Snake River
The monsoonal flow from this past week has not been a detriment to the fishing on the Snake and, in some ways, has made it even more productive. Every reach is fishing well, including Moose to Wilson, which has been kind of a hold out section until this past week when it finally turned on. Large surface attractors are the way to go in all water types from banks and structure to riffles and seams. Mayfly imitations are working in riffles, seams, eddies, and slower banks as trout key in more and more on PMDs, which emerged consistently everywhere over the past week.
Below the surface, streamers are the best way to go when fished along banks and structure. But don’t ignore other water types. Riffles, seams, and eddies are also producing with small to moderately sized baitfish imitations. Floating lines are working fine. Intermediate and Type II lines can be more effective in some water types with the right depth and current speeds. Nymphs are also working very well in all water types. No need to go with a double nymph rig (although it is very effective). A dropper off a large surface attractor is all you need.
Effective dry flies – Circus Peanuts (#8 to #12), Will’s Winged Chernobyls (#8 to #10), JH-22 Stone (#8 to #12), Chubby Chernobyls (#8 to #10), Grape Magic (#8 to #10), Comparaduns (#10 to #14), Snowshoe Duns (#12 to #16), Parachute Extended Body PMDs (#12 to #16), Parachute Adams (#10 to #14), Booty’s PMD Emerger (#12 to #14), Quigley Cripple (#12 to #14), and Film Critics (#12 to #16).
Effective streamers – Silvey Sculpins, Booty’s Quad Bunny, SRA Bunnies, Sex Dungeons, J.J. Specials, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Lite Brite Zonkers, Murphy’s Bling Minnows, Kreelux, and Bow River Buggers.
Effective nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Legs (#8 to #10), Copper Johns (#10 to #14) in red or olive, Lightening Bugs (#10 to #14), Rainbow Warriors (#12 to #14), and Batmen (#12 to #16).
South Fork
Flows from Palisades Reservoir have dropped to 11,200 cfs. As on the Snake, the warm monsoonal flow from the south over the past week has benefited the fishing on the South Fork with intensified emergences of PMDs and some caddis on all reaches. Riffles and seams have been productive with imitations of these bugs, as have been flats and eddies, although to a lesser degree. Banks and structure are still fishing well with attractors and terrestrial patterns. These patterns can also have good action when fished in riffles and eddies.
Going subsurface, there is no reason to go any more than a dropper nymph, although double rigs continue to produce well. Hit the same water was you will with all kinds of dry flies that you are using. Banks, riffles, and seams have been particularly good with nymphs. Streamers have been very effective with the current weather conditions. There might be a let up in action on streamers with warmer and sunnier weather, but it is still worth giving them a toss as they are bringing in big browns and cutthroats. Fish them tight to banks and structure for full effect.
Effective dry flies – Circus Peanuts (#8 to #12), Chubby Chernobyls (#8 to #10), Barrett’s Ant (#8 to #10), Carnage Stones (#8 to #10), Rubber Legged Double Humpies (#8), Snowshoe Duns (#12 to #16), Comparaduns (#12 to #16), Parachute Extended Body PMDs (#12 to #16), Booty’s PMD Emerger (#12 to #16), Quigley Cripples (#12 to #16), Pheasant Tail Emergers (#14 to #18), Elk Hair Caddis (#10 to #16), X-Caddis (#10 to #16), and Stimulators (#10 to #14).
Effective nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Legs (#8 to #10), Lightening Bugs (#10 to #14), Rainbow Warriors (#12 to #16), Psycho May (#12 to #16), Bruised May (#10 to #16), Copper John (#10 to #14) in red, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph (#10 to #14), and Prince Nymphs (#10 to #16).
Effective streamers – Booty’s Quad Bunny, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, J.J. Special, Bow River Buggers, Stacked Blondes, and Silvey Sculpins.
Green River
There are four to five solid hours of action on the Green situated squarely between 8am and 1pm each day. There are still decent hatches of caddis, yellow sallies, and PMDs, as well as crane flies later in the day. Nonetheless, it is big/moderately sized dry attractors and moderately size streamers that are doing the trick during the morning to early afternoon time period. Riffles and eddies are the most productive types of holding water. Riffle tailouts are especially good at the moment. Banks are also producing, but bigger trout are holding well off their cover, sometimes by as much as four feet.
After 1pm, there is a very noticeable decrease in feeding by trout. This is a good time to go with dry droppers and moderately weighted double nymph rigs. Action is far from great, but vigilance with these rigs will get you into fish.
Effective dry flies – Will’s Winged Chernobyls (#8 to #12), Circus Peanuts (#8 to #12), Chubby Peanuts (#8 to #10), J Slams (#10), Comparaduns (#12 to #14), Parachute Hares Ears (#12 to #14), Lawson’s Sally (#12), and Stimulators (#12).
Effective streamers – J.J. Specials, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Silvey Sculpins, Gongas, Baby Bunnies, and Lite Brite Sculpins.
Effective nymphs – Lightening Bugs (#10 to #12), Psycho Mays (#12 to #14), Rainbow Warriors (#12 to #16), Flashback Pheasant Tails (#10 to #12), and Copper Johns (#10 to #14) in red.
Flat Creek
PMDs and caddis are the primary fare for trout on Flat Creek at the moment (with a smattering of grasshopper thrown into the mix). We are generally at a time of the season when action is set squarely in the early morning hours (dawn until 8am to 9am) and dusk (5pm until sunset). The rains from this past week helped extend these hours by at least 50 percent. But warm and dry weather has returned, so expect action to once again settle down to typical dawn and dusk time periods.
Effective dry flies – Comaparduns (#14 to #18), Thorax Duns (#16 to #18), X-Caddis (#14 to #18), Stimulators (#16 to #18), Booty’s PMD Emerger (#14 to #18), Quigley Cripples (#14 to #18), Film Critics (#16 to #18), and Pink Sulfur Emergers (#16 to #18).
Effective nymphs – Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymphs (#14 to #18), Lightening Bugs (#14 to #18), Bubbleback Pheasant Tails (#16), Psycho Princes (#14 to #18), and Robins (#14 to #18).