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.