The Little Wood River

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The Little Wood River is really two rivers. The upper reaches are more like a small version of the Big Wood and the lower or desert stretch is like nothing you will ever see anywhere else. It has the look of a spring creek in the water (mainly because it is mostly Silver Creek water) and the look of a desert freestone stream around the water. This is due to the fact that the river flows through open flat land that is ancient lava flows. The river cuts through Basalt rock and has many deep runs lined with Basalt cliffs about 30 to 40 feet high. In the open areas the river has many pocket water runs perfect for dry fly fishing. The upper river fishes allot like the Big Wood so I won't get into detail on it except that access is very limited due to private property. The lower river in the desert is easy access and the fishing is pretty simple. Browns and Rainbows are the fish here with Browns making up the majority of the fish population. A variety of insect hatches can occur throughout the season on the Little Wood but the very best fishing is with Terrestrials. Hoppers stand out as the best choice. The only advise I can give you on this river is that mid season heat can put this fishery off. If the water warms up too much the fish will seem to disappear. At these times I fish only the fast water with large flies. Keep an eye on the weather to fish this river, wind and cooler days can help here.