With Labor Day now behind us and a noticeable drop in the overnight temps it’s beginning to feel a bit more like fall. With the cooler overnight lows and subsequent cooler mornings the good fishing will continue to move to later morning and into early afternoon. The predominant hatches will consolidate into this window and with the fish sensing a reduction in the food supply we can look forward to some of the finest fishing of the season ahead.

We’ve been having some excellent fishing on the Big Wood in this late morning/early afternoon window. We’ve seen a mix of baetis and the larger hecuba mayflies and the fish have been rising eagerly to the bugs available. Have a good supply of basic mayfly patterns from sizes 12-20 and look for fish to be in the head end riffles and in the slick tailout sections of runs. If the surface activity is lacking, tie on a large attractor pattern, (hopper), with a zebra midge trailer and cover some water.

The hatches on Silver Creek will also follow this pattern of moving into this window of warmer weather in the later morning. Although a bit earlier than on the Big Wood, there’s certainly no need to be there at the crack of dawn. There will be a mix of mayflies on the creek as-well, mainly baetis and callibaetis, and we should be seeing the mahogany duns soon. Hoppers will be the go-to in the heat of the afternoon, especially if it gets breezy.

This is also the time of year when the irrigation is cut back and the flows in tailwater fisheries are reduced making these fisheries much friendlier. Take a trip to the South Fork of the Boise, Lower Big Lost or Lower Big Wood for some good fall action. Check the flows before you go at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/rt

As always, we’re happy to share our latest reports and suggest some bugs so stop by either of our convenient locations in Ketchum and Hailey and enjoy some great late summer fishing!

Fishing report by Jim Santa