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 !