Fishing Report provided by Sturtevants and Sun Valley Mountain Guides Team Member Hans Vieser Sturtevants Fishing Report: June 2nd Hello everyone! Hans here with the Sturtevants fishing report. The summer fishing season is kicking into gear and we couldn’t be more excited. At Sturtevants we are all about free advice, maybe more secrets are told than we should, but that’s ok. So read up, get out there, and catch some fish. This summer Sturtevants is hosting great fly fishing camps and outings. Practice your cast at our free weekly casting clinics with our fly fishing guides. If you have ever wondered what a Flavalinea or a Hecuba is or just like talking bugs while drinking good beer then come join our free weekly ‘Bugs and Brews’ entomology class. We are also offering summer kids fly fishing camps and ‘learn to fish’ beginner fly fishing classes. Call or stop by the shop for details. Silver Creek Silver Creek is experiencing a period of low and off-colored water. This is pushing many fish into the deep and murkier sections created in the Kilpatrick Pond Project. Swinging a Damsel Fly nymph over these areas with an erratic twitch can be deadly. Chucking a streamer into the deep and scary holes may lure the resident big Browns out of hiding. The Big Wood The Big Lost Other Waters Springtime runoff can be a blessing in disguise for many fishermen. Your favorite waters may be blown out, making for a great excuse to explore new areas and ways of catching fish on the fly. South Fork of the Boise Snake River Carp Alpine Lakes If you would like more information, come visit myself or one of our other fishing experts at Sturtevants on Main Street in Ketchum.
Most people have heard the news by now, but if you haven’t- Brown Drakes on the Creek! As of now the hatch is in full swing and should hopefully last through the week before fizzling out. The Drakes have marched upriver and your best bet is from Point of Rocks to Highway 20 in the evenings. Think of dropping an un-weighted Brown Drake nymph off of your dry to up the odds. Despite the Drakes taking much of the glory this time of year they are hardly the only bugs on Silver Creek. PMD’s are emerging in the mornings and producing a good spinner fall near dark. When the sky is cloudy look for the Baetis activity to pick up. At all times of the day small un-weighted PMD and Baetis nymphs like the Crack back PMD and Pheasant Tail have been picking up fish.
Keep your eyes on the Big Wood in the next week few weeks; I expect to see the ‘Wood fishing sooner rather than later. The Big Wood has seen a rough year due to the effects of the Beaver Creek Fire’s but things are looking up. Spring runoff is clearing the river of soot and ash and the fish are healthy. When the water starts coming down to a fishable level look for Green Drakes to start hatching on the lower river, starting around Stanton Crossing and working their way upstream. Dredging a big leggy Stonefly, Green Drake nymph, or San Juan Worm trailed by an M’s Iron Sallie nymph or Lightning Bug should produce in the coming days. Fish will start looking up as the Green Drakes, Pink Alberts; Yellow Sallies enter the scene along with a smattering of Golden Stones.
The Big Lost is currently blown out with high water. Best wait until things settle out a bit before expecting productive fishing. When this does happen, the upper stretches of East Fork and the North Fork will make for an adventurous day with shots at surprisingly large and equally aggressive native Cutthroat. Until then, we wait.
For now the SFB is very low and the fishing is hot, really hot. Holding steady around 300 c.f.s. wading is easy and the fish are concentrated. Some Salmon flies are around but I recently found the evening caddis hatch was stealing the limelight. A size 16 black or dark olive Elk Hair Caddis fit the bill. Small nymphs will produce all day. Soon, as in any day, the water will rise to 1400 c.f.s. and restrict the wading opportunities.
Carp on the fly? It’s the new thing. Likened to bonefishing, sight fishing for these spooky and powerful fish is unlike any other fly-fishing that I know of in Idaho, or anywhere else in freshwater for that matter. If you have never tried it, this is the perfect time of year to land a 15+ pound monster carp on the flats of the Snake River. Come into Sturtevants and we can show you some good carp flies, tactics, and spots to hit.
Ice out is happening in many of the stocked high lakes in the region and the fish will be making up for lost time sealed under the ice. Inlet streams flowing into the bigger Sawtooth lakes like Redfish, Stanley, and Alturas have been giving up some nice fish as well. Look for these fish holding right off the drop offs. Sink tip lines and flashy steamers can produce some unexpected surprises.