Snake River
A lot of back and forth on the Snake at the moment. Cooler, wetter days are producing solid hatches of midges and BWOs. Warmer days can produce the same as well as good numbers of Capnias and spring emergences of October caddis. Dry fly action is best from about 11:30am until 3pm, after which surface feeding wanes noticeably even as hatches continue. Target side channels, seams, eddies, and the head of riffles.
Double nymph rigs are a good way to go in the morning before hatches intensify. Hitting banks, seams, and bankside troughs is the best approach. Ones bugs really start to appear, fishing dry-dropper rigs is a better approach. Keep you dropper tippet in the two to three foot range and hit the same water as that mentioned above.
Streamer fishing is good on most reaches and are getting into better fish than double/triple nymph rigs, particularly in the morning hours. Fish moderately sized baitfish imitations on floating or intermediate sinking lines and target banks, bankside troughs, side channels, seams, and eddies.
Dry flies – Circus peanuts, Purple Bruces, Mary Kays, Stimulators, Furimsky’s BDE, Parachute Adams, Adams Wulff, Parachute Midges, CDC Midge Emergers, and Chez’s Krystal Wing Midge Emerger.
Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Duracells, Rabid Squirrels, Copper Johns in red or black, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Lightening Bugs, Zebra Midges, and Perdigons.
Streamers – SRA Bunnies, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Beldar Buggers, Booty Call Minnows, Craft Fur Clousers, and Kreelux.
South Fork
The most consistent production is occurring on the lower reaches from Wolf Eddy down to Lorenzo where streamers are getting good action and surface eats are happening in slower water types. In fact, streamers and dry fly rigs should all be fished in slower currents, including eddies, side channel feeder riffles, and banks.
The upper reaches from the Dam down to Wolverine are not quite as consistent as the lower river but there still is worthy fish being caught on nymph rigs. Nymphs are producing best when fished along structure in slow currents and along seams and eddies. There is surface action from time-to-time, and it is almost exclusively in the tail of riffle pools. Midge adults and emergers are the bugs producing best.
Dry flies – Griffith Gnats, Renegades, Parachute Midges, RS-2s (fished dry), and CDC Midge Emergers.
Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Duracells, Copper Johns in red or black, Zebra Midges, Ice Cream Cone Midges, Double Digit Midges, Brassies, and Perdigons.
Streamers – Goldielocks, Galloup’s Mini Dungeon, Craven’s Swim Coach, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Kreelux, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, and Marabou Muddlers.
Henry’s Fork
The Henry’s Fork has been a good place to be over the past month with good emergences of chironomids and blue-winged olives (the latter most days). Surface action is not necessarily off the charts but there is decent production from 1pm to 3pm. It’s a tight window, but if you hit it right it can be totally worth it. Regardless, dry-dropper rigs and lightly weighted double/triple nymph rigs are producing very well. Color typically doesn’t matter much, but clearly rainbows and browns are favoring olive. The best action is happening in riffles, along submerged structure, eddies, and along banks with slow to moderate currents. Fish dry-dropper rigs with two to four feet of dropper tippet and double/triple rigs with four to seven feet of leader from trailing fly to line/suspension device. Double midge patterns are working better than any other combo.
Streamers are fishing decent on the lower reaches from Warm River to Chester. Production comes from targeting banks and structure, riffle heads and tails, and eddy current margins. Go with bright patterns most days and fish these on floating or intermediate sinking lines. Slow to moderate retrieves are working best if you focus on steady line strips – one foot even.
Dry flies – Parachute Adams, Booty’s DL BWO Cripple, Tilt Wing BWO, Minimal Mayflies, Parachute Midges, CDC Midge Emergers, and Chez’s Krystal Wing Midge Emerger.
Nymphs – Brush Hogs, Egan’s Green Dart, Copper Johns in olive or black, Rainbow Warriors, Military Mayfly, olive Hares Ear Nymphs, Zebra Midges, Ice Cream Cone Midges, and Double Digit Nymphs.
Streamers – McCune’s Sculpin, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, Lawson’s Wool Head Sculpin, Lite Brite Zonkers, Krystal Buggers, and Tequilleys.