Snake River
Flows are up from Jackson Lake Dam and currently stand at approximately 3,000 cfs. Fishing was challenging after these increases but the river has settled down, fish have acclimated, and water temps have cooled to the point that finishing at or before 3pm is of no need. There has been decent to good fishing most days and the increased flow have opened up certain riffle and side channels that previously were not worth targeting, and this is the case for all reaches of the Snake.
Claassenia stoneflies continue to emerge and we are seeing more Hecubas and still a smattering of PMDs in the afternoon. Tricos are active during the morning hours from the Dam down to Deadman’s Bar. Dry fly fishing has been best from around noon until 4pm. Riffles, seams, and side channels are the prime targets. Eddies are a good second choice. Banks are structure and not prime targets but still worth hitting when other waters are not producing. Favor slower currents over faster ones.
Nymphs are working well with dry-dropper rigs doing the trick upstream of South Fork and Double/triple rigs working best below. Target riffles and riffle pools, eddies bankside troughs, and side channels with dry-dropper rigs. Double/triple rigs below South Park are working best in riffle pools, ledge rock pools, and along banks with submerged structure.
Streamers are still hit-or-miss but are working best from Astoria down to Sheep Gulch. Banks, structure, bankside troughs, ledge rock pools, seams, and eddies at the tail of side channel seams. Fish your baitfish imitations on floating lines, intermediate sinking line, hover lines, or sinking tip in the INT to 3ips range and vary up your retrieves significantly. Moderately sized patterns are producing better than larger patterns, although larger ones can get into bigger trout from time to time.
Dry flies – Snake River Water Walkers, Mary Kays, Purple Bruces, Circus Peanuts, Parachute Hares Ear, Parawulffs, Booty’s Drake Emerger, Purple Hazes, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Thorax PMDs, Chez’s Hi-Viz PMD, Pink Parachutes, Parachute Adams, Booty’s DL PMD Cripple, and Film Critics.
Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Flashback Rubber Legged Hares Ear Nymphs, Duracells, Hustler CDC Lights, Rabid Squirrels, Soft Hackle Princes, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, GT’s Super Flash, Lightening Bugs, Copper Johns in red or copper, and Psycho Princes.
Streamers – Galloup’s Boogeyman, Silvey Sculpins, Goldilocks, Galloup’s Flatliner, Craven’s Swim Coach, Galloup’s Mini Dungeon, Mojo Minnows, Bow River Buggers, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, J.J. Specials, Booty Call Minnows, and Beldar Buggers.
South Fork
Flows from Palisades Reservoir have increased to just approximately 9,700cfs. A bit more challenging fishing but still some good stuff on all reaches. Water temps warmed significantly but ate back down to surface peaks at 68 degrees or lower. Still some mutant stones around, giving fly fishers a good chance at eats on the surface with dead drifted and skated patterns throughout the day and especially in the morning hours before 11am. Caddis are still around in the morning and a fair amount of PMDs after 11:30am. Their imitations are working on flats, banks with slow to moderate currents, and recirculating eddies. Riffles and seams have some action from time to time but have been inconsistent.
Nymph rigs are producing and are working better than other rigs from approximately 10:30am to 1pm. Sweeping riffles, side channel seams, bankside troughs, and banks with moderate currents are prime targets. Fishing double/triple rigs with leader in the seven to nine foot range from trailing fly to line/suspension device. Dry-dropper rigs are working best fished deep with five to seven and a half foot of tippet. Downstream movement of nymphs at the inside turn of sweeping riffles and bankside troughs are a good way to go from time to time.
Streamers are working in decent fashion on all reaches. The most consistent action has been on the lower reaches below Byington, where fishing baitfish imitation close to the three foot level of the water column with 6ips tips or short lengths of T-8 or T-11 is getting into fish more so that other methods. Upstream of Byington, slow currents along banks, seams, and riffle pools producing best. Use floating and intermediate sinking lines or sinking tips in the INT to 3ips range. Large and moderately sized patterns are working equally well. As on the Snake, vary up your retrieves and hesitate on line strips every now and then.
Dry flies – G’s Super Fly, Snake River Water Walkers, Kasey’s Creature, Mary Kays, Thing From Uranus, Parachute Hoppers, Elk Hair Caddis, Mathew’s X-Caddis, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Parachute Adams, Pink Alberts, Quigley Cripples, and Film Critics.
Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, 20-Inchers, Nymph Formerly Known As Prince, Duracells, Brillion’s Lucent Jig, Mini MopScicles, Mercer’s Woven Caddis Pupa, Psycho Mays, Bruised Mays, Rainbow Warriors, Zebra Midges, and Perdigons.
Streamers – Galloup’s Dungeon, Silvey’s Sculpin, Galloup’s Peanut Envy, Rustic Trombones, Goldilocks, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, Booty’s Tri-Bunny, J.J. Specials, Turck’s Tiger Sculpin, Beldar Buggers, and Marabou Muddlers.
Salt River
The Salt is fishing well on all reaches with chironomids and tricos in the morning, some PMDs in the afternoon, and a number of terrestrials (grasshoppers and beetles) popping throughout the day. Low gradient reaches are fishing best on those days with cloud cover and precipitations. Banks and structure are prime targets during the morning hours. From approximately 1pm until dusk, riffles, seams, and eddies outperform other water types. The most productive action is occurring in the top two feet of the water column, so no reason to and more than three and a half feet with dropper tippet if you go to a dry-dropper rig.
Dry flies – Purple Bruces, Mary Kays, Micro Circus Peanuts, Parachute Hoppers, Sparkle Ants, Turck’s Power Ant, Chez’s Mega Beetle, Parachute Adams, Purple Hazes, Paracute Extended Body PMDs and Mahogany Duns, Parawulffs, Booty’s DL PMD Cripple and Film Critics.
Nymphs – Duracells, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns in copper or red, Rainbow Warriors, Psycho Princes, Zebra Midges, Booty’s Day-2 Midge Pupa, and Perdigons.