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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Fly fishers’ ‘Holy Grail’


Silver Creek, a preserve managed by The Nature Conservancy for the past 30 years, lures birdwatchers and especially fly fishers from around the world to the Ketchum, Idaho, area to catch the spring creek's huge trout.
 (Harold Malde photo / The Spokesman-Review)
Holly Endersby Special to Outdoors

The old cabin is a remnant of a hardscrabble pioneer past, a mute reminder that life in the high desert an hour south of Sun Valley, Idaho, has never been easy.

Sitting on the splintered log steps, I gaze out at a land burned to the bone by hot summer sun and battered by cold, incessant winter winds. But despite the harsh conditions, this valley is swarming with life. And the reason for that fecundity is water.

Just a stone’s throw away from this tiny cabin the cool, clear waters of Silver Creek flow through this parched land. The creek bottom is lush.

Birdwatchers love this place.

Some anglers consider it the Holy Grail of fly fishing.

Owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, 883-acre Silver Creek Preserve is a shimmering example of what conservation partnerships can achieve. Through conservation and management agreements with nearby land owners, about 9,500 acres are protected for wildlife.

Three decades after the first land was purchased, more than 30 miles of Silver Creek is protected, providing healthy habitat for an array of animals and plants that depend on its water to survive.

But Silver Creek, one of the West’s great spring creek trout streams, is vulnerable despite the surrounding protection. The creek’s water gathers from hundreds of springs fed from the Big Wood River’s 881-square-mile watershed. Like many places in the West, the Big Wood River Valley is experiencing population growth and rapid development.

How many wells and diversions can be developed before Silver Creek is affected?

The Nature Conservancy is monitoring beyond the borders of the preserve to find out.

Fishermen, however, have been enjoying the piscatorial fruits of the spring water since Ernest Hemingway brought world-wide attention to the stream. Last year, people from all 50 states and 14 foreign countries visited Silver Creek Preserve, many during trout season.

A lazy afternoon canoe trip on Silver Creek is like paddling through an over-stocked aquarium. Scientists estimate 1,610 trout per kilometer inhabit these waters. Silver Creek has the greatest density of brown and rainbow trout of any wild stream in the nation, Conservancy officials say.

The brown, rainbow and brook trout that were once stocked have flourished here on their own. They are now considered wild in more ways than one.

Long slicks and difficult changing currents pose a challenge even for expert anglers trying to dead-drift dry flies to trout that have seen every conceivable pattern.

The fishing is catch-and-release only, but there’s no special fee to fish Silver Creek other than Idaho’s normal fishing license requirements.

As our canoe slices through the water, scores of trout can be seen scattering. The clear, shallow water makes trout viewing easy and exciting as we point and exclaim, “Look at that one! It’s huge!”

The year-round constant temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees help maintain this world-class fishery. And the aquatic and streamside plants provide food and shelter for the abundant insect life on which the trout depend. Mayflies are a swarming gourmet delight for hungry fish, along with a few caddis in June and terrestrials in the heat of summer.

Later, when the setting sun turns the water to a sheet of liquid fire, the legendary trout of Silver Creek begin to feed on the surface. Snouts break the water, grabbing at winged morsels, leaving tell-tale rings scattered across the creek. Then suddenly, a huge brown trout, with glistening sides, leaps from the water.

An amazingly rich supply of insects allows the trout in Silver Creek to grow into Sumo-sized specimens. Blue-wing olives are prolific in May as well as in September and October. Pale morning duns are a staple from late May through early August. Brown Drakes and tan caddis are on the menu for June. Gray drakes and Callibaetis are on the fresh sheet for most of the summer as well as terrestrials. Tricos grab the attention of hungry fish around the middle of July through September and Mahogany Duns flourish in early fall.

The creek has achieved almost cult-like status among fly fishermen.

“We’ll average 1,500 anglers a month during the summer,” said Dayna Smith, manager of the preserve. “On opening weekend in May there will be over 200 anglers spread out along the creek as it meanders through the preserve.”

Dayna says many anglers consider opening weekend at Silver Creek a yearly ritual.

A canoeist wouldn’t be popular on those high-density angling days. But the Conservancy allows respectful paddlers on the water at less congested times.

Birdwatchers consider this arid desert ecosystem is a paradise. More than 150 resident and migratory birds rely on the water and dense riparian areas for food and shelter throughout the year. Sandhill Cranes, in particular, depend on Silver Creek. The wetlands and marsh areas provide the necessary food and ground nesting sites near water these large birds with seven-foot wingspans require.

As I sit quietly on the old steps watching the creek, nearby fields and marsh, a robin returns to her nest in the ancient, gnarled cottonwood tree that’s providing me shade. A blue, black and white magpie shimmers in the late afternoon sun as it perches in a nearby brushy willow. Quite unexpectedly, an elegant great blue heron stalks into view methodically probing the shallow stream for a tasty meal of trout fingerlings. The ever so sweet trill of a male red-winged blackbird proclaims its territory as he perches atop the dried brown stalk of last year’s cattail.

Seventeen species of hawks are found here, as well as nesting bald eagles and owls.

In spring, the most brilliant bird at Silver Creek must be the stunning male Western Tanager in its vibrant breeding plumage. With its scarlet head, canary yellow breast, eye-catching wing bars and black back and tail, it stands out as one of the most beautiful birds in Idaho.

The Eastern kingbird is a counterpoint. I always think of them as “tuxedo birds.” With their elegant black backs and snow-white breast, they remind me of a handsome man in classic formal wear. Because the preserve is surrounded by farm land, it’s a cinch to see and hear Western Meadowlarks perched on fence posts, heads up and mouths wide open, as they trill their beautiful song which serves to proclaim their territory as well.

The alkaline marshy areas adjacent to Silver Creek are prime nesting habitat for these birds. Other waterfowl frequent the creek and its small tributaries throughout the year. Birders can count on seeing mallards, extravagantly marked male wood ducks in summer as well as blue-winged and green-winged teals. Canada geese live here year round as do Common mergansers to name just a few of the 50-plus species of waterfowl seen on the preserve.

Well-marked trails and a visitor center help bird watchers focus on their sport.

A limited entry fall waterfowl hunt is allowed on a portion of the preserve in late fall.

September and early October offer some of the best times for visiting Silver Creek.

“Angler numbers are down but the days are still warm and pleasant, which makes fishing at that time of year really exceptional,” Smith said.