Snake River

Releases from Jackson Lake have dropped to 3,000cfs and the tailwater reach is crystal clear and offering some of the best dry fly fishing in the area at the moment. PMDs and micro caddis are emerging along the entire length and blue-wings are out on those days with clouds and precipitation. You will also see a fair amount of golden stones (particularly above Pacific Creek) and yellow sallies. Eddies, riffles, and seams are fishing well with single and tandem dry rigs.  Getting a good drift will help big time.

Double nymph and dry-dropper rigs are working in the same water as dry flies. Double rigs in the six to eight foot range from line to trailer is a good way to in the morning hours in deeper eddies and seams, but by 10am there is enough surface action to go with a dry-dropper only.

Streamers are working best on the lower section from Cattleman’s down to Pacific Creek when fished tight to banks and structure. Go with small to moderately sized patterns on floating, hover, and intermediate sinking lines.

Dry flies – Circus Peanuts, Will’s Winged Chernobyls, Parachute Extended Body PMDs and BWOs, Parachute Adams, Comparaduns, Booty’s PMD and BWO Emergers, Film Critics, and U-Cons.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Copper Johns in red or black, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Hot Wire Princes, Lightening Bugs, Pinky Jigs, Peach Fuz Prince Jigs, and Peach Fuzz Burnt Jigs (orange).

Streamers – Chicklets, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Kreelux, Booty Call Minnows, Clouser Minnows, and Coyote Uglies.

South Fork

Releases from Palisades Reservoir are holding steady at approximately 13,500cfs. Much better action now with nymphs and streamers in the Canyon and on the Swan Valley reach and we are starting to get fish on the surface in riffles, seams, and along banks and structure.  Eddies also provide some action (although inconsistently) and flats can produce from mid-afternoon until dusk.  We are seeing the first salmon flies of the year below Heise Bridge and they are starting to move in up into the middle part of the Canyon.  PMDs are the primary bug on just about every reach.  Large attractor and stonefly imitations are definitely worth fishing.

Nymphs are working best in riffle pools, the inside turn of riffles, eddies, and, to a lesser degree, banks and structure. Many of the takes are occurring within the first few feet of the drift.  Other takes are occurring after a significantly longer drift.  Either way, be ready.  Nine feet of leader from line to lead fly is what you should go with. Longer leader and some split shot might be needed in deeper seams.

Streamers are working much better now with the flows holding steady and water temps warming. Fishing has been best on the same reaches that nymphs are producing.  Use an Intermediate sinking line or tips in the INT to 6ips range and go with solidly fast retrieves.

Dry flies – Twisted Stones, Snake River Water Walkers, Will’s Winged Chernobyl, Trina’s Carnage Stone, Stimulators, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Parachute Adams, AuSable Wulffs, Booty’s PMD Emerger, Film Critics, Elk Hair Caddis, and Hackle Stacker Sallies.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Kaufmann’s Black Stone, San Juan Worm, Slinky Worms, Copper Johns in red, Foxy Sallies, Biot Bugs, Duracells, Lightening Bugs, Rainbow Warriors,and Bruised Mays.

Streamers – McKnight’s Home Invader, Sundell’s Night Fire, Booty’s Quad Bunny, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Kreelux, Chicklets, Booty Call Minnows, and Sculpzillas.

Green River

Flows at Warren Bridge are holding in the 1,800cfs range and the Green is in the best shape we have seen since early May. Steady emergences of drakes, caddis, and yellow sallies are happening on just about every reach, although the upper portion of the river above Warren Bridge probably has shown the most consistency in terms of hatches.

Dry fly fishing is best with larger patterns (#10 to #8) fished close the banks and structure, bankside troughs, eddies, and the tail of riffles. Surface action has been most consistent from the early morning hours until around 1pm or 2pm, after which time the production is slowing noticeably.

Nymphing, primarily with a dry-dropper rig, has been producing well in the same water where surface patterns are getting into fish and might be the only game in town after 2pm. If going with a double nymph rig, use leader in the four to six foot range from line to trailing fly.  Double rigs are working best in eddies and along banks with slow to moderate current speeds.

Streamer fishing remains solidly productive with both large and moderately sized patterns fished with floating lines and sinking tips in the INT to 3ips range. Target cutbanks, bankside troughs, structure, and seams and go with steady retrieves that are moderate in speed and around six to ten inches in length.  As with dry flies, streamers are working best in the morning and early afternoon before action slows.

Dry flies – Winged Peanuts, Will’s Winged Chernobyl, Chubby Chernobyls, Rubber Legged Double Humpies, Stimulators, Foam Sallies, Parachute Extended Body Drakes, Parachute Hares Ears, Comparaduns, Booty’s Drake Emerger, Film Critics, Elk Hair Caddis, and Sparkle Caddis.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, 20-Inchers, San Juan Worms, Zug Bugs, Copper Johns in red, Lightening Bugs, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Psycho Princes, and Soft Hackles.

Streamers – Booty’s Quad Bunny, Galloup’s Boogeyman, Galloup’s Dungeons, McKnight’s Home Invader, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Lite Brite Zonkers, Booty Call Minnows, and Beldar Buggers.

Salt River

Substantial visibility and continuously receding flows has put the Salt in play over the past week and a half with good hatches of small golden stones, yellow sallies, caddis, and PMDs are from approximately 10am until late afternoon. Various surface imitations are producing in riffles, eddies, seams, and along banks and structure.  This is the case on every reach of the Salt from the Narrows down to the lake.

Successful nymphing only requires a dry-dropper rig or a short double rig in the three to five feet range. Dry-dropper rigs are working with dropper tippet in the 18-inch to three foot range.  Hit the same targets as you will with your dry flies.  Concentrate primarily on eddies and seams.  Nymphs are also working on the inside turns on riffles and seams better than dry flies.  But both will work.

Dry flies – Winged Peanuts, Will’s Winged Chernobyls, Mary Kays, Bart’s Lipstick, Stimulators, Hackle Stacker Sallies, Foam Sallies, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Thorax PMDs (especially in slower water types), Snowshoe Duns (again, in slower water types), Comparaduns, AuSable Wulffs, Booty’s PMD Emerger, Quigley Cripples, Elk Hair Caddis, X-Caddis, and Sparkle Caddis.

Nymphs – Copper Johns in red, olive, or black, Psycho Princes in purple of red, Pinky Jigs, Purple Soft Hackle Jigs, Lightening Bugs, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Biot Bugs, Sanchez’s Glasshouse Caddis, Coles LOF Pheasant Tails, and Flashback Pheasant Tails.

Yellowstone National Park

Lewis Lake – Lewis Lake is still fishing very well, although the time frame when activity is hot is being condensed into three hour periods. Typically this has been from 10am or 11am to 1pm or 2pm.  There is decent activity in the morning hours and has been slowing down dramatically around mid to late afternoon.  Flats and drop-offs are still the best water to targets.  Drakes and callibaetis are starting to emerge in bigger numbers (although no carpenter ants on the water yet), giving fly fishers to cast dries and dry-dropper rigs to rising browns and macs on flats with three to four feet of depth.

Snake and Lewis Rivers – The Lewis is crystal clear and the Snake is clearing big time. Dries and dry-dropper rigs are the name of the game as salmon flies, golden stones, yellow sallies and green drakes emerge in the late morning to early afternoon hours.  Target seams, eddies, and submerged structure.  Droppers are working best in eddies and at the head of riffles.

Green drakes are just now starting to appear on the meadow reach of the Lewis above the canyon, which will put this section of water into play.