Fall is for Steelhead

Come September, all of the Idaho steelhead junkies start checking Columbia river fish counts religiously. We start tying flies and gearing up for fall trips. Once October rolls around, the Clearwater and Salmon start filling up with anglers looking to "swing up" a summer run steelhead. While this year's steelhead counts are well below the 10 year average, Columbia and Snake river tributaries have fished better than they did last year.

The Clearwater fished very well (by Clearwater standards) in early October.  Some buddies and I spent three days swinging flies around Orfino, and we hooked (and even landed) a few fish.  The biggest surprise on that trip was the incredible number of Chinooks in the system. We saw Chinooks rolling through many of the runs we fished, and I even managed to land one on a floating line and a sparsely tied spey fly.

 

The Salmon River has fished very well this year downstream of Riggins.  The stretch that gave up very few fish last year showed some mercy in October with multiple hookups a day for some.  The fishing downstream of Riggins has slowed down, but there are still fish being caught.  With cold, November water temperatures, it's time to put on a sink tip and fish slightly larger flies.  

The fishing on the Salmon River around the town of Salmon has been very slow.  If things warm up, that area should get a good push of fish, and fishing should improve. Unfortunately the catch rates have been bad so far. 

Our fall steelhead season is far from over.  If you haven't tried swinging flies for steelhead, now is as good of a time as any to start. Just be careful; the tug is the drug!

-CM

Fishing Report 09/12/2013

We typically look forward to mid-September for some of the year's best fishing.  September welcomes slightly lower temperatures, fewer people, and plenty of bugs.  While the fishing is getting good on much of our water, the fire and heavy rain storms have thrown a wrench in our plans.  Here is a quick breakdown of all of our local water:

The Big Wood
The Big Wood has been running black for a little over a week now.  We received heavy rain right after the Beaver Creek Fire was completely contained.  This created massive mud slides which flooded the river with ash and mud.  The river is fishable up north but it isn't even close in Ketchum or Hailey.  Unfortunately we are going to lose some fish, because of this event. Fish and Game is doing a study to quantify the loss of fish on the Wood, and we'll keep you updated once we have those numbers.

The Wood Mid-Valley Running Muddy

Silver Creek
On a brighter note, Silver Creek is fishing great right now! There are still sputtering trico hatches in the morning, but the real fun starts after that.  Look for baetis hatches right after tricos taper off, and you should see callibaetis mid day.  With the Wood being unfishable the creek has seen uncharacteristic pressure for this time of year, but the fishing has stayed strong.  Terrestrials are still a good bet if you aren't seeing fish mid-day.

A Silver Creek Rainbow with a Hopper in Mouth

Copper Basin

With cooler temperatures, Copper Basin and the Upper Lost are starting to fish better again.  This fishery really slows down when hot August weather increases water temperature, but it might be time to revisit these streams.  Fish attractor patterns in deeper water for best results.  If fish won't come to the surface, try dropping a nymph off of your dry fly.  

Lower Lost

We're approaching prime time on the Lower Lost.  This is one of our favorite fall fisheries, and it's starting to get good.  The Lower Lost is still going to fish best in the morning and the evening until things cool off a little bit, but it shouldn't be long before it fishes great all day.  Fish a dry-dropper with a big dry and a small nymph, until you see bugs.  You have a good chance of seeing tricos, baetis, and even a few crane flies this time of year.  

It's time to get out there! Many of our local waters fish best in the fall, so if you've been biding your time to get on the water, the wait should be over.  Swing by the shop before you head out on the river, and we'll get you set up with everything you need.  Remember if you need a little help on the water, we offer full and 3/4 day guide trips.  We'll see you out there!

-CM

Fishing Report Aug 27,2013

Fishing report Aug. 26, 2013 

As probably all of you know we became the #1 priority in the nation with our Beaver Creek fire in mid August.  It was a déjà vu of the Castle Rock fire of 2007.  Smoke, evacuations, and fire conditions pretty much shut down the entire valley for a week.  The firefighters again did an amazing job with a virtual inferno over very dry forest, sage and tinder.  The fire is about 90% contained and not visible from the valley, except for the burn scars.  The valley corridor from East Fork north looks the same. The monsoonal air flows have also been a blessing clearing the air and giving us much needed rains over the last three days, with more rains predicted for the week.

