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Posts Tagged ‘mayfly’
South Fork of the Boise River Report- (1-26-2012)
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I don’t know if it was the 40 head of elk that ran across the main highway in front of me, or the bald eagle perched on a pine branch, or the numerous deer, or the chuckle of chukars, or the dark sullen river, or the spectacular sunset that made my day special. Maybe, and best of all, it was the large rainbows sipping olives and midges at the surface. It was all good!!
A first note: if you’re headed for the South Fork, there is a lot of winter going on up there. Snow levels at the dam are more than a foot; and at Danskin, there is a solid 9 inches of wet, heavy snow.
I started my day below Danskin on a big slick, watching the surface for heads. As I sat on a large rock on the south side of the river, I noticed numerous midges size #22 floating past my legs, and the thought occurred to me…why is there not a big rainbow pulled up along this edge indulging himself? I tied on a Caddidge size #22 and began watching the edges below me; and sure enough, I see a fish right against the bank sipping bugs. He was only 20 feet away, so I pulled line, stood up, and waited until he surfaced again. He peaked his head up on the gentle current 3 feet off the bank, and I shot a cast just above and let the Caddidge slowly drift to his zone. I could see the bug perfectly as it slowly moved toward the fish. His head came up, my fly disappeared, and the first fish of the day was bolting to the middle of the river. After a good run, a couple of jumps, and a good fight, he was in the net. Not a giant fish, but totally gorgeous in full winter colors. I hugged the south edge for a little longer with no targets, so I moved on up river. The hatches were not intense enough to lure the fish to the surface so I continued to hunt for that subtle rise.
I moved into a stretch of water above the islands and immediately saw fish at the surface; and along with that. I saw the first BWO size #22 on the surface of the water. I changed flies to a BWO Single Upright Wing #22 and served it to the first fish. He didn’t take. I noticed a combination of both midges and BWO at the surface. I changed to a Caddidge #22. The fish wouldn’t eat it. I changed to a BWO No Hackle #22 and the fish wouldn’t take it. I thought maybe they’re keying on the emerger. Bingo! First cast I hook the rainbow and land him. Then I hook and land three more fish in a row on the emerger.
I was approaching the top the run and there was a large fish feeding between 2 big boulders. The current was odd—it kept moving my fly away from the fish. On about the 5th cast, I put it on him and he slowly rolled and ate the bug. I set the hook and he went berserk, jumping multiple times and racing to the middle of the river, then down stream. I fought him for a long time, moved down river, and finally had him coming to the net. He began wallowing and rolling, and right at the net, he kicked me loose. Darn it…I wanted to photo him real bad. Well that’s fishing, and I turned back to the run where a few fish had been feeding. I approached the location and they had quit feeding. I waited 10 minutes and the fish never returned to the surface. I’m real sure the fish I had previously hooked caused enough commotion to put the rest of the fish down. I not only lost him, but he booed the hole. Darn it!!
I moved up river and scouted for 300 yards and never saw a fish, so I drove up river to a hole I call the “Idiot Hole.” It’s about a mile above Cow Creek and I think most people call it the Slide Hole. It’s a big, calm slick and there are almost always fish feeding there, but they are smart and cautious. Like normal, there were fish feeding there so I decided to give them a try.
Most the fish were on the low end of the hole and the only thing I could identify at the surface were tiny midges. I’d been doing pretty well with the BWO Emerger #22 so I decided to try it first. I waded in carefully, but the fish immediately stopped feeding. I position so I could long cast to the closest fish and quietly waited. A few minutes later a fish rose in range and I hit him on the nose. Immediately he ate the bug and I landed him. I dried out and moved back into position. Another fish rose and I hooked him also, but he kicked me loose. There were a cluster of fish feeding way across the river so I hucked the fly as far as I could to their spot. I didn’t get a take until the fly began to skate at the end of the drift. Then Bingo!! A fish ate the bug and I landed him.
