Snake River

High flows but solid visibility at the moment on the Snake and we started to see our first Claassenia stoneflies a couple of weeks ago (a good month ahead of schedule) which makes larger attractor patterns quite productive. On all reaches from Pacific Creek down to Sheep Gulch.  Caddis are still present in the early morning hours and PMDs can be around most days to at least a smattering of a degree in the afternoon.  Grasshopper are also present and in good numbers from Pacific Creek down to South Park.  Target your surface patterns towards banks, structure, bankside troughs, riffle current margins, seams, and side channels.

Dry-dropper rigs are working best from the Dam down to South Park while double/triple nymphs rigs are producing from South Park down to Sheep Gulch (where dry-droppers are also working.  Riffles, seams, and eddies are the place to be with nymphs.  Submerged structure and confluences are good second options.  Adjust your length based on the average depth of the reach you are fishing.  Generally we are looking at two to four feet of tippet for dry-droppers and six to eight feet from trailing fly to line/suspension device for your double/triple rigs.

Streamers are working best from Deadman’s down to South Park (think larger patterns) and from Astoria down to West Table (think more moderately sized baitfish imitations).  Both bright and darker flies are working equally well. Fish these on floating lines or sinking tips in the 3ips to 6ips range or with short lengths of T-8 or T-11. Go with moderate retrieves and throw in a decent amount of hesitations from time to time.  Target banks, submerged structure, troughs, dumping riffles, seams, and confluences.

Note – Water temps are peaking over 68 degrees most days by 3pm or 4pm.  Please carry a thermometer and try to end you fishing by 4pm at the latest.  Most of us are ending our day between 2pm and 3pm until water temps start to recede.

Dry flies – Circus Peanuts, Chubby Chernobyls, Will’s Winged Chernobyls, Purple Bruces, Parachute Hoppers, Morrish Hoppers, Elk Hair Caddis, X-Caddis, Sparkle Caddis, Parachute Adams, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Booty’s DL Cripple, and Quigley Cripples.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Flashback Rubber Legged Hares Ear Nymphs, Duracells, Peach Fuzz Jigs, Mercer’s Woven Caddis Pupa, Panty Droppers, Copper Johns in red or copper, and Lightening Bugs.

Streamers – Strolis’ Masked Avenger, Galloup’s Boogeyman, Galloup’s Peanut Envy, Goldies, Craven’s Swim Coach, Galloup’s Bottoms Up, Silvey Sculpins, McKnight’s Home Invader, Booty’s Tri Bunny, J.J. Specials, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, and Kreelux.

South Fork

Flows from Palisades Reservoir are at 15,700cfs. Golden stone are still out on most reaches and grasshopper are appearing in greater numbers, giving fly fishers the opportunity to continue casting larger attractor and hopper patterns with production in the appropriate water.  Caddis and PMDs are also around in decent to good numbers (morning and afternoon respectively) as well as a smattering of yellow sallies on the upper reaches..  Target your larger patterns towards banks, structure, bankside troughs, eddies, and side channels.  Caddis patterns will work in the same water.  PMDs are a solid choice in riffles, seams, eddies, side channels, and banks with slow to moderate currents and moderate depths.

Nymph rigs continue to produce throughout the day with the best action occurring from the Dam down to Wolf Eddy when targeting riffles, troughs, seams, and eddies. A variety of depths are producing but most production are coming when leader or tippet are six to nine feet in length from trailing fly to line/suspension device.  Dropper rigs are working in the same water as well as along banks and submerged structure.  Productive tippet lengths have been in the three to four foot range.

Streamers have been working well on most reaches but perhaps best on the middle reaches from Byington down to Heise Bridge.  The best action has been at the upper foot of the water column when fishing floating line or INT tips as well as quite a bit lower around the three foot range with 6ips tips or short lengths of T-8 to T-11.  Vary up your retrieves but attempt to troll at times and use slower retrieves in deeper, faster currents. Moderately sized patterns are performing better than their larger counterparts. Brighter patterns have been a good way to go most days.

Dry flies – Low Riders, Barrett’s Ant, Thing From Uranus, Snake River Water Walkers, Circus Peanuts, Chubby Chernobyls, Quigley’s Stacker Sallies, Lawson’s Sallie, Stimulators, Elk Hair Caddis, Mathews’ X-Caddis, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, and Booty’s DL Cripple.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, 20-Inchers, Peach Fuzz Jigs, Duracells, Brillion’s Lucent Jig, Panty Droppers, Psycho Mays, Bruised Mays, Lightening Bugs, and Perdigons.

Streamers – Craven’s Swim Coach, McCune’s Sculpin, Galloup’s Mini Dungeons, Goldielocks, J.J. Specials, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, Booty’s Tri Bunny, Kreelux, and Arum’s Lil’ Kim.

Salt River

The Salt has been at or near historic lows for the past month but remains cool with morning water temps around 56 degrees on most reaches and afternoon temps hitting 67 degrees.  The same story as has been the case over the past few weeks – caddis in the morning with PMDs appearing for an hour or two in the afternoon, as well as a smattering of carpenter ants in the morning and still a little bit of yellow sallies in the afternoon.  Seams, banks and eddies are the prime target from around 8am until mid-afternoon.  Riffles kick into gear from around 11:30AM until around 1:30PM before tapering off.  If targeting banks, expect surface and nymph action to occur well off the obvious lines (four to six feet in some cases) from around 11am until 1pm. 

Dry-dropper rigs are the way to go through most of the day, although tandem dries can hammer home some fish just before and just aft ernoon.  No matter what water you are targeting, go with two to four feet of dropper tippet most of the time.  Movement is key with dry and nymph attractor patterns.

Dry Flies – Micro Peanuts, Micro Chernobyls, Mary Kays, Turck’s Power Ant, Galloup’s Ant Acid, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Parachute Adams, Comparaduns, Snowshoe Duns, Parachute Midges, and CDC Midges.

Nymphs – Lightening Bugs, Rainbow Warriors, Two Bit Hookers, Foxy Sallie Nymphs, Halla Back Girls, Zebra Midges, Ice Cream Cone Midges, and Perdigons.   

Streamers – Lil’ Kims, Kreelux, Beldar Buggers, Krystal Buggers, Baby Clousers, and Rickard’s Seal Bugger.