 Even during the fire there was some great and smokeless fishing to be had if you were willing to cross Trail Creek summit and venture into the Big Lost River.  Many days on Silver Creek were clear in the afternoons when the southerly winds kicked the smoke out.  The fish have had a nice break as angling pressure was nearly non-existent. We stayed open, with more limited hours, all through the fire and swa quite a few local anglers who took advantage of the un-crowded fishing conditions.

Now that the fire Is behind us, we hope that our clients will return to the valley to enjoy our favorite fishing season, fall!  Cooler temperatures are here and fall fishing should begin to pick up soon.  Here is what you should expect if you venture into the valley in the next week or so.

           Big Wood

Very low water conditions with flows less than 130 cfs.  We fished 14 foot leaders tapered to 6X yesterday and a size 18 and 20 adams to raise fish.  There was a spotty trico spinner fall, some nice fish would rise to the dry fly.  When rises slowed a size 20 zebra midge under a size 16 attractor purple haze received attention. Don’t forget to throw a hopper into the faster water! The fish are definitely looking up for this big bug and it’s always fun to catch fish on hoppers! Expect  to see some larger fish begin to    show as size 10 hecubas begin to hatch and baetis on cloudy afternoons in early September.  

thank you, firefighters!fire video 

           Silver Creek

Flows and temperatures  are pretty normal on the Creek.  Although trico hatches have been       sporadic, you should look for some surface action on trico and baetis in the late morning if you visit the creek.  Also some callibaetis size 18 are still around.  Dry blue damsels and hoppers will get some attention in the afternoons.  

            Big Lost/Copper Basin

 Unfortunately we have seen evidence of a lot of harvest on these waters again this summer.  There are a few pockets of fish left in the upper river, but they are far and few between.  There are plentiful whitefish as they are protected, but many of the nice cutthroat and rainbow that we saw early season have been taken out.  A madam X size 10 with a dropper nymph size 16 on about two feet of 5X fluorocarbon tippet will fool some of those fish that are still there.   We did catch 4 grayling of spawning size in the upper reaches of the Lost in early August on a guide trip.  Please release the trout, although there is no protection on the trout and the Idaho Fish and Game department still believes there would be no trout in the system if not for their planting efforts. There is plenty of natural spawning in that system to replenish it with wild fine spot cutthroat, west slope cutthroat, rainbow, and cut bows.  It is one of the most pristine systems we have that is easily accessible and needs our protection.

             Lower Big Lost

              The lower river below Mackay reservoir is fishing well with nymphs.  Midge hatches have been strong so bring your size 18 and 20 zebra midge box and there also have been tricos early in the morning. Double nymph rigs produce the best in this system right now.  Tippets with this rigging should include 6X fluorocarbon.  By late September we should start to see some fall baetis and the return of surface feeding. 

  

              Yellowstone Park

               If you are interested in a trip to the Lamar Valley and some amazing fall fishing we can hook you up.  I leave on Sept. 9^th and return on Sept. 21^st.    We could still organize your fall trout trip.  You will fish the Yellowstone River, the Lamar River, Slough Creek, Soda Butte Creek and Trout Lake on your trip.  Minimum trip is three days.  We will organize your lodging.  Call Scott at 208-720-3813 or Susanne at 208-720-1994 or send us an email for further details.

             High Mountain Lake Fishing and Backpacking

              Fall is the time to head out into the mountains! With the summer crowds diminishing, you can have some of the high mountain lakes all to yourself! Check out our Outcast Trinity backpacking float tubes! They only weigh 7 lbs, pump up in less than 10 minutes , and come in a nice pack that has enough room for food, clothing, and even waders! We are licensed to guide hiking and back-backing trips to the lakes in the headwaters of the Big Lost. This is one of the most fabulous experiences! The fish are ready to beef up for the winter and will eat just about anything you throw at them. We can also arrange to have the whole camp packed in, so all you have to carry is a day pack. This also makes it possible to have ‘real’ food and even a libation under the stars! Give Susanne a call on her cell 108.720.1994. She likes nothing better than spending a couple of nights under the stars!

            Steelhead

Fall steelhead season is approaching.  The numbers are not huge, but they are coming into Idaho over Lower Granite Dam right now.  Stop in the shop for a spey lesson or to check out the Air flow rage lines which will make your spey casting easier than you can ever imagine.

