Snake River

The Snake has turned on big time over the past two weeks. The streamer bite is on (and we are picking up some good fish) and dry fly fishing with midge and blue-winged olive patterns has been solid during the afternoon hours. Streamers have been most productive in slower, deeper pockets at the tail of seams and riffle. However, in the afternoon, there is a little bit of action along structure and banks (nothing over the top, but enough to keep things interesting). Surface activity is occurring on the inside turns of seams and on the inside current margins of seams.

Nymphs are obviously still producing, but you can fish all day with streamers and dry flies and have fairly consistent action. Just pick your target water carefully and correctly.

Effective dry flies – Furimsky BDEs, Booty’s BWO Emerger, Quigley’s Film Critic, Parachute Extended Body BWOs, Griffith’s Gnat, Parachute Trico.

Effect streamers – Booty’s Quad Bunny, Galloup’s Sex Dungeon, Silvey’s Sculpin, and J.J. Specials.

Effective nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Soft Hackle Flashback Princes, San Juan Worms, Lightening Bugs, and Rainbow Warriors.

South Fork

South Fork is the place to be for fish numbers right now. It is mostly nymphing at the moment but fishing is good all day on every reach of water. The best window has been from about 11am until dusk, but it is still worth it to fishing during the morning hours. Riffles and seams are the primary targets, but there has also been good action along banks and in smaller eddies. Double nymph rigs are the best way to go, but shallower holding water can be fished with dry-dropper rigs that have dropper tippet of two and a half to four feet. Streamers are also producing intermittently in most holding water types.

Effective nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Soft Hackle Flashback Princes, Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymphs, Lightening Bugs, Rainbow Warriors, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Robins, Psycho Mays, and Hickey’s Auto Nymph.

Effective streamers – Galloup’s Sex Dungeon, Booty’s Quad Bunny, SRA Bunnies, Bellyache Sculpins, Peanut Envys, Bow River Buggers.

Henry’s Fork

Very good fishing on just about every open section of the Henry’s Fork right now. It has been primarily a nymphing game, but the nymph fishing has been out-of-sight. Midge and blue-winged olive larva are working best. There is also action on PMD, yellow sallie, and stonefly larva imitations. Riffles, bank troughs, seams, and submerged structure are the most productive types of holding water. Double nymph rigs are the name of the game, but going more shallow with a dry dropper can also be effective, particularly in the afternoon hours when trout begin to feed closer to the surface.

Effective nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, PR Muskrats, 20-inchers, Hickey’s Auto Nymph, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Zebra Midges, Ice Cream Cone Midges, Biot Bugs, Rainbow Warriors, Psycho Princes, and Copper Johns in red, olive, or black.

Effective streamers – Bow River Buggers, Baby Bunnies, Lite Brite Zonkers, and Zoo Cougars.