Lost River Outfitters Fishing Report 6/27/2014
So many places, so little time. Since our spring steelhead season finished on
the Salmon at the end of April we have visited many of our old fishing haunts
and some new ones. There is always a
piece of water that seems to need our attention. My son Blake and his wife Kelly spent a
weekend with us on Anderson Reservoir catching some nice smallmouth, then on to
Magic where we had an epic day casting streamers from the bank for 2-4 lb.
triploids. In mid-May I participated in
the Idaho 2-Fly which was held at Ron Sali’s 97 acre pond/lake at his fabulous
estate in Eagle. It was a fund raiser
for men with cancer in Idaho. It was an
extremely inspirational event and raised some needed monies for two retreats
Dick Wilson puts together every year in Copper Basin at Wildhorse Ranch and in
Eastern Idaho at Three Rivers Ranch. If
anyone has any inclination to participate in one of Dick’s events let me know
and I will put you in touch. Catching
five plus pound largemouth in Ron’s lake was just the icing on the cake at the
Idaho 2-Fly event. A few trips to the
lakes in the Sawtooths kept the cobwebs from forming on the six weights for
some nice bull trout and a perfected the double haul with full sink lines. We have been busy.
The season opener found us on Silver Creek guiding sporadic
baetis and PMD hatches on the Conservancy waters with some good success. Sometimes a tiny nymph dropped under a size
16 snowshoe emerger made the day on guided trips. Brown drakes emerged earlier
than expected, but the hatches were consistent and heavy. Our beginner trips to the Willow waters even
had good success. One spinner fall
lasted over four hours.
I had a week guiding in Yellowstone again June 12-19. The first day salmon flies showed on the
Madison in the Park. It looked like an
epic dry fly week and then came the snows.
In spite of some inclement weather all parties experienced some dry fly
fishing on the Firehole and the Madison.
Duck Creek was very good. Many,
many big rainbows, three browns, and three brookies over 15 inches made that
creek memorable for everyone. Buffalo
calves were in abundance and a lone white wolf was sighted on the
Firehole. The rain and snow showers
were not enough to put the rivers out, but did bring up some morels coming and
going along the Henry’s Fork. The
Madison gave us some very nice browns and big rainbows fishing a large dry
stonefly with a girdle bug dropper. They
ate both. I hated to leave to return to
the high cold waters of the Wood River Valley.
But….on return the Wood was fishable and clear. The upper Lost and Copper Basin waters
receding and we are preparing for a busy summer.
Here are a few tips on our local waters.
Big Wood Drainage
The Big Wood is flowing at 572 today, a bit higher after a
nice rain two days ago. Although the Big
Wood did not experience extremely high run off, it flowed long enough and high
enough to wash much of the mud and silt from the floods on the burnt ground of
last September. The gravels are much
cleaner and the river clear. If you want
to dry fly use a large royal stimulator to raise fish. You might want to drop a green drake nymph
under your dry if you want to catch more fish.
Be prepared for a green drake hatch size 10 in the afternoons. Green drakes are hatching far up river as
Deer Creek and they move their way up river so be on the lookout. They do like warm muggy overcast days.
The Lower Big Wood in the Canyon waters is flowing at 911
cfs. I don’t know how it makes it, but
the fish have survived another difficult year of nearly no water. There have been PMD hatches and if you don’t
have surface action a double nymph rig with your favorite small nymphs will work. Copper johns in brass, red, our favorite
little nymph we refer to as blackie and zebra midges are all good choices.
Big Lost Drainage
The Big Lost is lacking snowpack this year. The upper is flowing at 473 cfs today. The
East Fork in Copper Basin is clear and fishable. The upper Lost is still quite large and
pushy. For dry flies you want to have
stimulators in size 8-14, green drakes size 10, and caddis size 14-16. Green drake nymphs size 10 and stonefly nymphs
size 8-10 for those who like to go dark should cover most bases. Cold water temperatures in this drainage can
be a limiting factor, so afternoons fish
better than mornings. Please to
release your catch and handle with care.
This wonderful resource has no restrictions on trout, just the protected
unique whitefish.
The Lower Big Lost is flowing at 375 cfs today, in an
attempt to make the water in Mackay Reservoir last through the irrigation
season. That is down from nearly 700 cfs
when the dam gate opened. The Lower Lost
is hatching yellow sallies size 14, and pale morning duns size 16 so there is
some dry fly fishing. There are also
some olive caddis in size 16. At these
levels you will find soft water to raise some fish. A few craneflies are also showing for those
who like to skate the big fish out of the riffle waters. Double weighted nymph rigs size 16-20 will catch fish if
there is no rising. Look for some salmon
flies to show. That hatch on the lower is
always a surprise but will bring large trout to the surface with aggression.
Silver Creek
Flows on Silver Creek are at 73 cfs today. It is very low due to irrigation and a low
water year. Flows were over 100 cfs just last week then back
down again this week. The new project
looks great and will hopefully lower water temperatures on downstream reaches
of Silver Creek. Lost River was able to
present the Nature Conservancy ‘s Preserve with a check for $2,400 to help with
their portion of the project . Thank you
for your support of our fund raising film event in January. Expect to see hatches of pale morning duns, baetis,
and callibaetis nearly every day. The
baetis are tiny size 22-24. Callibaetis
and PMD’s average size 16, although the early season bug is a bit larger. A pmd split thorax or callibaetis nymph under
your dry works wonders if you are looking for more hookups. Super fly fished
down and across is also a good choice on the creek if you are trying to catch a
fish for your beginner friend. Fish have
begun to spread out and should continue to do so as the mosses grow and more
cover evolves this coming month. Look to blue damsels, hoppers, beetles and
ants to raise fish this coming month when mayfly hatches are sparse. Trico season is just around the corner.
South Fork of the Boise
Flowing at 1810 cfs today, those flows will begin to move
some of the silt and sand down river.
Unless you want to just fish the road side from the bank you will need a
boat. I have not seen the rapid below
the dam since the flows have increased.
It would be a good idea to scout before launch. Salmon flies were hatching before the flows
went up. Caddis were also hatching. Expect pink alberts to begin showing as
well. There is no overnight camping in
the canyon this year due to the danger of slides, so day trips only.
Magic
Our last trip to Magic produced a few rainbows. It looks like they sounded with the surface of
the lake warming. Look for smallmouth
to begin showing with the warmer waters along the rocky cliff areas. Streamer fishing from the bank or a float
tube can be very productive for the Magic smallmouth.
Yellowstone Park
If you can make it to the Park before the summer heat begins
next week it should be very good. PMD’s,
yellow sallies, caddis, and baetis on the Firehole will be hatching and egg
laying. There should still be some egg
laying salmon flies on the Madison and hatches of pale morning duns. It was very good angling a week ago.
Fishing the park can be as good as it gets and it is so beautiful. Forget about the Lamar Valley for a
while. Water in that corner is still
massive. Slough Creek was out of its
banks.
Salmon River
Water flow below Yankee Fork is 2,230 today. That is not much bigger than we have on good
water years in April for steelhead. Two
Jack Chinook showed up in the hatchery when they opened the weir. It is time to add one more trip to the
calendar. There is a salmon season on
the upper river this year.
The shop is stocked with new fly tying materials, the new
Winston BIIILS Boron rods, and new shipments of bugs are arriving almost
daily. Get your kids or grandkids signed
up for our kid’s fishing camp. We are
filling up. We would just enjoy swapping
some fish tales with you if you just want stop in for a quick hello.
Fish far and fine,
Scott Schnebly
