Big Lost River Fly Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes that make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone Stream
Species
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout
Cutthroat Trout
Brook Trout
Bull Trout
Golden Trout
(Wild and Stocked depending on the
area)
Location
Central Idaho
Size:
Small to Medium – 75 miles long
Nearest Towns
Ketchum
Season
Varies depending on the location
Access:
Good
Special Regulations
Yes, on the East Branch and Main
Stem
Non-Resident License
State of Idaho
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Stream Flow Data:
Real Time USGS Data (Arco)
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 &12 ft., 5 or 6X, Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Big Lost River Idaho: The Big Lost River has two main branches that flow together to form its main stem. They are the North Fork of the Lost River and the East Fork of the Lost River. Both these creeks flow through some of Idaho’s most beautiful, wild and rugged country among mountains with peaks as high as 12,000 feet. Fly fishing the Big Lost River provides some very diversified opportunities.The North Branch is a small stream that starts in the Northwest area of the drainage. It is stocked in some areas and provides good, easy fishing, especially around the bridges and campgrounds. The East Fork of the Big Lost River drains the southern area. Its trout are wild but the access is limited. There are some special regulations in force to help keep it a designated “Wild Trout” fishery. The fish are mostly wild rainbows and cutthroat trout. The main stem of the river below the confluence of the North and East Branches is not as good of a fishery as the East Branch. There are not as many trout but access is plentiful and easy. This section also has some special regulations. The main stem flows through some beautiful, scarcely populated country. The large variety of different types of trout make the fishing very interesting. Rainbows, browns, brook and cutthroat are the main species but there are some Bull trout and some Golden trout. All of them are wild.
Big Lost River Fly Fishing Guide: The strategies and techniques used for fly fishing the Big lost River depends on the branch you are fishing and the water levels. This is a beautiful river most of which flows through an unpopulated area of Idaho. It flows over seventy-five miles through the Lost River Valley, a place that looks unlike any other Western setting. High jagged and rugged looking mountains are in full almost anywhere you look. The Lost River Mountain Range and the Pioneer Mountain Range are some of the most scenic of all the Rocky Mountains. The headwaters of the Big Lost form in the Pioneer Mountains. When it comes out of a steep walled canyon in its upper end, the river flows into a the large Big Lost Valley. The river starts near Arco and ends in MacKay Reservoir. Below the MacKay Reservoir is the Big Lost River Tailwater. It is such a great fishery we have a separate section devoted to the tailwater.Even though this river is noted for its rainbow trout, it also has some brook trout, bull trout, golden trout, mountain whitefish, cutthroat trout and even a few grayling. The streams start out in Copper Basin, a large high elevation valley. After they merge, Trail Creek Road follows the Big Lost River for most of its length. Most of the river in the headwater areas is lined with sagebrush only. Downstream you will begin to see the Cottonwood trees that show you where the river lies. This is a true freestone stream where only rain and snow determine the amount of water that is going to be available – that is except for the farmers. Irrigation needs can use a lot of the streams water during dry years with little rainfall and low snowpacks. The stream has its long sections of riffles and runs and some pools along the way. It’s a pleasure to fish. Wading is usually very easy and the fish can be fairly easy to catch even in the East Branch where they are all wild trout. Unlike many headwater freestone stream areas, the Big Lost has an amazing number of aquatic insects. The populations are heavy and the dry fly fishing can be great at times. The best water to fish is the East Branch. As I said, it is all wild trout fishing and mostly rainbows. These trout can get up to twenty inches long. The North Branch is stocked and offers easy fishing. The main stem of the river isn’t as good as the East Branch but there are still plenty of trout to be caught.In addition, there is Summit Creek, Star Hope Creek, Wildhorse Creek, and what is sometimes called the West Branch of the Big Lost. These little feeder streams offer additional small stream fishing. The roads accessing the upper part are rough dirt roads. Trail Creek Road over the summit is a gravel road and not really suitable for regular cars. These areas are in remote locations but once you get there, you will most likely be the only angler in sight. You want have any trouble finding solitude.
Big Lost River Hatches and Trout: Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Big Lost River and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726.The hatches on this trout stream can be especially good. The water chemistry is suitable for a large variety of aquatic insects including the famous Salmonfly. During the winter, the hatches consist mostly of Blue-winged Olives. These hatches can occur from late November until near June. Several species of baetis exist in the river.Midges are the only other substantial hatches that occur during the winter months and imitations of their larva, pupa and adult stages of life can produce well at times. You can actually catch trout on midge imitations whenever you choose to fish. It’s just that they may be the only thing hatching on most winter days. Little Yellow Stonflies show up during late May and can hatch until late June. The Yellow Sallies can be an important insect to imitate during this time. Hatches are normally very consistent. The Salmonfly nymphs usually start moving to the banks to hatch during the middle of June. Hatches are normally over by the middle of July. Golden Stoneflies follow just behind the Salmonflies and also start appearing in June. They can last until near the end of July. Other than the BWOs, the bulk of the mayflies will be the Pale Morning Duns. They start hatching in June and last into the first of August. The Blue-winged Olives (baetis) mayflies will reappear during the month of August. Hatches of these little mayflies can last on into September. Caddisflies are the most consistent hatches of aquatic insects. Little Short-horned Sedges and Green Sedges (Rock Worms) hatch starting in May and last through June. Different species of Spotted Sedges start in early June and hatch until late September. They represent the most important caddisfly hatches. There are several more species of caddisflies but they are not usually heavy hatches. Terrestrial insects become important during the month of June. Imitations of ants, beetles and grasshoppers can produce until as late as the end of September. The huge amount of tall grass that line the banks provide the perfect habitat for the hoppers as well as the other land based insects.When the water is high, streamers can sometimes produce. Heavy weighted streamers like the Zonker can be used to hang some of the large rainbows at times.Specific imitations of the Little Yellow, Golden and Salmonfly stonefly nymphs are important flies to have. Imitations of the BWO and PMD nymphs are also effective for sight fishing during low, clear water conditions. Of course we recommend our “Perfect Flies” not just because they are the most realistic imitations but also because they are also the most productive flies you can purchase. Imitations of the stonefly nymphs have been proven to work on the Big Lost River.