Last Updated on Monday, 13 June 2011 11:25 Wednesday, 10 June 2009 19:54

June 12, 2011

There are conflicting reports coming from the South Fork Boise River.  Some are saying the river is dropping and down enough to put in a boat while others are saying the river is still up in the 3000 cfs range which is still to high to fish successfully.  I believe the river will be dropping soon as soon as this weekend.  The best thing to do if you want to know the real scoop is to wait until around Wed. and check the cfs at that time.  If the river is going to drop I would recommend that you wait until the fish get used to the drop in water levels and then make a trip.  If you want to go to the SF Boise real bad you might as well drive another hour and hit Silver Creek for some Brown Drake action instead.

 

April 5, 2011

The South Fork is now closed from Anderson Ranch dan down to Neil Bridge.  However the current river flow is at 600 cfs and the fishing is open all year from Neal Bridge down to the reservoir.  At 600 cfs you can fish that flow with good results.

 

March 25, 2011

I have been told that the road to the dam will be closed starting April 1st.  It will be closed for 90 days due to dam construction.  However the fishing has been really good up there lately.  Because of the bad weather we've had here lately not a lot of fishing pressure has been on the river lately.  Most of the trout will be just below the tailouts and you should be using a double bead head nymph rig to catch both rainbow and white fish.  Be sure to have a spare rod set up with midges because when the water warms up during the afternoon on certain sections of the river you will see rising fish.  Trouble is you have to figure out if those fish are rainbows or white fish.  The river closes at the end of the month so get up there while you still can, it will be worth it!

 

August 26, 2010

The South Fork Boise River is currently at 600 cfs and will probably drop to 300 cfs soon.  Be careful not to plan a trip right when they drop the flow to 300 cfs.  You should give the trout at least a week to get comfortable to their new feeding lanes.  When the river is at it's Winter flow of 300 cfs the fishing is the best of the year.  Dry fly fishing can be incredible with pink alberts, baetis, and caddis on the water right now.  Still to come are the flav's and mohogany duns.  So the outlook for the South Fork Boise is great.  The river is in great shape and the fish will be taking on the surface.

 

June 20, 2010

OK 2800cfs is hard to fish and those who braved those flows have my respect.  But now the river is at 2200cfs and is at least fishable in that you can at least eddy out at your favorite hole.  The continued fluctuation of the river flows only slow the fishing down.  The trout are now off their spawning beds and back into their holds but the high water makes it hard to get to them.  Under these conditions don't be afraid to use plenty of lead both to get your flies down to where these trout are, but to also hold those flies at that depth for a little longer.  Fishing can still be pretty good on the river if you take the time to present your flies right in their face.  There is a good evening Caddis hatch going on right now and the trout are responding to good Caddis emerger patterns.  You should see some baetis and PMD's in the morning and late morning.

 

June 1, 2010

The South Fork Boise is running at about 1600 csf right now, just about perfect for floating the river.  This past Memorial Day weekend saw lots of people camped and fishing the river.  I had an opportunity to talk to a lot of anglers and the general consensus was that the fishing was pretty good.  I know for me it was.  When the river is this high you really need to use enough weight to get you flies to slow down enough, and to get down far enough to reach those large rainbows on the bottom.  For me it was the trick.  Right now floaters have the advantage of fishing the whole river and all its holes but there are still some places on the river where bank fishing can be rewarding.  Start off with a large nymph like a Stone Fly or Rock Dragon and drop it with a Bead Head Baetis or Phesant Tail nymph.  Make your adjustments from there.  You are going to see some Baetis, PMD's and Caddis.  Try a dry fly- nymph dropper system on your dry fly rod.  Attractor flies are working with droppers.

 

April 4, 2010

The South Fork Boise is closed until Memorial Day

 

March 22, 2010

The SF Boise closes for the spawn on April 1 so it's now or wait until the river is at 300 cfs again in October.  The fishing has been holding at pretty good.  I can't think of a better place to fish this time of year.  The water is low, clear and the fishing is good.  The white fish are still cooperating with small bead head nymphs drifted through shallow tailouts and deep runs.  The rainbows start to get a little active after around 11:00 in the morning until around 3 or 4 o'clock.  With the longer days the river will be a little more active with Midge activity on the upper stretch while the lower stretch holds \more white fish.

 

March 1, 2010

Spring/Winter fishing at it's best.  The keep the road into the South Fork Boise graded pretty good so your trip down to the river should be a fairly easy one considering there is still quite a bit of snow on the ground.  Fishing can be OK from morning until around 11:30 am but really picks up from around noon until 3:00 in the afternoon.  Parking can be tough depending when you go because of the snow piled up from the snow plow but there is still enough areas to park and fish.  There are quite a few adult Midges on the water and you should see rising fish in the most likely areas.  When you see rising fish have your Midge rod hooked up to a size 20 black adult Midge with a couple of Zebra Midges dropped behind for when those occasions do present themselves to you.  On your nymph rod use size 16 to 20 bead head nymphs weighted with split shot for white fish.  The fishing has been normal, lots of white fish with  a couple of rainbows for the day.

