30 cfs and the Livin' is Easy

It's been quite a few years since the flow has been down this low, and I now realize how much I've missed it.  Sure, they've been turning it way down every October, but not since 2016 or so has it hit 30.  The spring creek is back!  Got on the water day-one as soon as the light rain stopped around 10 am.  BWO breakfast was already well in progress.  Shoulda known, but it lasted strong until the sun popped out and the breeze came up around 3.  Even after that, there were rising fish to be had.  Besides the monsters I got pictures of, there were several well over the 20 inch mark that weeded me, broke off (4X), or I couldn't hold long enough for a shot.  15-16 inchers were a dime a dozen.   A nice change to fish 30 cfs instead of 3,000.  Never saw another fisherman.

Day two was the warm before the real storm day.  Ya, winter coming they say.  The wind was blowing straight down Clark Canyon most of the morning, so I had to try a little streamer/leech duty since I was already committed.  That worked for some regulars and a couple of big 'bows.  About noon, the wind subsided as the mix of clouds and sun turned to more clouds.  The baetis followed, and up came the fish again just like yesterday morning.  When the sun would pop through, the big fish would quit.  Five minutes of clouds, and they were right back up.  Not spooky either, as some I could cast and drift to with little more than my 18 feet of leader and 10 feet of fly line.  They were eating duns right in my face, and I scored a few wins and near-misses from some pig rainbows and nice browns.  There were three other pairs of fishermen today, but everybody stayed clear of each other.  (wow, that's a nice change too!)

By mid-afternoon, it turned to more sun than clouds, and the breeze tried to return, depending on the bend of the river.  The updated forecast is for 3-7 inches tomorrow, damn cold, and a few more inches tomorrow night.  I'm sure the fishing will be epic if it doesn't blow.  However, my original plan was to fish these two days and get off the plateau before the storm.  I stuck to it, driving right past a bunch of rising fish just below the bridge on the way out.  My back and shoulder were thankful at least.  These were the best two days I've had here in recent memory.  I've just loaded 35 captioned pictures, half of them big fish.  Really?  I've lost my mind, but it was that good.  Low water baby.  And another little video of low-water risers for the memory bank.

As I post this, I've finished the 3 hour drive to the campground at Silver Creek.  Though only 750 feet lower in elevation, it's usually milder than the Redrock plateau, where snow already encompasses the surrounding peaks.  The forecast here on the edge of the Snake River valley is for cold rain by morning, and the hope is for that epic BWO hatch I've experienced here before in such conditions.  Mahoganies?  That would be fun.  It's blowing now, so we'll see.

The really deep pools were still deep

The flats were knee high and narrow

The rainbows in here aren't narrow, even the little average ones.

The browns look ok.

Prime classic feeding lane on the far bank.  I could walk right over to 'em.

Some net shots, but they still don't do 'em justice.

Knee deep flat just below the spring creek.

Here we go.  It's full of these 20-23 inch fish.

Fly of the weekend.  

They're eating just fine

Big bow city.  I got a bunch of 'em out of this run, from the riffle up top to the tailout below

Brown ones too.

This thing's been catching me fish all season, and here was no exception.  

There were a bunch of these kinds of endings, especially with the hands I have.

The moving water at the top of that killer run.

Both kinds, but outnumbered by the 'bows for sure.

For a few of the pickier fish, of which there weren't many.  It worked after I missed a fish.  Follow-up fly.

Those MO 'bows got nothing on these size-wise.  These are easier to land though.  Less water.

When the sun broke out, the rises became very intermittent.  One and done.  Cover the water.

Did I say the place was full of these?

Longest brown

The windy day two morning.  Hardly a bug and only small fish rising, once in a while.

That worked in the wind!

Calm fly shop run.  I never even made it to the "glory hole" at the bottom in two days!

Another one who didn't want any fame.

A face anyone could love.

This one was a close second to the Adams.  

It even kept working with the hackle gone and the body coming apart.  Hmmm, sounds like me.

This one slipped free, but swam just slow enough to get a parting shot.

Ya, there's still browns here.

Loaded with 'em.

Not to be left out.  This worked this morning in the wind, all wet and on the slow swing just a few inches under.  A wake and a take.  

All bridge pools . . . right?

When the sun is bright, fish in the shade of the bridge where they keep rising.  OK!

30 cfs.  Thirty!  I love drought years.  Hope to see it again next October.  

Here's what a BWO hatch is supposed to look like at 30 cfs