Idaho Rivers
Idaho Rivers
The wide variety of waters in the south-central Idaho area ensures that great fishing is available to you throughout our seasons. Whether spring creeks, freestone rivers, tail water or stillwater, something is always available to provide a remarkable fly Fishing experience.
Silver Creek
Silver Creek offers Sun Valley-based anglers the chance to stalk big rainbow and brown trout. This spring creek has daily Mayfly hatches and unparalleled “match the hatch” dry fly fishing.
Silver Creek has the highest density of trout of any river its size in the U.S. Combine this with the smorgasbord of Mayfly hatches and it’s easy to recognize this stream as the best spring creek in the nation. There are many miles of Silver Creek to fish, and it would take weeks to fish all the great locations.
Silver Creek can be fished by wading or float tubing, depending on location. Being spring-fed, Silver Creek is not affected by spring/early summer snowmelt and runoff.
Big Wood River
The Big Wood River originates in the mountains north of Sun Valley/Ketchum and flows to Magic Reservoir. As it runs south through the Wood River Valley, it passes through the towns of Ketchum, Hailey and Bellevue. This is a classic freestone river with riffles, pools and pocket water. All fishing is done by wading. There are many miles of river to fish with very good access points along its entire length. We concentrate our fishing in the middle and lower reaches of this river where the greatest populations of wild rainbows reside. A good portion of the Big Wood is catch & release, with other areas a two fish kill limit.
The Big Wood River appeals to anglers of all abilities, and is a perfect place to polish your skills with the help and tuition of your guide. This river fishes well with dry flies, nymphs and streamers. Hatches are prolific, with Stoneflies, Mayflies and evening Caddis. Rainbows are caught in all sizes from 10 to 20 inches and it’s not uncommon to hook 15 to 20 trout on a good hatch day. The Big Wood is affected by the winter snowpack and runoff, but usually drops and clears by mid or late June.
Once the river clears, the fishing is on with Western Green Drakes and Yellow Stonefly hatches. Mayfly hatches remain steady all through the summer and autumn months of October and November. We often combine the Big Wood River and Silver Creek for a full day trip since they are within a 20 minute drive of one another. We fish and guide this river in the winter as well, mostly 3/4 days in the afternoons.
The Lost River & Mackay Reservoir
The Lost River is a magnificent drainage and superb fishery with wild rainbows and cutthroats. It has a high average trout size, generally in the 15 to 19 inch range. This river originates in the Pioneer Mountains east of Sun Valley and flows to the Lost River Valley. There are spectacular views of the Lost River Range, including the highest peak in Idaho, Mt. Borah. The scenery is inspiring, to say the least. The Lost River has prolific Mayfly and Stonefly hatches. Dry fly fishing and sight nymphing is always exciting all summer and autumn.
The river drains into Mackay Reservoir, and we fish below and above this reservoir. This river is open year-round and is our favorite destination for winter and spring fishing. We also guide and flyfish Mackay Reservoir by jet boat.
The MacKay Reservoir fishes well all season from spring to fall. Typically, ice out occurs in mid to late April, depending on spring temperatures. The reservoir has terrific midge hatches, and trout can be found rising if the winds are minimal. Early mornings are usually calm. Nymphing and streamer fishing are very good as well, and account for the most hookups. There can also be Callibaetis Mayfly hatches. It’s very common to hook up to two or three dozen trout a day.
happy client’s comments
“Dear Dave, I am writing to thank you for your volunteer services at The Nature Conservancy’s Silver Creek Preserve over the past 8 years. During this time, I have seen you donate many days of your professional services to our organization. Your effort at helping us achieve our goals has been greatly appreciated.”
– Paul Todd, Silver Creek Area Manager
