May is an unusual month in the sense It's somewhere in between the season closures, high runoff water and just plain cold windy weather. Even so you can still find a few streams that seem to hide under the radar. Lakes and reservoirs are also a good bet they are somewhere between melting ice and cold water temperatures. Then again lakes and reservoirs can be as finicky as streams and rivers in May. It's the time of the year where you just play the hand you are dealt

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Recently I spent four days in the high desert of Idaho fishing a reservoir that in previous years has provided excellent trout fishing regularly every first weekend of May. However this year I just couldn't punch through the adverse bad weather enough to salvage any decent fishing success. Dealing with low water temperatures, snow and icy winds was just too much to overcome. I caught a few fish here and there but I just could not find a rhythm or figure out with any consistency just what the trout were up to.

The alternative was to stay at home and mow the lawn or repair the back fence. I think I made the right decision in going. I was with some pretty good company and really enjoyed being around like minded people who also had their problems with the trout. Most of my fondest memories in the many years of fly fishing are of ones that have nothing to do with fishing and everything to do about the experience. This trip was no different; I was able to spend many hours in the evening catching up with old friends who made the experience more than worthwhile.

The rivers may be too high and it still may be too cold to fish but there are still places where the fishing is still pretty good and the experience is worth the price for admission. I think this weekend I'll fish a little closer to home in more familiar waters where the conditions will be pretty much the same but at least I'll have the warm truck where there is a large thermos full of hot coffee to help take the edge off. The nice thing about fishing in between is you know in the back of your mind that in the next week or two everything is going to open up, the weather will be beautiful and warm and I will have forgotten the those slow, cold and windy days.

I sometimes wonder why I have this insatiable appetite to visit fly shops when I really have no need to visit. I usually don't need any new equipment and I have too much fly tying stuff now as it is. I'm like a child who has tons of toys but still loves to go to the toy store to look at all the toys he wishes he had. I can deduce that my passion for fly fishing might have something to do with it. What can I say; I'm like a gear head for fly fishing stuff. It may be hereditary, my mother used to shop at the knitting store and go down every isle looking at everything on the shelf. Hmm, that's where I get it from.

I know I must an easy mark because when I walk in it's "Hey have you seen our new wading boots over in the corner?" or "Where you going this weekend?" No matter how many times I go into a fly shop there are always something for a gear head like me to drool over. And just when you think it's time to go, you can't help but stop and look what the fish are biting on up on the white board. It doesn't matter that I may need absolutely nothing in the way of fly fishing gear or supplies, I always seen to buy something.

I live in Boise, Idaho and as long as I've lived here there has always been a fly shop or two around. Even before that anglers can always remember there being a fly shop in town. Aside from selling fly fishing goodies, fly shops are a wealth of information. Stay in one long enough and you are bound to pick up some tip or a secret hole some other angler gives you with the threat of death if you reveal his secret to anyone. I also find that I'm not the only fly fishing freak in town; there are others like me living amongst the normal citizens of my community.

Most rivers are partially or completely closed to fishing this time of the year. There are a few rivers and stream in the mountains that may be open to fishing but are still snowed in. However rivers and streams that aren't in the mountains are now going through a period of change. This is also the time of year when tail water rivers (Rivers below dams) start increasing in flow due to irrigation. Their winter flows have ceased and the spring flows have begun.

Watch carefully when this does happens because it does affect how trout behave. Trout have been living in winter time low flows now for months and when governing agencies start increasing the flows in the rivers for irrigation it will change the whole under water ecosystem that trout have become accustomed to. Increased flows will force trout out of their old feeding lanes into new lanes and the water clarity usually is off color causing dramatic change to their new surroundings.

For the fly angler this means for you to stay away from rivers that have shown recent increase in water levels. That's the bad news. The good news is the rivers are now waking up. Water born insect activity will be on the rise and so will the trout's appetite. Where free stone rivers (Rivers not controlled by dams) may be swollen by spring runoff and unfishable, tail water rivers show very little change in clarity the closer to the dam you are.

When tail water rivers flows are artificially increased just give them some time to settle down. A week or two will allow the trout to get used to their new surrounding and their behavior will settle down to normal given the proper time. If you let the trout settle in to their new environment the fishing will be much more rewarding than being a little over anxious.

June 12, 2011

The Owhyee River is still high at 2700 cfs and I wouldn't recommend it just yet.  However, if you want to avoid the crowds the the Owhyee usually attracts this might be a time to try it.  Use weighted nymph rigs in obvious tailouts and slicks.  Keep your eyes out for rising fish in the slow water as you might be seeing some BWO's or PMD's.  In the late afternoon look for the caddis to start coming off.

April 5, 2011

The river flow is currently at 7210 cfs so forget about it!

March 25, 2011

The Owhyee river flows have just been raised to 222 csf just the other day while I was fishing there.  I spent the day leap frogging just ahead of the muddy flows picking off a few browns just before the muddy water arrived.  Then it was down the river another mile to fish that section until the next wave of muddy water hit.  The fishing was great.  Lots of midges and baetis.  The BWO fishing was incredible with hungry browns gorging themselves on the duns and emergers and of course the fishing shut down when the muddy water arrived.  I would give this river a week or two to settle in before going again. However who knows how much water the powers that be will let out.  This river could be unsettled for quite a while so keep you eye on it.