             Synopsis

              We have dodged the fire bullet once again thanks to another great incident commander, Beth Lund, and her awesome Incident 1 Team!  We also need to give a great round of applause to all the fire departments who sent fire engines for structure protection! We had fire trucks form all over Idaho and all over the country! We can’t thank all of the fire personnel enough for saving our towns, our valley, and the busiest weekend of the whole year: Wagon Days! Come help us celebrate the end of the Beaver Creek Fire and the beginning of a great fall fishing season!

               We have some great deals on clothing and hard goods! Don’t miss out on our awesome end of summer sale! All summer clothing and footwear is 30-50% off! Only on Saturday, Parade Day, we will discount ALL non-sale clothing items by 10%! We will also serve snacks and libations from 11:00AM to 3:00PM! Come join us for a fun-filled day of retail therapy! Our sale has already started, so if you are in town, check it out now before the crowds return!  

             Here are a couple of reminders of the Beaver Creek Fire......                                                             

          Fish far and fine,

          Scott Schnebly

           Lost River Outfitters 

FISHING REPORT JULY 19,2013

Fishing report July 19

I know you have not heard from me in some time.  For that I apologize.  It has been a whirlwind of a summer.   This last week we had a group on the Big Wood with 30 guides out followed by 25.  That is a muster for us when we usually pride ourselves with customized trips to fit the client.  I had a couple of cancellations for the next two days which is allowing me to catch up on some much needed office time.   An updated fish report was first on my list.

Some like it hot, but not our trout or the insects they feed on.  We have experienced some pretty hot weather so far in July.  Fortunately some monsoonal flows have dumped much needed rain and made for some spectacular thunder storms this month.  The showers have freshened the river flows nicely.  On the evening of July 16^th, just after our large group got off the river, a deluge the likes of which we almost never see came in from the south, pounded the Wood River Valley and continued over the Pioneer Mountains.  The following Day the upper Lost ran muddy and had risen 150 cfc.  Well over an inch of rain fell in some places. It cleared two days later and the fish did not mind.  The high altitude meadows are spectacular and the colors change weekly with blooms of different species.  Even though we are in a dry spell there has been enough moisture that the rivers are staying cool, fishing has been good to excellent, and the landscape is green.  You do need to pick the right river at the right time of day to maximize your effort on the water.  We are promised more monsoonal flows next week by Wednesday.

Big Wood

The Big Wood at Hailey is flowing below normal at 244 cfs this morning.  Still pretty good flows.  Fishing is best in the morning hours until about 2 pm then again in the evening with the caddis hatches.  Expect some rising in the morning to the various smaller mayfly spinners and some residual caddis egg laying occurring.  Some pink Alberts are beginning to show in the waters around Hailey as well.  Mid day expect to see some yellow sallies over the water in their egg laying phase.  Use a small yellow/orange stimulator.  Way north of Ketchum there are still a few Western Green Drakes around both hatching and spinning.  Longer leaders are the norm and if you do not have to match a hatch that is obvious on the water, an over sized dry fly like a stimulator or madam X with a dropper such as a 16-18 zebra midge or a 14-16 copper john will work quite well.  Swinging soft hackle nymphs in size 14 and caddis emergers on the Tenkara rod with the son of a client last week was killer.  You might want to check out our Temple Fork 10 ½ foot and 11 ½ foot Tenkara sticks.  Although swinging flies works fine with your usual gear, the no reel Tenkara is a pretty fun different style of fishing.  We will host Yvon Chouinard  in late August for a limited class in Tenkara fishing.

The water at Stanton flowing into Magic is 26 cfs and is too low and warm for much good success  right now.

Magic Reservoir is still fishing for smallmouth with streamers.  Let’s hope something survives in Magic this summer.