 

October 27, 2009

Baetis, Baetis, and more Baetis.  The trout are really keying in on this little Mayfly.  At 300 cfs the South Fork of the Boise River can be accessed by most anglers over the entire river.  You should have a good selection of BWO's in sizes 18 and 20.  But probably your most effective fly will be a BWO emerger in the same sizes.  If you stumble upon a really good BWO hatch you may consider using a couple of emergers with a strike indicator instead of a dry fly.  Be real conscious of the insect activity while on the river because you can see other hatches going off at the same time.  Flav's, Mahogany Duns and some late PMD's can cause some confusion.  This is the most exciting time of the year for anglers fishing on the South Fork!

 

October 7, 2009

The South Fork Boise is at 300 cfs and the fishing has been excellent.  Dry flies all day long.  Adams, Parachute Hare's Ear and Baetis all are working well.  In the morning work the pocket water sections with a Adams.  You can increase your odds by adding a dropper in the afternoon.  In the evenings depending on where you are on the river the fish will really come on.  Spend some time studying their rise forms because they have been taking Baetis emergers.  So if you see a lot of backs, tails and sipping don't hesitate to add a Baetis emerger as a dropper.

 

September 23, 2009

If you're planning on fishing the SF Boise, you're probably going to do just fine.  Plan on really working the river hard now that it's at 600 cfs and you will be rewarded for you hard work with beautiful rainbows.  Mahogany's, Flav's, Pink Alberts, and some BWO's are all on your plate so enjoy the river while you still can.

 

September 15, 2009

The canyon is where its at right now.  From Danskin to McNeal Bridge stretch of canyon is hot.  Large Rainbows are being caught on top using Chernobyl Ants and Madam X.  This is now one of the better times of year to be on the South Fork Boise.  The river has dropped to 600 cfs and there are a variety of May flies out so the top water action is just starting.  Wait until they drop it to 300 cfs and you can really get on top of the trout.

 

September 4, 2009

For all you wade fishermen the SF Boise is or will be shortly at 600 cfs.  This means you'll be able to reach all those holes that you couldn't reach at high water.  It's best to let the river settle for a week or longer.  When the water level drops dramatically like this the trout are forced into areas where they may not be familiar with or grouped together closer in runs and slots that did not exist a few days ago.  However after they settle in to their new surrounding the fishing should be very good.

 

August 24, 2009

LISTEN UP1  If you are going to fish the South Fork Boise then if you want to be successful, fish it SLOWLY.  Don't be like so many guys floating the river and just bee bop along past the most prime spots on the water.  Get an early start and when you are in the boat, fish with your dry fly rod with a Hopper and Dropper tandem or Madam X combination.  When out of the boat use a nymph rig that has at least two or three bead head nymphs with ENOUGH weight to get the flies in front of the fishes nose.  As the afternoon progresses you may see some Pink Alberts on the water and may have to adjust your dry fly rig as necessary.

August 17, 2009

Southwest Idaho's premiere Trout River is fishing excellently.  At 1600 csf it's finally about where it should be for the summer.  The number one hatch at this time is the Pink Albert hatch ( Epeorus Albertae ).  You should start seeing them on the river around noon through the rest of the day.  For best fishing, work the water slowly using both a nymph rod and a dry fly rod.  Work the long tail outs with your typical weighted nymph rigs and you may even try some streamers.

 

August 5, 200

The fishing has been excellent in the morning until around 11:00 am.  So the earlier you can start the more fish you may catch.  Large Trout are being caught using nymph Riggs that consist of a large Rubber Leg nymph with a Bead Head Baetis or other bead head nymph as a dropper.  The key is to have enough weight to bounce along the bottom.  Experiment until you have the right weight, it can make all the difference.  Some Golden Stones, Pink Alberts and Caddis are on the surface.  So during the slow periods switch to the appropriate dry fly with a bead head dropper.

July 22, 2009

The river is still at 1800cfs and fishing has been excellent.  Salmon flies are making a good appearance and you should be fishing them with a large dropper.  Caddis continue to hatch up and down the river and using a Caddis Emerger should be your fly of choice.  Have a nymph rod rigged up and ready with a large heavy Rubber Legg Nymph or Stone fly Nymph dropped with an emerging Caddis Larva for sub surface action.

June 25, 2009

The South Fork Boise is currently at 2000csf.  Now that's not the best flows for trout fishing but considering all the rain we've had recently, but its low enough to do some really good fishing.  Keep in mind when floating this section the river is very compressed and swift so concentrate more in anchoring the boat or raft in the most fishy places and you will do real well out of the boat.  If your fishing from shore look for the tail outs or back eddy's near bends in the river.  Weighted nymphing is your ticket when the water is this swift and high.  Reports are that the Salmon Flies are showing up in the lower canyon so you may want to be sure you have some of theses guy's in you box.

June 10, 2009

The water level on the South Fork is currently over 3000 cfs and the fishing from the bank is not worth the trouble. If you plan on drifting the river be prepared for a fast drift. I drifted it when the river was at 2300cfs and there was no slowing down the boat. Areas where you would normally get out of the boat to work the banks are now flooded and difficult to wads. The fishing can be excellent however if you pick your spots and work the eddy lines. A large Stonefly Nymph or a Henry's Rubber Leg or other size 6 or 8 weighted nymph followed by a bead head nymph or a bead head caddis pupa or emerger will do the trick. You will see plenty of caddis and Salmon flies should start coming up the canyon soon.