I ended my day 5:45 on the “Idiot Hole,” and I fished the hatch until it completely quit. For the heart of winter, it wasn’t a bad day. I ended up hooking 13 fish and landing 11. All the fish caught were hooked on a #22 BWO Emerger except the first fish. I landed it with a Caddidge #22. The fish were not interested in an adult bug on this day.
South Fork of the Boise River Report Below Neil Bridge- 12/11
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Wow! It’s pretty winter like at the confluence of the South Fork and the reservoir. The reservoir is frozen all the way up to a quarter mile from the river. The banks of the river are covered with permanent frost because the sun doesn’t hit the water all day long in many places. The eyes on your rod freeze up every 13th cast, so you only cast to a specific fish. This doesn’t sound much like ideal weather conditions to dry fly fish, but when your box has no nymphs and nothing that sinks, you hunt for heads.
I reached the river in early afternoon and began roaming the banks looking for the onset of the BWO hatch and the inevitable pods of fish that follow the bugs on the surface. By 2:00 I had not seen one fish peak his head up even though the BWO’s were sporadically popping on the riffles and slicks. There was a fisherman at the confluence until 3:00, and I passed him as he was leaving the river.
I studied the confluence for a few minutes and recognized the place to position for best coverage was across the river. I waded the river and set up along an edge of large boulders. Some of the large boulders were in the water and they extend out to the center of the river. I was thinking to myself this would be a perfect place for fish to pod up; and all of a sudden, a fish’s head appears and eats a BWO. Then another fish broke the surface out a little further. I moved into position and served my BWO Comparadun (Tester Fly) to the first fish. No take. After 3 perfect casts to the fish, he wouldn’t eat so I changed flies to a BWO No Hackle. First cast, in slow motion the big rainbow sips the #22 BWO. Fish on! He jumps a couple of times and runs in and out of the boulder patch and finally I net him.
I look back to the feeding zone and all active fish had stopped feeding. The rainbow I had landed put the rest of the fish down. I waited a few minutes and another fish surfaced. I served him immediately and he ate the bug. I landed him and began searching for the next target. There was too much commotion and the fish vanished under the surface.
I looked up river, and bingo, two more fish were feeding in mid river out from a large boulder. I moved up above the boulder in casting range and waited. Seconds later the inside fish broke the surface and I put a cast on him. Without hesitation, I see his bright red cheeks appear as he ate the offering. I land him and search for the next fish. Almost completely across the river, I see a rise. I wade out and deliver. I missed. On the third cast I hit his trough and he eats. I land him.
I scan the hole top to bottom and see no fish. I waited a few minutes; and right in from of me about 18 feet away, a fish eats. I hit him on the nose and hooked him on the first cast and land the fish.
In the gray of late afternoon, the surface of the water became fishless and I waited for the next customer to raise his head. Down river form where I started, I see a fish rise, so I bounce down the bank to set up on the fish. I waited and the fish never resurfaced. I was about ready to move back up in the hole and the fish reappeared in the same spot I had seen him before. I served the No Hackle; and as it gently moved over to the bank and on the final glide to the ne,t he kicked the fly loose and I watched him swim away. Along distance release they call that.
I roamed the banks for a while longer and no other fish presented themselves as a target. On 12/10/2011 the hatch window was short, and there were a limited amount of fish working the surface. I saw the first fish at 3:15, hooked 6 fish and at 4:03, the action was over. Under the same conditions, I’ve seen hundreds of targets to cast to; but every new day is different when you dry fly fish the winter.
Fly that Caught Fish:
BWO No Hackle #22
12 Days of Christmas Sale- Day 5
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On the Fifth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me: No, not 5 golden rings but mayflies! Hands down, the best mayfly selection of patterns on the market from DFI. December 9, 10% off all Single Upright Wing, No Hackle, Searcher, and Parachute patterns. If you need to match a hatch anywhere, rest assured DFI will have the pattern, color, and size you will need to chase a hatch!
