Snake River Angler Fly Fishing Report for July 7th, 2019

Snake River

Flows from Jackson Lake Dam are at 3100cfs. The tailwater reach above Pacific Creek still has the best visibility but with all the tributaries now in recession, the rest of the Snake is fishing well as PMDs, caddis, yellow sallies, and the small golden stones continue to emerge during the late morning to mid-afternoon hours. There are not a lot of larger fish to be had, but you can definitely rack up some numbers with tandem dry flies and dry-droppers during the noon to 6pm period. Riffles and riffle shelves are the best waters to target. Eddies and the head of seams are a close second. Side channels are worth a poke as well. Below South Park the action is noticeably better on nymphs than dry flies. Target riffle pools, banks, and submerged structure.

Dry flies – Circus Peanuts, Will’s Winged Chernobyls, Mary Kays, Rubber Legged Double Humpies, Elk Hair Caddis, Sparkle Caddis, X-Caddis, Lawson’s Sallies, Hackle Stacker Sallies, Stimulators, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Parachute Adams, Booty’s PMD Emerger.

Nymphs – Peach Fuzz Jigs, Mercer’s Z-Lon Caddis, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Biot Bugs, Copper Johns in red, black, or olive, Redemption BWOs, Psycho Princes, and Soft Hackle Prince Nymphs.

South Fork

Flows from Palisades Reservoir are at approximately 15,300cfs. Salmon flies are just starting to pop on the lower reaches from Heise down to Lorenzo and are intermittent up to Byington, but there has been a fair amount of green drakes, yellow sallies, and PMDs, and with the good visibility we will have over the next several months, the surface is at least OK, especially on mayfly and drake imitations. The best action has been from around 1pm until 5pm or 6pm. Target banks and structure (especially vegetated banks with moderate depths and current speeds) and the head of riffles. Tandem rigs composed of drake and sallie imitations are worth considering in riffles, seams, and eddies.

Nymphs are working everywhere as usual and are performing best in riffles, seams, and along banks with noticeable depths. Dry-dropper rigs are doing the job in riffles, seams, and eddies. Double or triple nymph rigs should be in the eight to ten foot range from trailing fly to line/suspension device. Dry-dropper tippet should be in the three to five foot range.

Streamers are working well when fished along banks, structure, and at the head of riffles. Eddy current margins can also provide some action. Production is decent in the morning but intensifies from around noon until 4pm before waning. Go with floating or intermediate sinking lines and sinking tips in the intermediate to 3ips range. Fast to moderate retrieves with strip lengths between six and twelve inches in length outperforms almost every other retrieve we are using. Going with longer retrieves and moderate retrieves ins a distant second.

Dry flies – Winged Peanuts, Snake River Water Walkers, Twisted Stones, Barrett’s Ant, Bean’s Orange Crush, Amy’s Ant, Parachute Adams in olive, Booty’s Green Drake Emerger, Cole’s Split Wing Cripple, Amy Specials, Hackle Stacker Sallies, Lawson Sallies, Stimulators, Quigley Cripples, and Film Critics.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, PR Muskrats, San Juan Worms, Foxy Sallies, Duracells, Biot Bugs, Psycho Mays, Bruised Mays, Lightening Bugs, Rainbow Warriors, and Copper Johns in red or olive.

Streamers – Silvey Sculpins, Galloup’s Sex Dungeon, Galloup’s Peanut Envy, Keller’s Nightmare, Chicklets, Lil Kims, Ornaments, J.J. Specials, Tequilleys, Booty Call Minnows, and Bow River Buggers.

Green River

Flows on the Green are receding and the gauge at Warren Bridge is currently reading just under 1600cfs. There is decent clarity and the broad hatches of gray drakes, golden stones, yellow sallies, and caddis have the fish looking up a good part of the day. Dry flies can be fished throughout the day with the heart of top water action being from approximately 10am until around 4pm. Banks are fishing best with moderately sized stonefly imitations. They can get respectable action in other holding water types, particularly later in the day. Drake, sallie, and caddis imitations will work in the same water but really hit their stride in riffles, eddies, and on seams in the afternoon hours. Expect larger fish to target the smaller bugs and smaller fish to eat everything.

Nymphs are working everywhere and doing best fished on short leader in the four to six foot range from trailing fly to line/suspension device. Dry-droppers are working just as well. Target bankside troughs, deeply submerged structure, riffle pools, eddy current margins, and the tail of seams.

Streamers are doing as well as they have most of the past month when fished in shallow water types along banks, structure, and riffle pools. Seams and eddies are providing intermittent action. Fish larger articulated patterns on intermediate sinking lines and sinking tips in the intermediate to 6ips range. Slow retrieves are working best, but incorporate hesitations and a couple fast retrieves every so often.

Dry flies – Chubby Chernobyls, Will’s Winged Chernobyls, Mary Kays, Rubber Legged Double Humpies, Winged Peanuts, Stimulators, Hackle Stacker Sallies, Lawson Sallies, Elk Hair Caddis, Peking Caddis, CDC Caddis, Parachute Hares Ears, Biot Gray Drakes, Quad Wing Gray Drakes, and Booty’s Gray Drake Emerger.

Nymphs – San Juan Worms, Biot Bugs, Sexy Lexie Sallies, Hares Ear Nymphs, Mathew’s Sparkle Caddis Pupa, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, and Soft Hackles.

Streamers – Booty’s Quad Bunny, SRA Bunnies, Galloup’s Peanut Envy, Galloup’s Boogey Bunny, Strolis Head Banger Sculpin, Silvey Sculpins, McKnight’s Home Invader, Lil’ Kims, and Marabou Muddlers.