This morning we attended the Annual Idaho Rivers United Breakfast, a fundraiser for a great organization , which has vowed to commit the next two years to the Wild Salmon Legacy Campaign.

Did you know that our beloved Salmon River is the largest salmon and steelhead river in the world, and that 45% of all of the Columbia River Basin anadromous fish originate in the Salmon River? If the remaining salmon species are allowed to follow the now-extinct Salmon River Coho salmon, the impact will be more widespread than anyone can imagine! These incredible creatures, that have traveled over 900 miles to spawn in the pristine waters in the shadow of the Sawtooths, need all the help they can.

Idaho Rivers United is there to help lead their battle against extinction and they need our help and also yours!

Please click on the link below, educate yourself about the plight of our native fish, and join us all in securing IRU's financial ability to fight the battles ahead.You will be glad you did! Every donation, however small, will help with education, lobbying, and, if needed, even court battles to keep our wild salmon and steelhead make their imperiled journey to and from their Idaho spawning ground.
Wild Salmon Legacy campaign 

March 19, 2012 steelhead and trout

March 19, 2012

This last week’s storm has changed fishing conditions fairly dramatically.  The Big Wood drainage went to 99% of average with a meter of snow on Galena Summit.  The NWS hit this one pretty right on.  The Big Lost and Little Wood drainages went up over a 100% average precipitation.  We needed it for next summer’s irrigation and fishing.  Reservoirs, which were in good shape, should fill easily now.   With the rain and warm weather at low elevations rivers did not go out, but are pretty full and changed the fishing some as well.  Silver Creek is huge, but closed.  Therefore, the Little Wood in the desert is not an option.

The upper Wood is clear, but pushing a lot of water.  If you can’t find them on midges you might want to strip a streamer or Philo fly.  Large stonefly patterns in the soft water are important as well.  Below the dam at Magic is probably off the radar right now.  The muddy roads in reaching it stuck one fishing group that we know of.  It gets impassable. 

Below Mackay dam is always our favorite in March.  Big midges and big baetis hatch now.   My trip to the Lost on the 16^th yielded a bunch of nice fish.  Zac’s yesterday was the same, but mostly subsurface.  The midge hatch was blanket for about an hour just after noon, with a few baetis mixed in.   There was a heavy rise for an hour and some surface shows all afternoon.  Most shows were made by film feeders not dry fly takes.   A size 18 pheasant tail in the film is a good match for both the baetis nymph and the midge pupae.  A size 16-18 green or black zebra under a size 14 adams is great to target individual risers.   Dredging is very productive with a double zebra midge on 6x fluro.  If not much is happening before the hatch stand by the old girdle bug in black or dark brown.

The Salmon went up from 350 to nearly 700 cfs with the storm.  Water temps in the upper river went to 41 degrees.  That is a migrating temperature.  It is dropping now and the water temperatures should warm again by the end of the week, with the next frontal passage and some sun.   There are some fish showing in the upper river above Torreys Hole.  My trip yesterday managed two steelhead, a handful of whitefish and a bull trout yesterday in 37 degree water, and cloudy conditions.  One was a nice B run buck fish in great shape.  The river is clear.  Small weighted flies are your best choice.  There were plenty of anxious steelheaders already looking for the bite on Sunday.

That’s about it for now.  Tune in later for more updates.  Good luck out there.  Keep it wet.

Scott

trout and steelhead pics

Salmon River Steelhead Report. They're Here!

After weeks of second hand reports, we can firmly say that it is time to head north and search for steel.  While the catch rates are still much better closer to Challis, there are definitely fish working their way up the upper river.  At this point, precipitation is our friend, as it will continue to push fish upstream.  Frank spent a day on the river  last week and caught a beautiful native buck, as well as hog of a cutthroat.  We've been debating whether this fish is a cutthroat or cut-bow.  Either way it's a beauty.

Cody, Zac, and Rob made the drive over the hill today and found a few nice fish of their own.  There is no prettier place in the world to catch fish, so get out there and give it a go.  If you are interested in scheduling a guide trip, give us a call at the shop and we'll talk about availability.  

Special Rate for Guide Trips if you Book Online!

Lost River Outfitters will be doing much of its booking online, from this point on.  To encourage clients to book online, we are offering a $25 discount on winter trips, for any online booking.  That's $275 for a day of winter fishing.  Just go to our website, http://www.lostriveroutfitters.com/, click Book Online, and enter coupon code "winter."  Join us for a beautiful winter day on the river.

Muddy Roads, Collared Doves, and Big Fish

Rob and I took off yesterday in search of big trout and the elusive Eurasian Collared Dove.  If you haven't heard, collared doves are an invasive species that are taking the Wood River Valley as their own.  There is no limit and no season on these pigeon sized monster birds, so we decided we would do our part and take a few home for dinner.  Aren't they fierce looking?

Anyway, after walking around for about 30 minutes, gazing up into trees and seeing no doves, we decided they weren't as much of an issue as everyone says, and we focused on fishing.  The day was as more or less an exploratory mission, so we took every side road that we could find.  This left my car completely covered in mud, inside and out.  We fished a cool, new stretch of river and found fish that would eat nymphs, dries, and streamers.  Below is a shot of a big rainbow that found the business end of sculpzilla.  

  

Back to the South Fork

After a great trip to the South Fork of the Boise about two weeks ago, I decided to give it another go on Thursday.  My Dad decided to make the long day trip from McCall, which put us at the Anderson Reservoir turnoff at about 9:30.

We started the day fishing a slot that held big fish two weeks ago, and they were still there.  My dad rolled two nice fish, and I hooked one, before they stopped eating.  After some good initial action, we worked our way downstream, fishing every nice looking run or hole that was vacant.  The wind picked up mid morning which slowed things down, but the bite turned back on around 3:00.  We ended a day in a run that produced two beauties.  The last fish came to hand while the sun dropped behind the canyon wall...a perfect ending to a great day.  

Salmon River Reconnaissance 03/05/2012

Cody and Scott hit the upper Salmon yesterday, in hopes of finding a few early run steelies.  They caught Bull Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Whitefish, and Cody just maybe, possibly, could have hooked a Steelhead.  It looks like the fish aren't up high in good numbers, but they will be soon.  For now, focus your efforts from Clayton downstream.  Here are a few pictures from the trip.