Big Lost River 6-12
With flows out of Mackay Dam around 700 cfs into river below, wading is not easy. Be careful!
With flows out of Mackay Dam around 700 cfs into river below, wading is not easy. Be careful!
Flow out of Mackay Dam raised to 150 cfs three days ago, and to 320 cfs yesterday. This put an end to easy wading in the river below the dam and also puts fish down for a while.
Flows are still at 100 cfs. and the fishing is great! Good Blue Wing Olive hatches right now. Look for the hatch from 11-4. Cripples and emergers have been the best patterns for fooling fish. We don’t know when the water will go up on the Big Lost, however this river is accessible by wading up to 300 cfs.
With flow out of Mackay Dam just a bit above 100 cfs, wading is easy. Midges are active, and a few BWOs are emerging. Not much snow is around, and the days are warming up. Looks like all aspects are together for a trip to the Big Lost. Don’t forget those small bead head nymphs or size 12-14 bead head peacock leeches! Want more info on the Big Lost River? Take a look at the 3/19/13 offering on it in our web site Articles post.
The Big Lost has been picking up lately with the nice weather. Good midge hatches and very few Blue Wing Olives. I would continue to look for a BWO hatch any day now. Nymphing a prince nymph and Zebra midges has also been very productive. Don’t forget a few BWO nymphs. We have a great selection here in the shop.
Weather may bring an end to the comfortable fly fishing season here, but a trip to enjoy some top water fishing may be in order with flows out of Mackay Dam around the 100 cfs mark. Brookies and bows are responding well to BWO and midge activity. Small bead head nymphs are making for action, too.
With flow out of Mackay Dam down to 100 cfs fish will concentrate in deeper water in river below. Expect easy wading.
With trico activity decreasing in the river below Mackay Dam, turn to BWO and midge life cycle patterns. Because of the canopy formed by cottonwood trees along much of the river here, one can expect good BWO activity even on brighter days. Flow out of the dam is a bit above the seasonal normal, but not enough to hinder wading.
Flow out of Mackay Dam is about 100 cfs higher than normal, but this keeps fish from concentrating into deepest holes. Wading conditions remain good, and tricos emerge for early in the day fishing. Evening caddis activity also brings fish up.
The river below Mackay Dam is in great wading shape now. Trico spinners and egg droppers are still providing AM action. Later it is on to terrestrial patterns and traditional attractors followed by caddis life cycle patterns.