General Fishing Report

Warm spring afternoons, clean rivers, and cold (carbonated) beer…wow, you don’t seem to appreciate the little things until you’re sitting half way around the world missing them. That said, I’m really glad to be back stateside.

It was certainly an interesting experience being across the pond but I’d trade 2C drivers and the pleasant aroma of the sugar beet factory over the London Underground and eccentric, melancholic chain smokers any day of the week! We really do live in a wonderful place.

Now that we’ve got all the emotional homecoming drivel out of the way, let’s get down to business. In the three weeks I’ve been away it appears spring has sprung in the valley. The increasing daytime heat  should be a big positive for the area fishing scene. I for one will be taking advantage!

As we shift into spring mode we’ll definitely be seeing some changes on the Horizon. March means BWOs area wide – this includes the Owyhee, South Fork of the Boise, the river in town, and the Big Wood. If you don’t have em’, tie em’. If you’re not a tyer, then beg, borrow, or steal. How ever you do it, just make sure they’re in your box. If you’re in a pinch, we’ve got some great local Baetis patterns to get you where you need to be.

Everyone’s waiting for the Skwala push on the Owyhee but we don’t seem to have the right conditions just yet. We were on the river over the weekend and to be honest it was pretty quiet. There were plenty of BWOs on the water but that was about it – a few fish up but nothing really consistent. As the water temperatures increase we should see more surface activity…and hopefully some of the bigger bugs.

On the eastern front, we’ve got some great conditions on the South Fork of the Boise. Fish are getting active and March is one of the best months to be on the river. On overcast, drizzly days you can literally find BWOs pouring off the river. One thing to keep in mind however, bows are starting to pair up for the spawn. If you stumble upon them, they’re not eating. Let them do their business and move on to fish that are actively feeding.

Up north we’ve had some really good steelhead reports rolling in (big thanks to everyone sending them in). The Little Salmon’s been tight with traffic, but if you can manage to find a rock to yourself you’ve got a pretty good chance of getting into a steelie. Likewise, fishing on the Upper Salmon (near Salmon) is picking up. It’s a bit of a drive but the reward seems to be worth the effort.

Whatever you decide to do this week, one thing’s for certain. It’s time to fish. Have a great time out on the water!

*Reference to 2C drivers was meant as a light-hearted a joke (please no postage bombs).

Featured Big Fish Photo

Here is your chance to post your big catch on the world wide web. We will feature photos sent to us for display here on our website for all to see. If you would like to have instant world wide fame, fortune, and be the envy of supermodels everywhere, feel free to send us your big fish photos.

Here's a great shot of Jared Hilliard with an outstanding Boise River (in town) bow. It would be scary to imagine what the river would be like if it were managed properly. Great fish Jared!