Snake River

Variable temperatures over the past couple of weeks.  Sometimes our highs are in the 20s, other times they are in the mid to upper 30s.  Either way, we have been getting surface eats when we are out there.  Nothing of-the-charts, but some afternoons you can find a pod that moves into the head of a riffle or a seam and the top-water eats will happen with a fair amount of consistency.

As usual, the best activity has been in the afternoons from about noon or 1pm until 4pm.  The tails of seams and riffles, as well as current margins, have had the best production with lightly weighted nymph rigs and streamers.  And as mentioned above, one or two hours of surface activity can happen at the heads of riffles and seams, especially on the inside turns.

Dry fly – Furimsky BDEs, Griffith Gnats, Pheasant Tail Emergers, and Krystal Wing Midge Emergers.

Nymphs – Biot Bugs, Zug Bugs, Rainbow Warriors, Lightening Bugs, Copper Johns in black or olive, Booty’s Day-2 Midge Pupa, Zebra Midges, Ice Cream Cone Midges, and Jujubee Midges.

Streamers – Krystal Buggers, J.J. Specials, Coyote Uglys, and Lite Brite Zonkers

South Fork

Similar to the Snake in a number of ways – Trout are holding in the tails of seams and riffles with double nymph rigs and, at times, streamers, producing in the afternoon hours.  The two big differences with the Snake is that 1) the window for overall activity is a bit longer – from approximately 12pm until about 5 pm, and 2) dry fly action is lasting a solid two hours on those days that it does occurs.  It is all Chironomids on the surface.  When you do see them, hit the heads of riffles and seams, but also allow for slower drifts in the tails.  There is as much action there as there is at the head when bugs are on the surface.

Dry fly – Renegades, Air-Flo Tricos, Griffith Gnats, Furimsky BDEs, Pheasant Tail Emergers, and Krystal Wing Midge Emergers.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Biot Bugs, Hares Ear Nymphs, Rainbow Warriors, Lightening Bugs, Copper Johns in black or olive, Booty’s Day-2 Midge Pupa, Zebra Midges, Ice Cream Cone Midges, and Jujubee Midges.

Streamers – Lite Brite Zonkers, Tequilleys, Woolley Buggers, J.J. Specials, and Silvey Sculpins.