The Lower Big Wood, in case you had not heard, is dead.  Water flows this morning are 1.1 cfs. Two foot rainbows and browns belly up.  Thousands and thousands of trout of all sizes are in decay due to some shortsighted decisions by the Richfield Canal Company, who decided that one more day of water on the dessert alfalfa was more important than saving the trophy fishery in the Canyon below Magic Reservoir.   There is a definite lack of understanding of the value of a fishing resource and riparian habitats when it comes to water use in this state.  This fish kill did not have to happen.  The Wood River Land Trust offered to buy their last day of water release of 850 cfs to maintain daily flows of 20 cfs into September when temperatures cooled to keep the fishery alive.  The Richfield Canal company refused.  What would one less day of water have meant to the alfalfa, when there was less than 60 days of water available, one hay cutting, and temperatures in the 90’s and 100’s?  We lost a great resource.  I personally lost about 1/6^th of my guide water and days. The rest of the fly shops have been affected similarly.  The general fishing public has been robbed of a tremendous resource.  Something needs to change with this water management policy below Magic.  It will take years of good water conditions for it to recover.   If this happened in any other state there would be outrage.  It  is way past time to fix it.  There is a solution and it is not the stubborn status quo.

Silver Creek

Silver Creek is a bright spot with water flows.  It is flowing at 149 cfs.  Best fishing is in the early morning hours with Trico spinner falls and possibly PMD spinners following on some days.  Again the evening when it cools bring the hatches back the PMD emergences which have been very strong.  You should also be prepared with caddis and the tiny baetis.  If you can stand the heat some afternoon callibaetis spinner falls and emerging.  Hoppers are not far off and dry damsels in the middle of the day will surprise some of the big guys.  The rehab project in the pond area of the Nature Conservancy and the RR Ranch has been approved.  I can’t help but think this will speed flows through the pond area and help cool the waters downstream and improve trout conditions throughout all of Silver Creek. 

The Big Lost

The Big Lost system has been a bright spot this year.  Snowpack was decent, there is still some cold water coming from the ice fields above Starhope Creek and Wildhorse Creek, keeping the water and the fish healthy.  Mackay reservoir was full.  The Lower Lost has been flowing at a rate of right around 500 cfs, which is big, but wadable in spots and very fishable, mostly with small weighted nymphs right now.  In the upper Lost, the North Fork, and Copper Basin most of the heavy hatches of green drakes have gone, but there are some golden stones and yellow sallies egg laying mid day.  Most rising will occur in the morning hours when there is a rusty spinner fall and a mix of other streamborn insects.  Take your flying ants in size 14.  If you can’t see them hang them two feet off a parachute Adams or purple haze.  A dropper nymph on 5x fluorocarbon is very effective as well.  Although there are no regulations on the upper system, except for a no kill on whitefish, we have experienced catches of good sized mature rainbows and fine spot cutthroat who show spawning scars from this past spring.  We also had many juvenile fish in the East Fork drowning the dry fly trying to eat.  I really have not seen so many juveniles in the system since whirling disease affected the Big Lost system in the early 1980’s.  That is a very positive sign.  Please release your catch in the upper Lost.  It is one of our most easily accessible pristine river systems in the state.  There are rainbows, cut-bows, and cutthroat over 18 inches in the river and they are feisty, fat, and fun to catch.  No grayling to report yet however.

South Fork of the Boise

Water flows are 1600 from Anderson dam right now.  Access is good with a boat. The giant stones were out last week along with blanket caddis hatches.  Fish are hard to come by when there is that much food available.  As these two hatches diminish look for some pink alberts to emerge from the riffle waters and hoppers begin to attract some attention. 

Yellowstone Park

The Park waters are all fishable now.  The Yellowstone below the Lake is open.  I would stick with the cold water fisheries for now and save the Madison in the Park and the Firehole for fall.  We still have some openings in September for our fall trips to the Lamar Valley if anyone is interested.  If you want a thorough blow by blow, river by river update you should check out the fishing report by Craig Matthews of Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone.  He does a great job. 

That is all for now.  Be ready in August to fish far and fine as the waters continue to drop and grow gin clear.

Tight loops,

Scott Schnebly

Lost River Outfitters

Remember, our kids fly fishing camps are in full swing !

The Salmon Flies Have Arrived on the South Fork of the Boise

There are a few hatches that keep us on the edge of our seats every year.  The most notable of these has to be the Brown Drakes, but for many, the Salmon Flies are the cream of the crop.  We floated the South Fork last friday and there wan't a giant stonefly in sight.  Even though the Salmon Flies and Golden Stones were nowhere to be seen we found fish that were willing to eat big dries and stonefly nymphs.

