I'd like to say fishing conditions are ideal and everything is fishing at its peak, but that would be stretching things. Although we are fishing most of our streams, the high water volume is limiting our results. Maybe by the end of the week, things will improve and more of our waters will become more accessible. Let take a look:
SILVER CREEK—Fishing reasonably well but hatches have been a bit sparse and inconsistent. A few PMD's and Callibeatis spinners are seen on the water throughout the day. A Para PMD and Cut-Wing PMD #16 will take fish if the Pale Morning Duns appears. Partridge Spinner and a Crippled Callibeatis #16 are very effective with the appearance of the Speckled Spinners, the more predominate of the two hatches on the water. As the month moves forward, Little Beatis spinner will take precedence over all the hatches. A Mason Quill Beatis Spinner #22 is deadly. In the upper end of the Conservancy, a few Green Drakes have been seen. They're never a big hatch, but you can fish a Green Drake pattern #12 and take a few fish fishing blind. Also effective are foam Ants and Beatles #14-18.
BIG WOOD RIVER—The river is clear above where Trail Creek enters and is clear the farther south you go. The big problem remains water volume. It makes wading difficult and restricts the fishing to select spots. We have seen a few Golden Stoneflys and some smaller Yellow Stone. As a result we've been moving a few fish on the surface using Yellow Stimulators #8-12, Rubber-Legged Para Hoppers #10 and some Damien Stones #10. Because of the high water, we're getting refusals as well. Green Drakes have yet to appear. My greatest fear is they will go through untouched because the fish won't find them in the high water. Keep your fingers crossed and be careful wading. Bead Head Wooly Buggers are also good.
BIG LOST—The water in the Basin is clear but still quite high. A few fish have been taken on the surface in selected runs using Stimulators #8-12, Para Adams #12, Prince Nymphs #10-12 and Copper John's #12, but things are still not ideal. The water below the reservoir is too high for comfortable wading.
WARM SPRINGS/TRAIL CREEK—Trail Creek is still giving us problems and at present isn't fishable. Warm Springs is clear but still carrying a head of steam in volume making fishing just OK. Prince Nymphs #10-12, Copper John's #12, Para Adams and Para Caddis #12 will take a few fish in the quieter sections.
PENNY LAKE/LAKE CREEK—Both are stocked on a regular basis and is a great place to take kids. Flies and bait are equally effective.
