Thursday, July 26, 2012
A Few Photos From the Last Week
With the craziness of summer, I've had very little time to edit photos. This morning I took some time to do just that. Here are a few shots of Silver Creek and Copper Basin
Monday, July 16, 2012
General Fishing Report: 07/16/2013
The summer is in full swing and things have been pretty crazy around Lost River Outfitters and the Wood River Valley. I apologize for the lack of posts, and I promise they will pick up soon. For now, here is a report of our local waters. Maybe this can help guide you on your next fishing trip.
Big Wood River
Right now the Big Wood is running at 490 cfs at Hailey. This is a great flow for this time of the year, and the fishing has followed suit. We're reaching the tail end of the Green Drake hatch, but the fish still should be looking up for big Mayfly imitations, so don't be afraid to tie on a size 10 Parachute Adams or a big Green Drake. While the Green Drakes are beginning to subside, there are still plenty of bugs on the Wood. We've been seeing big brown mayflies coming off mid day, and the evening Caddis hatches aren't far off.
Silver Creek
The funny weather we've had recently has made Silver Creek a little bit inconsistent, but it is still fishing well. In the evening, expect PMD hatches an hour or two before dark. These bugs weren't as big as they were a month ago, but a size 16 or 18 will definitely get the job done. If you like to fish the creek in the morning, bring plenty of BWO and Callibaetis patterns. If you stick around for some mid-day fishing, try damselflies, beetles, and ants. It might be a little early, but on a hot windy day, a hopper is worth a try. If the weather gets hot again, the Tricos should be here early just like the Brown Drakes were.
Copper Basin
Copper Basin is a good option right now. We've seen a few big stoneflies and some Mayflies in the evening. Fish big attractor patterns and cover water.
The Big Lost
The lower lost is running at 570 cfs below Mackay res, which is a little high for wading but still fishable. There is no doubt that the lost will fish well at these flows, but be careful wading up and down the river. If you fish the lost, try big attractors, and if the fish aren't coming up, don't be afraid to tie a dropper on. Crane Flies should be out soon, so pick up a few of these big bugs and skate them across your favorite pool.
Upper Salmon River
The Salmon River is running at 1470 cfs below the Yankee Fork. This is a great floating and fishing level. I floated the Salmon yesterday and the fishing was good. We saw decent numbers of Golden Stones in the air, and a big, leggy attractors had fish coming up all day. It was hard to keep the Steelhead Smolts off our flies, but we had plenty of Cutthroats coming up to sip big dry flies. This river is best fished from a boat this time of year, but it is definitely wadable.
Big Wood River
Right now the Big Wood is running at 490 cfs at Hailey. This is a great flow for this time of the year, and the fishing has followed suit. We're reaching the tail end of the Green Drake hatch, but the fish still should be looking up for big Mayfly imitations, so don't be afraid to tie on a size 10 Parachute Adams or a big Green Drake. While the Green Drakes are beginning to subside, there are still plenty of bugs on the Wood. We've been seeing big brown mayflies coming off mid day, and the evening Caddis hatches aren't far off.
Silver Creek
The funny weather we've had recently has made Silver Creek a little bit inconsistent, but it is still fishing well. In the evening, expect PMD hatches an hour or two before dark. These bugs weren't as big as they were a month ago, but a size 16 or 18 will definitely get the job done. If you like to fish the creek in the morning, bring plenty of BWO and Callibaetis patterns. If you stick around for some mid-day fishing, try damselflies, beetles, and ants. It might be a little early, but on a hot windy day, a hopper is worth a try. If the weather gets hot again, the Tricos should be here early just like the Brown Drakes were.
Copper Basin
Copper Basin is a good option right now. We've seen a few big stoneflies and some Mayflies in the evening. Fish big attractor patterns and cover water.
The Big Lost
The lower lost is running at 570 cfs below Mackay res, which is a little high for wading but still fishable. There is no doubt that the lost will fish well at these flows, but be careful wading up and down the river. If you fish the lost, try big attractors, and if the fish aren't coming up, don't be afraid to tie a dropper on. Crane Flies should be out soon, so pick up a few of these big bugs and skate them across your favorite pool.
Upper Salmon River
The Salmon River is running at 1470 cfs below the Yankee Fork. This is a great floating and fishing level. I floated the Salmon yesterday and the fishing was good. We saw decent numbers of Golden Stones in the air, and a big, leggy attractors had fish coming up all day. It was hard to keep the Steelhead Smolts off our flies, but we had plenty of Cutthroats coming up to sip big dry flies. This river is best fished from a boat this time of year, but it is definitely wadable.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Salmonfly Madness on the SFB
We floated the South Fork yesterday, and the Salmonflies have arrived. The fish didn't come up on every cast, but there were definitely stretches where they keyed in on the big bugs. The boat traffic wasn't too heavy and the bugs were pretty thick. Get out there!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Sign up for LRO Kid's Camps Today!
LRO kid's camps are in full swing, and we've already had a number of kids land their first fly caught trout. If you aren't familiar with our kid's camps yet, here is how they work. Our guides take out 2-4 kids at a time, and we go fish a local piece of water (usually the Big Wood). The camps last 4 hours, and over the course of those for hours we work on a number of things: casting, knot tying, wading safety, and bug identification. Our goal is to give each kid the necessary tools to go fish on their own. This is a great opportunity to for your child to meet some new friends and catch a few fish. The camps include two four hour sessions over the course of two days, and the cost is $170. This includes all gear and flies. All you need to bring is a hat, sunglasses, water, and a snack. The camps usually run Monday-Wednesday or Tuesday-Thursday, but we are flexible to fit your schedule. Call us today and give us a chance to get your kid hooked on a passion that can last a lifetime.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Green Drakes are in full swing!