On Wednesday we returned to the South Fork with high hopes that the warm weather would push the bugs upstream.  The first half of the float passed with no bugs, but we started to see some adults from Cow Creek down.  Unfortunately we experienced a biblical caddis hatch about one o'clock.  The fish weren't up on the caddis, and they didn't seem to be overly interested in big dries either.  

If the caddis subside fishing should really turn on on the South Fork.  This warm weather should keep the Salmon Flies coming off in good numbers, and there is nothing those big trout like more than a big, juicy stonefly.  We'll continue floating the SFB over the next few weeks, so if you need a report feel free to call the shop at (208) 726-1706 for a report.

Baja Wrap Up 2013

Another trip to the East Cape of Baja is in the books, and like every journey down south, it was a memorable one.  Every East Cape adventure begins as a Roosterfish quest.  Like last year there were plenty of Roosters around, but you were hard pressed to find a sardine, which made finding aggressive fish almost impossible.  Most of the roosters were eating Mullet and Ladyfish, which are tough to imitate with a fly.  A few small to medium sized fish were caught on the fly, but the one huge Rooster of the trip was enticed by about a three pound ladyfish trolled behind our 12 foot boat.

We chartered pangas for two days to do a little off shore exploration.  Usually when we hire guides our focus is on Dorado, tuna, Marlin, etc... With an inexplicable lack of dorado and tuna, we decided to focus on bottom fishing in only about 60 feet of water.  This presented the opportunity to catch tasty bottom fish on bait and flies.  We filled the boat with Snappers and Groupers, and both species were caught on flies.  I also added another first to the books with a fly-caught Amberjack.  This was about as much fun as you can have in a day, and we came home with a cooler full of fish, which was definitely a bonus. 

This was another trip where the Roosters didn't fully cooperate, but if you've spent any time fishing for Roosterfish, you know this is a fairly common occurrence.  Fortunately the East Cape is home to such a variety of fish species, that if one kind of fishing is slow you simply switch to another.  Also, if you let a little slow fishing get you down in an unbelievable setting like Southern Baja, you have much bigger problems.  Like always, the water was warm, the drinks were cold, and the people were overwhelmingly friendly.  We'll be eating Baja style fish tacos for the next few months, while dreaming about the next trip.  

Fishing Report June 4, 2013

June 4, 2013 Fishing report

Even though many of our local waterways now have year round fishing the Memorial Day opener is still the traditional beginning of our season here in south Central Idaho.  Folks did flock to the water.   We also experienced the usual late spring showers over opening weekend.  Although the weather has been unsettled with rain, snow, and hail it is not yet enough to fully relieve our drier than normal winter with moderate snowpack and runoff.  Our local drainages are just over 80% average precipitation.  The Big Wood drainage looks the most meager with Magic being drawn down dramatically this early in the season.  The water master says irrigators dependent on Magic water will be out of water by July 1.  Water storage in Magic suffered when there was a big drawdown last fall to repair a faulty valve and hydraulic hose.  There has been little runoff in the Big Wood to refill the reservoir.  The fishery below Magic will do doubt suffer as a result, which is unfortunate as it has thrived over the last four or five years.  We hope there will be a solution when shut off time comes for an additional water release to keep the fishery alive.  Keep the rains coming!!  There is some good fishing to be had early so here goes.

Silver Creek 

Silver Creek has been rising slowly which is a good thing.  It opened the season at just over 80 cfs and is 86 today with normal flows around 120 for this time of year.  Our windy conditions have not helped the dry fly fishing, but wets and streamers have produced.  Look for the large early PMD’s and baetis in late morning early afternoon to hatch on warmer days.  Caddis and PMD’s could also show in the evening hours.  Callibaetis will begin to show in the still water sections on warm days as well.  Brown Drakes are in full swing now.  Our bins are stocked with our own drake spinner patterns, emergers, and nymphs as well as the pure dun patterns.  Stop by and stock up, even witnessing this amazing hatch is worth the price of admission!

Big Wood

We had trips out over the weekend on the Big Wood, amazing for this time of year.  The upper Wood is flowing at 847 cfs today and is clear.  Side channels, eddies and the slower big pools are fishing well with rubber legged stonefly patterns.  Weighted double nymph rigs as copper johns, and green drake nymphs are also effective.  Although the Wood usually peaks with runoff in mid-June, we may have already seen the peak at just over 1200 cfs.  It will take some 80 degree days in order for the last snow to come down in a rush. 