SF Boise River Report 11/27
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I saw a splash behind a boulder and knew it was a fish. I moved up and out to make a cast to it. Second try, BWO right ahead of the boulder, bang! A fish eats the bug. It was a good start.
Now an hour has gone by, and I haven’t hooked another fish. All of a sudden there are adult BWOs on the surface and fish there to eat them. The action happens quickly in winter. One moment the surface of the river is barren, the next there are fish noses all over. I targeted the first fish and hoped I had the right bug. Bingo it was! Fish on!! I land him and dry my fly. I spot another fish and cast to him, nothing. I serve again dead-on the fish. Fish on!! He zings me into my backing, down and across the river, and then rocks me up on the other side of the current. He goes on the right side of the boulder and after a noble fight, I land the fish. It was a beautiful deep red male.
I land three more fish in the hatch and all of a sudden the fish disappear from the surface. So I headed down stream in search of heads. There was still a splash of sunshine hitting the river below me so I thought maybe the hatch would extend there. I guessed right; and as I approach the run, I see three fish feeding tight against the bank along a bouldered edge. I chose the fish farther upstream and served the BWO Comparudun (tester fly) to the fish. First cast he eats it and I land him; but in the process of fighting the fish, I put the other two fish down. I waited and watched the surface, and sure enough, one of the fish peaked his head up. I immediately serve my fly slightly above the fish. The fly settles and slowly drifts over the fish; and right on cue, he eats the bug. He’s a smaller fish so I land him quickly and hunt for the third fish. That fish never showed himself, so I hunted a hundred and fifty yards of river without seeing another fish to target.
Earlier in the day I had seen a large male fish with bright, ultra red sides feeding in a deep riffle that I couldn’t get a cast to, so I thought I would revisit that fish just below me. I stood above his lair for a few minutes and he had totally settled back to the bottom. So I thought, what the heck, I’ll just let my BWO drift over the exact place I had seen him feed earlier. The sun was setting and there was a strange reddish glow on the surface of the water. The reflections were such that I could see my fly perfectly as it softly landed on the water and began to float on the surface. It gently bobbed and turned as it rode the riffle. All of a sudden! Bang!! The same fiery red-sided fish I had seen earlier does a half-body out take on the olive. I set the hook and all hell breaks loose…down river in a scream across the river in a roar and one nice jump in between. I finally land the fish about 40 yards down river from where I hooked him. I spent my final moments of the fishing day taking photos and admiring the fish. As I watched him swim way, I was reminded of how much I love to fish the winter.
Flies that caught fish:
1) BWO No Hackle #20
2) BWO Comparadun #20 (Tester Fly)
3) Baetis Comparadun #20 (Tester Fly)
4) BWO Emerger #22
SF Boise River Report -10/31
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When I left Meridian it was overcast, 50 degrees, and no wind; by the time I reached the river, the sun was shining and the wind was blowing about 20 mph. The only positive note is the wind was blowing up river so you could still work a large bug. So I tied on a Black Searcher and served it to holding water.
The first stretch of water I fished was perfect Searcher water with a gentle riffle over a boulder field and a deep edge. It didn’t take long to start luring big fish off the edge to the Searcher, and I started the day by landing 7 fish in a row without losing a fish. It really helps that the Searcher is tied on a size #16 2312 Tiemco hook—it grabs a lot more meat than smaller hooks.
Even though the wind was stiff, the BWO’s were hatching all day and accumulating against the edge of the river. At times I’d get a shot at big fish right against the bank taking advantage of the consolidated bugs. You’ll hook almost every one of those fish, because they are actively feeding, and a nice soft quarter-angle cast will get him to take most of the time.
After fishing the lower end of the run, I changed flies to a Black Gold #16 because it’s easier to see in faster choppy water. There’s something really cool about watching a dry fly ride the surface in faster water, and all of a sudden there’s a big rainbow that materializes and eats the bug. I had that experience a lot as I finished out the rest of the run in fast choppy water.
