera: Nikon D3S

Lens: Nikon 24 PC-E

Sun Valley Fishing Report & Happy Father's Day!

Camera: iPhone 4

I took this image with my iPhone camera looking through the viewfinder of my DSLR.

OK, the fishing:  Well the Big Lost has been slowly gaining in volume and is currently flowing at 494 cfs.  The Big Wood is still cranking out somewhere just below 2,000 cfs and has no clarity.  It'll be awhile before the Big Wood becomes a viable option.

Then there is Silver Creek.  Our spring fed gem has yet to produce brown drakes and it is just about June 20th!  Today was cool and wet this afternoon.  Certainly not the typical brown drake weather, BUT everything seems to be a bit late this year including the leaves on the disiduous trees.  Warm weather is slated for next week and we can only hope...  Mosquitoes and prairie caddis have still been few and far between and their presence is often a precursor to brown drakes.

Upstream in the Nature Conservancy section baetis and pmds have made for some fun technical sight fishing...

Sun Valley Magazine

The new summer issue of Sun Valley Magazine is out and I have done the photography for a feature piece titled, Fish Food.  Check out the new issue in person or visit their web site.  Here's a link to my piece on their site:  Fish Food

Camera: Nikon D3S

Lens: Nikon 14-24 f2.8

 

On a fishing note: I was back on Silver Creek again this morning through the early afternoon and did not see a single drake...  The wind event was not bad and the temps were quite nice; mid to upper sixties.  The late morning baetis seems to be picking up momentum.  It has been starting around 10:30 or 11 and coming off in pulses contingent on the weather.  They are small so bring plenty of #20 patterns with you.  There are also pmd's lingering.

Are those temps coupled with our very cool spring enough to get the brown drake hatch going?  Who knows...  You can either head on down or read about it here once it starts.

Silver Creek Fishing Update

Another beautiful day and evening on Silver Creek without brown drakes...  OK, a few came off late morning and were taken by greedy swallows and red-winged blackbirds and trout too.  But nothing really has happened yet.  The temps tonight were cool but not windy like the night of the 15th when it blew through much of the night.  Around 7:30 or so there has been a heavy twenty minute baetis but the fish really have not keyed into them.  Something bigger is on the way...

Above images taken with the Nikon D3S and 14-24 f2.8 lens.

Image taken with the Nikon D3S and 50 f1.8 lens

Silver Creek Update

 

Having some fun while waiting for brown drakes.  We found a giant beetle and hucked into the creek.  No takers, but it made for an interesting minute or so as we watched it float downstream...

First, the answer is I have still yet to see brown drakes on Silver Creek.  The evenings have been spectacular but essentially bug free.  Who knows when this thing will actually get going but it is very likely to be this week.  There were enough baetis around 8 PM to get a few fish up but that was it. 

Images taken with the Nikon D200 and 14-24 f2.8 lens

Sun Valley Fishing Report

 

Nature Conservancy.  Silver Creek Preserve

Rain Drops On Silver Creek

Quick update on our local water:

The Big Lost is running about 288 cfs which cannot last that much longer...  Get it while you can.  The Big Wood is running a hair under 2,000 cfs with very little clarity.  It will be awhile, like the end of June or so, until the Wood becomes easily wadeable.  On Silver Creek many of us are waiting--no real sign yet-- for brown drakes.  The weather has ever so slowly gotten nicer and nicer with highs near 70 in Picabo daily.  While the Nature Conservancy section does not see any brown drakes, the bug deal there has been sporadic with baetis and pmd's coming off here and there.  The Nature Conservancy section has NOT been crowded at all and is quite fun if you are willing to hunt for rising fish...

Silver Creek Pano

East Oxbow Pano. Silver Creek, Idaho 2011

Silver Creek Drake Update:

Still cool here but the Spring-green is happening and so is the brown drake frenetic mindset.  Catching the first night of the drake emergence is the best.  First, there's the payoff after many hatchless nights.  Sunsets are great, but giant prolific mayflies and hungry trout and a sunset is better...  The first strong night is in no other words, amazing.  The fish simply go nuts as they have not had this type of opportunity in a long time.  The bloated stomach thing doesn't seem to start, understandably, until after the first or second massive meal.  No, nothing to my knowledge has happened in the way of drakes yet, but those large acrobatic mayflies are on many of our minds.  The above pano was taken last night, June 9th.  Mosquitoes and prairie caddis signal to me the "imminence" of drakes and I have yet to witness either.  Once we get either or both mosquitoes and prairie caddis--which is a large and erratic flying but IGNORED caddis-- we'll be close...

Oh, and the Lost...it's been knocked DOWN to 280 cfs...

 

Sun Valley Area Fishing Report

OK..., the Big Wood has just about doubled in volume since I last reported here.  It's flowing just under 2,000 cfs and is OFF color.  It's essentially unfishable...  More rain and cooler temps in store for Ketchum.  The amount of rain we get will dictate just how much runoff the Wood will see this year.  It's really anyone's guess as the weather continues to be volatile and anything but predictable.

The Lower Big Lost is hanging in there and has at least for the short term dropped down to 340 cfs.  That water flow will not last for long.  If you are thinking of hitting the Lost anytime soon, you should head over within the next couple of days.  The Mackay Reservoir is nearing capacity and will any day now hit the tipping point, especially as the upper river has seen a good bump in volume and is contributing a lot of water to the reservoir.

Silver Creek of course is not really affected by high water and will be for much of June our local trump card.  Expect PMD's and baetis throughout the day and cloudy windless days should be the best.  Brown drakes are just around the corner...

Mt. Haynes & Lone Madison River Fisherman

Lamar Valley Looking West