A salmon fly landed on my coffee cup along the Upper Salmon River and I knew I had to hit the river fast.

The trout had to be surfacing.

My wife and I and the dogs were in a campground downriver from Stanley last weekend hoping to do some floating and fishing.

You can have a lot of fun fly fishing for small trout on this section of the river. When conditions are right, the fish are busting all over taking flies on the surface.

We launched near the confluence of Valley Creek and I started using all my favorites, like stimulators and caddis. I got a few takers but fishing was difficult. I talked to anglers in another raft, and they weren’t having much luck.

That’s because the Salmon River was still running a little high and fast and was slightly gray in color. Other rivers are still high and fast, too, like the Middle Fork of the Boise River, the South Fork of the Payette and the Wood River.

They’re difficult to wade, and with fast flows, it’s hard to get to good trout-holding water. But river flows are subsiding and we’re on the verge of good stream fishing. I bet conditions will be much better by the Fourth of July.

Idaho Fish and Game is planning on stocking trout in the North and Middle forks of the Boise River and the Middle and North forks of the Payette River. The agency has already stocked some of the smaller creeks.

Seeing that salmon fly just got me going, and I’ve got fly fishing on the brain. Gotta stock up on stimulators, and hopper and caddis patterns.

Good fishing.