I was hoping all day that the wind would settle and I’d have an opportunity to fish a small bug in a hatch, but it just didn’t happen. So I stayed with what you could do….fish a Black Gold or a Searcher upstream with the wind. That worked well also as I continued to catch fish until around 6:00 pm and then called it a day.
Flies that caught fish:
1) #16 Black Gold Stimulator
2) #16 Black Searcher
SF Boise River Report 10-26
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Blog entered by Joe Bare (fly tyer for Dry Fly Innovations)
It was my original intention to fish with Nate and Geoff for a couple of days, but after my experience fishing the SF Boise River on 10/25, I had to fish that river again. Nate and Geoff had to work, so Nate let me borrow all his fly boxes and I headed for the river alone.
I hiked the river below Danskin to the end of the trail and slipped out to the river. I watched and saw some very large rainbows feeding in a narrow foam line against the bank. I waded the river above the hole, moved down river, then crossed back over underneath the feeding fish. My tie-on bug was a Black Searcher, which Nate said could work well early in the day. He was right as I hooked the first three fish I served the bug to. At the top of the run, the fish became hesitant on the Searcher, so I changed over to the Baetis Soft Hackle, which DFI will soon be marketing. I ginked it like a dry fly and dead drifted in the soft foam line. Immediately a fish ate the bug and I landed him, dried the fly, and served it again to what looked like a giant fish. Again the fish took, and the war was on, but it was a war I didn’t win. After a few major runs up and down the river, the fish showed himself at the surface in the middle of the river. He was a monster, but another plunge into the depths kicked the hook loose. Darn!!
I landed another fish on the soft hackle in that hole then began working my way up river. A quarter mile up river, I spotted a fish feeding on a hatch of BWO’s, so I selected a Baetis adult out of Nate’s box and served it to the fish. Instantly the fish targeted the bug and slowly rose up and took. I landed the fish and moved on up river to a long deep slick.
There were fish feeding for over a hundred yards up river and the water was covered with BWO’s. I changed flies to a BWO No Hackle, and I got the opportunity to fish some of the bugs I produce for DFI. Wow! The rest of my day was lights out. Almost every fish I got a good delivery on ate the bug. I guess I didn’t realize how devastating my No Hackle can be in a BWO hatch.
I left the river shocked at the number of gorgeous, large fish I had hooked. Dry Fly Innovations’ dry flies are like no other bugs I have ever fished; and every time Nate introduces me to a new line of his flies, I’m dumbfounded by the fish I catch!
Flies that caught fish:
Black Searcher #16
Black Gold Stimulator #16
PMD Searcher #16
BWO No Hackle #22
Baetis Upright Wing Mayfly #18
Baetis Soft Hackle #18 (tester fly)
South Fork of the Boise River Report 10-25
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Wow!! A river CANNOT be any more gorgeous than the South Fork in the fall; dressed in all the fall colors being reflected from the surface of the river like a spectacular portrait. Then mixed in with all the eye-popping beauty are big rainbows finning in the crystal clear water. Life is good!!
We added a new member to the fishing crew, Geoff, as he got a day off to fish with Joe Bare and I. We started our day above the slide on what we call the “Idiot Hole.” There are always fish feeding there, but they are extremely difficult to catch. The run lived up to its name as it sent the three of us back to the car with our tail tucked between our legs. If it wouldn’t have been for the three fish we caught at the top of the hole, we would have started off skunked.
We moved up river and the three of us split off to fish three different short runs of water. There was an unusual amount of people on the upper river for a Tuesday, and our plans got modified to different runs to fish than we anticipated. After a 2-hour excursion, the fish were acting a little stubborn. Between the 3 of us, we only landed 5 fish.
We moved down river to theDanskinBridgein hopes there would be less people fishing the low end of the river. Our guess was right as we found only one car parked at the trail head. Again we divided, spread out over three runs of water and began the evening fish. Geoff took the section around the bridge, and Joe and I took off down river.
