Snake River

Cooler air temps have led to cooler water temps and we now have some solid fishing on the Snake. Not necessarily better than what we have had over the past three weeks or so (which has been pretty good), but the window of activity is wider and you don’t necessarily need to be on the ball and work for your fish as much. Consistent action is starting a tad earlier (around 10am) and lasting until mid-afternoon. When we have cloud cover and some precipitation, expect the action to intensify and to start earlier and end much later. But also expect some slower days here and there as well.

Claassenia stoneflies are still active, as are grasshopper from late morning and through the afternoon. Caddis and PMDs are also on the water intermittently through the late morning to mid-afternoon hours. PMDs will be joined by Hecubas and mahogany duns with clouds and rain, and these bugs will actually dominate the former.

Fish structure, banks, riffles, and the head of seams tight with dry flies when there is plentiful sunshine and warm temps. Holding water will broaden and be more active with clouds and precipitation. Streamers are producing in the same water and conditions. Fish them with floating, hover, and intermediate lines or intermediate and 3ips sinking tips with variable retrieves.

No matter what, hit side channels every chance you get, particularly from the early morning hours until mid-afternoon. We are picking up some very good-sized fish in such water.

Dry flies – Will’s Winged Chernobyl, Winged Peanut, Circus Peanut, Snake River Water Walker, Barrett’s Ant, Turck’s Tarantula, Parachute Hopper, Jay-Dave’s Hopper, Morrish Hopper, Sanchez’s Mega Beetle, Parachute Adams, Parachute Hares Ear, Parawulff, Booty’s Brown Drake Emerger, Booty’s Gray Drake Emerger, Quigley Cripple, Film Critics, and Booty’s PMD Emerger.

Nymphs – Lightening Bugs, Rainbow Warrior, Batmen, Copper Johns in red or copper, Flashback Pheasant Tail, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Kyle’s Flash Pupa, Nyman’s Shop Vac, and Bubbleback Pheasant Tails.

Streamers – Cheech’s Leech, Keller’s Nightmare, Kreelux, Chicklett’s, Keller’s Dream Catcher, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Sparkle Minnow, Silvey Sculpins, SRA Double Bunnies, and Kiwi Zonkers.

South Fork

As with the Snake, there has been a noticeable uptick in action on the South Fork over the past week. Water temperatures are still warm (64 degrees at noon on the upper reaches), but this has not deterred trout from rising to dry flies and taking shallow nymphs with ferocity. Nonetheless, there is still some consistency from day-to-day, hour-to-hour, and reach-to-reach. Some days you will have to work for them, other days it will be a bit easier.

Mutant stoneflies are prevalent on all reaches from Irwin down to Lorenzo. There is a smattering of caddis and PMDs (the latter in afternoon), but they increase in intensity with clouds and rain. Tricos dominate the scene from the Dam down to Irwin in the afternoon.

Riffles, flats, and seams will be filled with action on cloudy days and precipitation. This is a good time to use PMD imitations, be they adults, emergers, or larva. Sunny days will offer fewer rising trout, but they will rise to larger attractor patterns imitating stoneflies and grasshoppers. Target banks, structure, and riffles (especially riffles pools and other slower types of holding water).

Nymph rigs are working well from time to time but there are days when they are really on. You do not need to go too deep. Six feet is working most of the time. Four feet will work when trout are really active. Larger stonefly larva are producing best.

Dry flies – Barrett’s Ant, Will’s Winged Chernobyl, Snake River Angler, Rainey’s Foam Hopper, Parachute Hopper, McKight’s Fatboy, Sparkle Duns, Comparaduns, Brook’s Sprout PMD, Keller’s Rocky PMDs, Film Critics, and Booty’s PMD EMerger.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Lightening Bugs, Rainbow Warriors, Psycho Mays, Bruised Mays, Hotheads, Green Machines, Hot Wire Princes, Kyle’s C-N Super Flash, Green Beans, and Schmidt’s Tungsten Goldie and Zebra Midges.

Streamers – Double Bunnies, Baby Bunnies, Clouser Minnows, Empire’s Deadly Shines, and Beck’s Super Bugger.