Well, if you are just getting up and are disappointed that we don't have our usual blue skies, keep in mind that warm cloudy weather is Green Drake weather! Nothing does this big tasty bug like better than a few clouds.
The Wood is finally down to a fishable level, and you can even wade in some places now. Although the Green Drake hatch has been going on for a while ,it has been hard to predict when exactly the bugs will start coming off. Day before yesterday, it was in full swing by 11:30, yesterday the spinner fall happened around 9:00, but the emergence did not take place until 3:30. You can always tell when it's getting close by the bird activity on the river. With the cloudy weather I would expect the hatch to start around noon and continue for at least a couple of hours. It's quite a spectacle when you see heads up everywhere!
Besides Green Drakes, a size 10 bug, there have been the smaller size 14 flavs, some little yellow craneflies, and even some Pink Alberts, which are size 16. Yesterday I saw a few yellow sallies as well. Don't forget about the caddis once the sun goes down. I had some great success with quite a large green elk hair caddis the other day( about size 14!) Scott fished a big Turks Taranchula with a hare's ear dropper yesterday with good success. Here's the picture of a nice fish caught on the Wood yesterday.
The Big Lost below the dam is just above 500cfs, quite a bit below normal but still a little fast. Nymphing is your best bet here. I personally like to use a red anato size 12 followed by a lighning bug size 16 or a size 18 zebra midge. If nymphin isn't your cup of tea, try a yellow sally size 16 or a pmd size 16. Today's cloudy and drizzly weather will probably bring out some baetis as well. Look for the risers in the slower back eddies.
The Copper Basin and the North Fork of the Lost are also starting to fish well now. Big attrator patterns are bringing up some nice fish and hopper season is not far off! Make sure you have good tires driving over Trail Creek Summit. Although the road is in decent shape, it can still leave you stranded in the middle of No-Where.
If you have had a hard time catching bigger fish on Silver Creek, the cloudy weather should give you some reprieve as well. When it gets cloudy, the baetis and midges come out and the fish start looking up. Come into the shop to get some expert advice on what patterns work best. Callibaetis have been a big player on the Creek as well. This relatively large( size 14-16) 'speckled dun' brings up the big boys to play in the latter part of the day.
Above is the picture of a callibaetis...........
Soon it will be time for tricos and you can always throw some beetles as well. If you are not successful as you would like to be, our experienced guide staff can help you make some progress on any of these bodies of water.
Our kids camp is also in full swing now, so if you have a child who would like to give fly-fishing a try, be sure to give us a call !
We still have a few openenings for our fall Yellowstone trips to the Lamar Valley. As lodging is limited, it's a good idea to reserve your spot soon.
It's time to see if the bugs are out yet! Tight lines and see you on the river!
The Wood is finally down to a fishable level, and you can even wade in some places now. Although the Green Drake hatch has been going on for a while ,it has been hard to predict when exactly the bugs will start coming off. Day before yesterday, it was in full swing by 11:30, yesterday the spinner fall happened around 9:00, but the emergence did not take place until 3:30. You can always tell when it's getting close by the bird activity on the river. With the cloudy weather I would expect the hatch to start around noon and continue for at least a couple of hours. It's quite a spectacle when you see heads up everywhere!
Besides Green Drakes, a size 10 bug, there have been the smaller size 14 flavs, some little yellow craneflies, and even some Pink Alberts, which are size 16. Yesterday I saw a few yellow sallies as well. Don't forget about the caddis once the sun goes down. I had some great success with quite a large green elk hair caddis the other day( about size 14!) Scott fished a big Turks Taranchula with a hare's ear dropper yesterday with good success. Here's the picture of a nice fish caught on the Wood yesterday.
The Copper Basin and the North Fork of the Lost are also starting to fish well now. Big attrator patterns are bringing up some nice fish and hopper season is not far off! Make sure you have good tires driving over Trail Creek Summit. Although the road is in decent shape, it can still leave you stranded in the middle of No-Where.
If you have had a hard time catching bigger fish on Silver Creek, the cloudy weather should give you some reprieve as well. When it gets cloudy, the baetis and midges come out and the fish start looking up. Come into the shop to get some expert advice on what patterns work best. Callibaetis have been a big player on the Creek as well. This relatively large( size 14-16) 'speckled dun' brings up the big boys to play in the latter part of the day.
Above is the picture of a callibaetis...........
Soon it will be time for tricos and you can always throw some beetles as well. If you are not successful as you would like to be, our experienced guide staff can help you make some progress on any of these bodies of water.
Our kids camp is also in full swing now, so if you have a child who would like to give fly-fishing a try, be sure to give us a call !
We still have a few openenings for our fall Yellowstone trips to the Lamar Valley. As lodging is limited, it's a good idea to reserve your spot soon.
It's time to see if the bugs are out yet! Tight lines and see you on the river!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Vancouver Island Saltwater Adventures
My Dad and I returned from our annual trip to the west side of Vancouver Island a few days ago, and as usual, the fishing didn't disappoint. We trolled offshore for salmon and halibut and jigged for bottom fish. While the Salmon fishing wasn't as hot as it can be later in the summer, we brought plenty of Chinooks and Cohos to the net, and the bottom fishing was off the charts. One of the highlights of the trip had to be coaxing a ling cod into eating a fly. I showed up completely unprepared to fly fish but managed to loop together enough steelhead sink tips to get a streamer down far enough to entice a cod. Every year we go to Tofino, something ridiculous happens and this year the cod on the fly had be that moment. There really is nothing like dumping a big streamer towards the bottom of the ocean and seeing what happens. We returned with a full freezer and plenty of fish stories. Here are a few pictures from the trip.
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