Joe was testing our new Baetis Soft Hackle pattern in a section of water about ½ mile down river from the road. He had barely started when I heard him howling, “Big Fish” as he wrestled with a wild big rainbow. The Soft Hackle was a monster success on its maiden voyage as Joe continued to hook fish.
Meanwhile Geoff was working the riffle above the bridge on a Peacock Caddis and it didn’t take long for him to hook the first fish and then he hooked another fish. As he was landing the second fish, he looked below him and just above the bridge, there were numerous fish feeding in the center of the river. He landed the fish, crossed the bridge, made a big loop above the fish and began to fish down river into the hatch. He recognized the fish were in an emerger-type bite so he guessed BWO Emerger #22, and wow was he right. Immediately, he hooks a fish in a leading edge of the school of fish. He lands that fish then 2 more on the emerger and notices a large portion of the fish were beginning to feed on the adult stage of the hatch. The water was covered with BWO’s; their little sail boat wings rocking on the gentle riffle. He tied on a Single Upright Wing BWO #22 and began serving it to noses. One after another he picked the fish off, spending most of his time trying to land big fish. The hatch lasted for an hour and a half and he made the best of every second of it. It’s a cool experience to run a hatch through all stages and never quit hooking fish.
While Joe and Geoff were indulging themselves in fish I stepped in the river, looked upstream and immediately see fish rising ahead of me. I had an Adams Caddis Green #16 tied on so I began serving it to the feeders. They were reluctant, but I managed to get one fish to eat the bug. After landing the fish I changed to a Black Gold #16 (AKA: South Fork Killer) and even though the fish were a bit hesitant to eat the bug, I started hooking and landing fish. I finally recognized that the fish were keyed on BWO, but the water structure and current made it almost impossible to fish a small bug. I continued to hook fish on the Black Gold until I reached a small rock garden with 2 big fish feeding between 2 large boulders. I served the fly to the biggest customer and he slowly swerved sideways and ate the bug. After a 40-yard chase down river, I was admiring the first 20-plus inch fish of the day in the net.
I continued to fish the Black Gold through the rest of the run. About 1 in 5 fish took the fly; I walked over the rest of the fish. In the last stretch of the run, I had finally reached water structure to fish a small bug. There were 2 fish feeding at the top of the run and the fish on the right was big, so I put a target on him. I tried a BWO Single Upright Wing ….no luck, a BWO No Hackle…no luck. As a last chance I tried a BWO Emerger, and on the second cast, “Bingo” the fish ate the bug. After a very respectable fight, I scooped my last fish of the day in the net. She was a ponched-out female about 18 inches long and totally gorgeous.
We finally all met back at the car with a fishing story and a memory that will last a long time.
Flies that caught fish:
1) Black Gold #16
2) Black Searcher #16
3) AdamsCaddis Green #16
4) AdamsCaddis Peacock #16
5) BWO Emerger #22
6) BWO No Hackle #22
7) BWO Upright Wing #22 & #20
8) Baetis Soft Hackle #18 (Tester fly soon to be available)
9) Black Emerger (Black Shuck) #22
South Fork of the Boise River Report (10-20)
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It’s officially “transition time” on the South Fork. The summer hatches are fading and the winter hatches have not begun, so predictably the fish are selectively eating what they have a sweet tooth for. That means one fish will eat a #14 Adams Caddis Green, the next fish will eat a #16 Black Gold (AKA: South Fork Killer), and the next fish will eat a #16 Black Searcher. That’s the way my day went, changing flies and hooking fish. I had more success in the riffles than on the flats, and I never had much of an opportunity to cast to a feeding fish. The positive end of that is the fish are still hanging in good holding water and looking up for a bug they might like to eat.
This is a difficult time to fish the South Fork: The water is low and clear, and the fish are really sensitive to your presence and any line landing over their heads. Here are some helpful hints for the South Fork right now:
1) Wear dark clothing and nothing white should show above your waders.
