Idaho Bone Fishing with Hans
Hello Everyone! Hans here with the Sturtevants weekly fishing report.
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 Baetis 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 camp and ‘learn to fish’ beginner fly fishing classes with Lead Guide Carl Evenson and ‘Valleys Best’ Fly Fishing Guide Paddy McIlvoy. Call (726-4501) or stop by the shop for details.
The Big Wood
Dropping flows on the Big Wood are revealing a clean and relatively ash free river. While a small spike of runoff and discoloration should be expected with this weeks rain, overall the river is dropping into very fishable shape. Careful wading can be done but crossing is out of the question. Luckily the fish are still holding in slow water close to the bank so fishing right from the bank is doable. Look for fish holding in undercut banks, eddies, and slow bankside shoulder water. Large Rubber Leg Stones in size 2 (yes, that big!) through 6, San Juan Worms, and Green Drake Nymphs fished low under an indicator will pull fish out of hiding. As soon as temperatures rise look for Green Drakes to hatch on the lower Big Wood between Magic Reservoir and Stanton Crossing. Be careful of fish still holding on reds, though tempting targets these fish need their privacy.
Warm Springs
While still a bit off-colored, upper Warm Springs Creek is at an easily wadeable level. The farther you head upstream the lower and clearer the water. Purple Para-Wulffs, leggy Stimulators, and other bushy attractor patterns with a small zebra midge or lightning bug dropper have been producing. In the upper stretches the fish can be few and far between yet surprisingly good sized. Most obvious holding water should have a fish or two, but you may have to cover some ground to locate them.
Trail Creek
Coming down nicely. Scheduled stocking will happen in the middle and end of the month. Try a Lightning Bug, Pheasant Tail, under an indicator or high floating attractor dry fly.
Silver Creek
Water levels are slowly coming up and the weed beds are taking hold once again. The Creek is looking again as anglers picture it in their dreams. Morning and Evening PMD’s and Beatis are the primary hatch at the moment. In the lower Kilpatrick Pond and other areas of slower moving water expect Callibaetis in the mix. Finally, right at dark, a nice hatch of small olive Caddis hit the water.
The Big Lost
The headwaters of the Lost River System are starting to look very nice. The water is crystal clear and for the most part wadeable. However, this water is extremely cold and the fish are taking refuge until things warm up a bit. Still a very worthy way to spend the day. The lower river below the Guard Station is still too high to fish.
Other Waters
Snake River Carp
Keep checking the weather for hot, sunny, and light wind days in Twin Falls. The Carp are in full blown summer feeding season. Fish are actively mudding and feeding in the flats and in the reeds. Look for fish around but not in cold water springs, they seem to be avoiding the cold and clear water. Contrast the greenish tinted water and mud bottom with a tan, brown or orange Carp Craw or Belly Crawl. Rocky flats with a bit of current are out-fishing muddy still-water flats 10-to-1.
South Fork of the Boise
The South Fork recently bumped up from 300 to 600 cfs- still wadeable. Salmon flies have moved throughout the river by now and are around in abundance. However, the fish are keying into these big bugs less than one would imagine. The evening caddis hatch is a sight to see. Thick clouds of small olive caddis, enough to darken the sky. Fish are keying into the first wave of these bugs in the early evening and action wanes as the night goes on. Target rising fish with a small size 16-18 black or olive bodied caddis. Check the river flows before making the drive.
Little Wood
Above the reservoir wading is easy and the fishing is consistent. Drift a Stonefly and small attractor nymph combo into the deep obvious holes and buckets as well as under overhanging trees. Small streamers like the Evenson’s Tunghead Minnow have taken some hefty reservoir fish that have worked their way upstream.
Alpine Lakes
Inlet streams flowing into the bigger Sawtooth lakes like Redfish, Stanley, and Alturas have been giving up nice fish. Look for these fish holding right off the drop offs. Sink tip lines and flashy steamers can produce some unexpected surprises. All but the highest lakes are iced out and fishing hot!