Lower Wood

Below Magic is flowing at 694 cfs today.  Not big for normal flows.  There has been little fishing pressure.  It may be the only time to fish it as there will be little water later.  Be careful in the float tube.  Our favorite black rubber legged nymph with a prince point fly is a good starting kit early in the season on the Canyon stretch.   Black zebra midges also good point fly choices.  I would not expect much rising or dry fly activity in the Canyon.

Big Lost

The upper Big Lost is pretty clear, but running fast and cold at 729 cfs today.  I would probably wait for it to come down before attempting to fish it as well as the East Fork.  If you feel the need to fish the upper Lost  head for the steppes in the headwaters in Copper Basin where the small waters could give you some fishing in some beautiful country. 

Lower Lost

The lower Lost below Mackay reservoir is worth the trip.  It is a bit big at 494 cfs today, but can be crossed in some places and is fishing with nymphs right now.  The rainbows are not too picky either.  A girdle bug with a small prince nymph worked for me on my guide trip on the opener.  A copper john and caddis pupae was my second choice.  The bigger fish were harder to find as they seem to be hunkered in the deeper faster runs, but there were plenty of eager 12-16 inch fat feisty rainbows.  Expect some pmds, caddis, yellow sallies, and giant stones to begin emerging as June progresses. 

South Fork of the Boise

With flows at 1640 today it is best floated.  Reports are that it is fished well with weighted nymphs in size 14-16  or rubber legged girdle bugs.  Look for the giant stones to begin emerging in the next couple of weeks, as well as the tan bodied brachycentrus caddis. 

Magic Reservoir/Anderson Reservoir

You don’t need a boat.  Bass fishing from shore on both still waters has been pretty epic.  If you want to bob around, a float tube will help you cover more water.  Magic has also been fishing pretty well for big rainbows, but the bass fishing this spring has been pretty spectacular with 14-18 inchers whacking a red/brown blood leach on a sinking tip.

Yellowstone Park

The Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon are some of the best fishing waters in the Rocky Mountains in the early season.  Hatches are advanced due to the warm geyser waters.  PMD’s, Baetis, and Caddis hatch most days and evenings on the Firehole.  The stonefly emergence is not far behind.   The Madison is a couple hundred cfs below normal and perfect flow, fluctuating between 550 and 650 cfs.  We have two parties in the Park beginning June 11.  If you have not fished the Park you owe it to yourself.   We still have some open dates in September in the Lamar Valley in the Park if you are interested.  We fish the Yellowstone River, the Lamar River, Slough Creek, Trout Lake and Soda Butte Creek in the fall.  By late September we like the Madison and the Gibbon for the run up browns and rainbows.  Let us know if you would like a Park trip.  They are three to five day excursions.   Lodging is in cabins, lunches on us, dinners out, showers at the end of the day, and it is closer than Alaska or Argentina.

Shop notes:

Zac has returned from rooster fishing and joined us for some Brown Drake action on the creek along with Frank and Sagen..  Cody, Chase, Rachael, and Rob return June 9^th from Mexico.  We will be looking forward to some stories and photos.

The new Patgonia Waders are in stock including the zip model.  The Patagonia aluminum bar boot is ready for wading the slick or big rocky waters.  Winston’s BIIIX rods are still on top of our list. 

The fly bins are full and the tying room has some new Whiting hackles.

We are booking the summer kid’s camps now and our guides are ready if you want assistance.  Stop by for a some new Trout Hunter tippet or to swap a story or photo.

Susanne and I will be returning from Mark Harbaugh's Goat Mountain Ranch where we attended the Annual Patagonia Dealer Camp. It's always fun to brainstorm with Yvonn Chouinard, Bill Klyne, Bart Bonime, Mark Harbaugh the powers-that-be at Patagonia. It was also good to catch up with April Vokey and the ladies form the design team and the numbers crunchers of Patagonia. The Spring 14 line looks amazing, and we can hardly wait to show you all the new Women's fishing line starting next January. 

Everyone is going fishing today, but we have to head home to guide. Susanne has to write the women's fishing line order today to help Patagonia get an idea of where that may go and to make sure we will have it all in stock next Spring.

Get out there and enjoy the Spring!

Tight loops and lines,

Scott Schnebly