2) Enter the water slowly and move cautiously to any positions you are setting up to cast.
3) When fishing upstream, DO NOT cast over the top of a feeding fish; position yourself in the river where you can always put a quarter-angle cast over the fish.
4) Don’t be married to a fly, and have very little patience with a fly that is not hooking fish. You may have to change flies numerous times to fool even one fish.
5) Make long casts to holding water where you know a fish is living, and make sure you soften the casts for a subtle delivery of the fly.
6) If you see a pod of fish feeding ahead of you, get out of the water, make a wide circle around and above them, and then fish down river picking off the fish top to bottom of the run.
7) Focus your efforts on the riffles because the fish won’t pick up your line or the setting of your casts, and you’ll get quick response bites where the fish has to pull the trigger on your bug or it will float by him to quickly.
If you follow these suggestions, you’ll find success on that river; it is attainable even though the fishing is very challenging. I ended up landing 14 fish yesterday using 7 different flies.
Flies that caught fish:
1) Black Gold Stimulator (AKA South Fork Killer) #16, #14
2) Black Searcher #16
3) Adams Caddis (Green) and Peacock #14
4) Tantalizer Baetis #18
5) Tantalizer Pink #18
6) Fall Caddis #12 Tester Fly
7) Emperor Caddis Black #20
South Fork of the Boise Fishing Report 8-23
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There are times you fantasize about the fishing day ahead of you. You visualize giant fish rolling up to the hook, enormous jumps four feet out of the water, and your reel squealing as the monster fish has his way. Rarely does your fantasy ever equal reality of fishing for big smart fish, but on 8/23/11 on the South Fork of the Boise River, the reality of the fishing trip totally surpassed the fantasy, and for eight straight hours we brawled with some of the largest fish I’ve ever seen caught on the South Fork, and I’ve fished that river since 1977.
The day started innocently with a Pink Tantalizer as the tie-on bug thinking there might be a pink hatch happening in the run of river we were going to fish. As we waded the river to get into position, it was obvious I tied on the wrong fly because there were tons of caddis bouncing on the water. We viewed the run up river and it was totally silent without a head peaking up to eat a bug. I never let that bother me because I know something in the fly box will coax them to the surface. I casted the fly a few times…no fish. I was about ready to change to a hopper when Geoff mentioned the overtone colors of the caddis were exactly like the Adam Caddis collection. I tied on a Peacock Caddis #16 and two casts later, bang! The first monster of the day came out of nowhere and ate the bug. We went to the mat together for a major wrestling match that I finally won, and the first big fish was in the net. I dried out and served the fly, and again bang—another big fish. Then another fish and another until I had landed 10 fish in a row without missing one or losing one. The fish were eating the bug and the hook sets were almost always deep in the side of the mouth.
I had to tie on a new tippet because of the rock abrasions, but I put the same caddis back on I had been using. I served the fly against the main current over a large sunken boulder and I saw the whole shimmering side of a fish as he side swiped the caddis. I set the hook and immediately the fish was electric; he jumped four feet out of the water and the second he landed, he flat-out exploded down river. In five seconds I was in backing and I told Geoff to stay with the camera because I’m chasing the fish. I waded a riff raff bank downstream, and the fish peeled line way faster than I could walk. I looked completely across the river, and the fish was against the far bank 50 yards away. I continued down river, and the fish swam back across to my side of the river. I think to myself that I might be able to land him at the bottom of the slick, but about the time I catch up to him, he plunges over a set of rapids and again he’s in my backing down river. I chased the fish because it would be a cold day in hell before I let him lick me. We battled on through the rapids to a relatively calm pool and I had the fish on my side the river. I was able to keep him out of the main current, and inch by inch, I gained on him. The fish moved toward shore just above a guide and two clients in a boat; and just ahead of the boat, I slid the fish into the net. My only comment to them was, “It was a wild ride” because they could see how far up river I started the chase. I’d snagged the fish in one of his pelvic fins; and if you can imagine a 20” fish, very heavy, in fast water hooked in the mid-section, it’s easy to understand the chase. Even so, I’ve never seen a fish run that far in my life. It was an easy quarter mile below where I hooked the fish and Geoff had filmed the whole episode to the point I looked like a speck in the camera.
