Snake River

Autumn fishing is in full swing on the Snake with Hecuba and mahogany duns dominating the scene when conditions are right.  PMDs and micro caddis are around on warmer days and BWOs can intermix with Hecubas and mahogany duns on cooler, wetter days.  And expect to see the last of claassenia in the coming days. You may also be seeing the last of our terrestrials for the year, as well as tricos on the tailwater reach below Jackson Lake Dam.  Tandem dry and dry-dropper rigs are the way to go.  Target just about every type of holding water you come across and expect the surface action to kick into gear around 10:30am and build in temp until 4pm before waning.

Streamers are fishing well, especially on the upper reaches from Jackson Lake Dam down to South Park.  Moderately sized patterns are the way to go fished on floating lines or sinking tips in the INT to 6ips range depending on depth and current speed.  Target banks, structure, troughs, seams, and riffles.

Note – Flows from Jackson Lake Dam started ramping down on 9/23 from approx. 2,300cfs to winter flows of 280cfs on 10/2. Plan accordingly.

Dry flies – Mary Kays, Purple Bruces, Rubber Legged Double Humpies, Parachute Ants, Sparkle Ants, Galloup’s Ant Acid, Parachute Hares Ears, Parachute Adams, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, BWOs, and Mahogany Duns, Booty’s Drake Emerger, Booty’s DL Cripple, and Film Critics.

Nymphs – Duracells, Keller’s Peach Fuzz, Hares Ear Nymphs, Flashback Pheasant Tail, Two-Bit Hookers, Halo Back Girls, Lightening Bugs, Military Mayflies, Zebra Midges, and Perdigons.

Streamers – Craven’s Swim Coach, Galloup’s Mini Dungeon, SRA Double Bunnies, Mojo Minnows, Gongas, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnows, Sparkle Yummies, Thin Mints, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Booty Call Minnows, J.J. Specials, and Kreelux.

South Fork

Flows from Palisades Reservoir stands at approximately 5,800cfs and continuing to ramp down to winter flows.  We are getting into typical autumn fishing shape with mutant stones fading and mahogany duns and BWOs starting to take over on cooler days with precipitation.  PMDs are micro caddis will be around most days, although not in abundance.  There are also opportunities with terrestrials, particularly smaller grasshoppers and carpenter ants (there imitations offer most of the action along banks and structure).  Look for flats, riffles (especially inside turns and inside current margins), seams, and side channels to be the key waters to target with tandem dry and dry-dropper rivers.

Streamer fishing continues to produce a little better every day with both large and moderately sized patterns producing equally well.    Floating lines or INT sinking tips are the name of the games, as are variable retrieves.  Focus on parallel drop-offs, the head of seams, confluences, and riffle pools for the best production. Try to be in the top six inches of the water column on those days with dropping atmospheric pressure accompanied by precipitation.

Dry flies – Circus Peanuts, Chubby Chernobyls, Bean’s Orange Crush, Parachute Hoppers, Whitlock Hoppers, Turck’s Power Ant, Two-Glass Ants, Elk Hair Caddis, Mathew’s X-Caddis, Parachute Adams, Parachute Extended Body PMD, BWO, and Mahogany Dun, Booty’s DL Cripple, Cole’s Split-Wing Cripple, and Film Critics.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Duracell’s, Brillion’s Mellow Yellow, Mercer’s Woven Caddis Pupa, Psycho Princes, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns in red or copper, Lightening Bugs, Devil Jigs, Brassies, and Perdigons.

Streamers – Silvey Sculpins, Galloup’s Zoo Cougar, Rustics, Goldilocks, Geisha Girls, Craven’s Swim Coach, Lynch Mobs, Booty’s Call Minnows, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Coyote Clousers, and Kreelux.

Salt River

The Salt continues to fish well with good flow levels and water temps.  We are still seeing a smattering of PMDs and caddis around, but mahogany duns and BWOs are the name of the game when weather conditions and barometric pressure align.  It is still very much worthwhile to fish smaller foam attractor patterns with droppers throughout the morning as there can be action on both when fished along banks, seams, and eddies (and even deep into the afternoon).  Tandem mayfly rigs start to work well after 11 am and kick into gear after 1pm.  These will produce in troughs and eddys, on seams, and in riffles.  Submerged structure is worth targeting as well.

There is a smattering of browns starting to stage at the mouth of the Salt and some are moving up as far as the old Perk’s Access. Expect streamer fishing to be productive as these fish pool and run in select spots.  Some are hooking into them now with smaller baitfish imitations fished on sinking tips in the INT to 3ips range.

Dry flies – Mary Kays, Will’s Winged Chernobyls, Micro Bruces, Micro Peanuts, Stimulator X, Cole’s U-Con Caddis, Elk Hair Caddis, Parachute Extended Body PMDs,  BWOs, and Mahogany Duns, Parachute Adams, Comparaduns, Snowshoe Duns, Booty’s DL Cripple, Cole’s Split Wing Cripple, Booty’s BWO or Mahogany Emerger, Rusty Spinners, and CDC Midge Emergers.

Nymphs – Keller’s Peach Fuzz, Brillion’s Lucent Jig, Psycho Princes, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Military Mayflies, Lightening Bugs, Halo Back Girls, and Perdigons.

Streamers – Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Baby Clousers, Lite Brite Zonkers, and Slump Busters.

Flat Creek

Little surface action unless there is cloud cover but certainly decent fishing with nymphs in most waters just about every day.  Look for BWOs and Mahoganies when temps are cool and sunlight is sparse.  Midges will be out early and continue into the early morning hours into early afternoon and then again an hour before sunset.  Their imitations can provide some of the more consistent dry fly activity.  And despite recent killing frosts, there are still some hoppers around and a smattering of beetles. The best water to target – no matter what patterns you are fishing – includes undercut banks, submerged structure, micro-eddies, and seams.

Dry flies – Parachute Hoppers, Grand Hoppers, Parachute Extended Body Mahogany Duns or BWOs, Copper Haze, Comparaduns, Booty’s DL Cripple, Pink Sulfur Emergers, Film Critics, Rusty Spinners, Ritt’s ARF Midge Adult, Mating Midges, Parachute Midges, and CDC Midge Emergers.

Nymphs – Mopscicles, Keller’s Peach Fuzz, Duracells, Mike Drops, Cole’s LOF Pheasant Tail, Military Mayflies, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Lightening Bugs, Zebra Midges, Brassies, Lite Brite Serendipities, Ice Cream Cone Midges, and Perdigons.