We regrouped and went back to fishing and immediately we were in another fish, then another and another….. until we reached a large bush that overhung the river. There was a deep run under the brush with a gentle current—it had big fish written all over it. I laid the caddis in the soft water above the brush in the shade and I saw the fly perfectly. It gently floated to the brush, and the second the fly hit sunlight, I saw the total red side of a giant fish blindside the caddis. I drove the hook in the side of his mouth and he immediately owned me by going out to deep water where he rocked me up. I waded out, laid my rod over and behind the boulder, and the fish came loose. Down the river he went. I couldn’t chase him so I make my stand and forced the issue. He turned and moved into softer water where I eventually put him in the net. It was a totally spectacular fish, about 23” long and heavy with gorgeous red cheeks and an almost radiant red strip down his sides.
I retied the fly, dried it well and went back to fishing. Instantly another fish ate the caddis and I landed him there. Another and another and another… until we finally reached the riffle at the head of the run. I stopped getting action on the caddis, so I switch to the Bullet Head Hopper, and on the first cast, a big old rainbow ate it. I landed him and then five more fish in a row went into the net on the hopper.
We finally reached the top of the run and looked back at the 250 yards of water we’d fished. I had no idea how many fish we caught, but the size of the fish was the aspect that stuck in my mind. We moved to a new stretch of water and settled into a long riffle with a cobblestone bottom.
I started fishing up through the riffle. Against the bank under a small bush, Geoff and I both saw a big fish rise. He was slightly out of casting distance, so we moved up. On the first cast, I put the caddis on his nose; and without hesitation, he ate it. Game on again, but this time we were not in a boulder pile and landing this fish would be easier. Wrong again and the fish put on a heroic fight before he succumbed to the net. I dried the fly and long casted to the right of where I’d hooked the last fish. Bang, another big fish ate my fly and I landed him. He was a carbon copy of the last fish—big, thick, and gorgeous.
We moved on up the river to hatch water and there were a few pinks coming off, so naturally I tied on a Pink Tantalizer and served the bug. There were fish to target and as expected, they ate the bug. For the next hour, we landed fish on a pink through the top of the run. Shade was accumulating in the canyon, so we hiked out of the canyon and had lunch at 7:30 at night. After visiting with a couple of fellow fishermen for a half hour, I tied on a Midnight Caddis and headed up river.
Just below the islands, we settled in on the final run of the day. We walked to the bottom of the run and looked up river in the glow water for heads. Not much cooking. We stared at the water for two or three minutes, and right on schedule a fish broke the surface of the glow. We marked him, then another fish rose and we marked him also.
I approached the first fish and hooked and landed him in the fading daylight. While landing the fish, Geoff spotted a big fish rising in fast current ahead of us. Geoff showed me where he was living and I casted to him a few times…nothing. I made a final cast and hooked a small fish and released him. Geoff assured me that the small fish wasn’t what he had seen previously. I trusted his judgment so I go back to casting for the larger fish right at dark. Sometimes I could see the fly and sometimes I couldn’t, and on one of the times I couldn’t see the fly, the big fish ate the bug. All of a sudden, a giant fish jumped completely out of the water about 15 feet out from me. I pulled my slack fly line and realized I have the fish on. We battled into darkness and finally the fish and I were together at the net. We revived the fish in the last sliver of light and he melted into the darkness of the river.
If this fishing adventure sounds a little inflated we understand, but after the day Geoff and I looked at each other and thought did that really happen? All I can tell you is it did and we shot seven hours of footage that captured the whole experience. We’ll probably cut a caddis movie this winter.
Flies that caught fish:
#8 Bullet Head Hopper
Bullet Hopper
$2.35
#16 Peacock Caddis
Peacock Caddis
$1.95
#18 Pink Tantalizer
Tantalizer Series
The “Tantalizer” Series of emergers maybe the most significant break through in dry fly fishing in years. This fly has tested magnificently over every species of trout at every elevation. It’s a super fly that was so successful we featured the Pink Tantalizer in a video we shot on the South Fork of the Snake River last fall.
$1.90
#16 Midnight Caddis
Midnight Caddis
Midnight Caddis the absolute perfect sundown to dark caddis fished on sheen water. It has awesome visibility and can be fished aggressively in heavy riffle. This fly was created to match the large black caddis hatch in the high country, but recently it has sparkled on low elevation rivers in twilight hours. It's a party animal after sundown!
$1.95
SF Boise River Report 12/23 – Dry Fly Fish Idaho
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There was a layer of fog hanging over the canyon and the temperature was slightly above freezing. By the time we reached the lower river, there were little twinkles of sunlight burning through the fog. After rigging our rods and putting on our waders, there was winter sun bathing the canyon and tons of tiny midges fluttering in the sunlight.
We took a short hike down the river and slipped into the edge of a blue wing olive (dry fly fish Idaho) run. We weren’t anticipating the hatch to begin at 12:30, but sure enough the leading edge of the BWOs (dry fly fish Idaho) were on and fish were beginning to appear at the surface. It looked as though most of the fish were keying on adult BWOs (dry fly fish Idaho). So the natural choice in the sheen’s surface was a BWO No Hackle #22 (dry fly fish Idaho). It proved to be a good choice as we began to hook large rainbows in their feeding slots. The action was intense, the olive hatch increased, and more fish began to appear on the surface. It was beginning to look like one of those very special days to be on the river. And so it went…pick a fish, hit his trough, hook a fish.
Then a totally unexpected turn of events occurred. By 3 p.m., the hatch vanished, the fish sunk to deeper water, and what had promised to be a fantastic day of fishing was over. We hiked out of the canyon and as the sun disappeared, it was instantly cold. The walk was welcomed—warm toes, warm hands, and still time to fish another run of water. By 4 o’clock, the temperature had raised about 5 degrees and the fish made another run at furface feeding. The water I was fishing was a fast choppy riffle, but there were a couple of large rainbows peaking at the surface. Geoff, who was across the river, hooks a big rainbow on a single upright wing BWO (dry fly fish Idaho) and almost at the same time, I hook a very large rainbow on a Black Searcher (dry fly fish Idaho). Geoff brought his fish to the bank first and I netted mine. Shortly thereafter, keeping the fish submerged in the net, I waded the river and slipped Geoff’s fish in the net also. What an awesome way to end the day with an 18” and a 20” rainbow side by side in the net. It was just another fantastic day on the South Fork of the Boise (dry fly fish Idaho).
Flies that caught fish:
Caddidge #22
Black Searcher #16
BWO Mayfly (upright wing) #22
BWO Mayfly No Hackle #22
Caddidge
Introducing--the "Caddige." It's a brilliant wintertime midge fished in the soft foam lines, and it's a dynamite early-spring, dark caddis. I have seen it land giant fish in both seasons. Tied on a Tiemco #200R hook, it will hold that big guy. Take your time!!! Size #22 only.
$1.90
$1.71
You save $0.19 (10%)!
Searcher Patterns
The new world of dry fly fishing challenges the belief that you need a hatch. Fish this bug with NO hatch in holding water, and you'll be shocked to see what's calling. The fish will suddenly appear and eat this pattern. DFI has designed the new generation of of "searcher" flies built to sustain at least two hatches; in this case, a mayfly and a caddis, and get fish to take on their preference. It's a concept that catches fish!! One size; 6 different colors.
$1.90
Blue Wing Olive Mayfly
$2.05
BWO No Hackle
$2.05
