Snake River

The Snake started to fish in relatively solid fashion about a week and a half ago (basically just as the last report was being posted). All tributaries are receding big time. The early summer hatches are waning too, but you will still find a nice, broad set of hatches of small golden stones, PMDs, and yellow sallies. There are even a fair number of caddis still about. The water you target with dry flies shifts from day to day. Sometimes riffles, seams, and eddies are the go-to water. Other days, banks, bankside troughs, and structure is prime water. Time of the day is inconsistent as well. Most days it is wide, going from 10am until deep into the afternoon. Other days, surface action comes to a halt after 2pm. Nevertheless, it is dry fly time. Mostly smaller trout at the moment, but we are definitely getting into bruisers as well.

Nymphing is more consistent throughout the day but there will still be times when that will slow down in mid-afternoon. It can still produce better than dry flies, especially in the Forest reach below South Park. Dry-droppers are working well with dropper tippet lengths in the two to four feet range. Deeper and faster water types might require double/triple rigs in the six to nine foot range. Target banks, bankside troughs, riffle pools, and the head of riffles, and eddy current margins. Streamer fishing has been VERY inconsistent but that will probably turn after we see more of the post-spawn fish start to descend from the tributaries.

Dry flies – Gold Members, Chubby Chernobyls, Wills Winged Chernobyls, Mary Kays, Great Whites, Winged Peanuts, Tilt-Wing Sallies, Red Butt Sallies, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Parachute Adams, Booty’s PMD Emergers, Quigley Cripples.

Nymphs – Peach Fuzz Jigs, Brush Hogs, Soft Hackle Pheasant Tails, Biot Bugs, Robins, Lightening Bugs, Copper Johns in red or black.

South Fork

Flows from Palisades Reservoir stand at just under 13,500cfs. Salmon flies have advanced to the mid-canyon reach in the vicinity of Gormer Canyon and there are also heavy hatches of yellow sallies, PMDs, and a good number of green drakes around. PMDs dominate some days while yellow sallies dominate others. And there is more than a fair amount of surface action on salmon fly imitations and dry attractors. The best top-water activity is in the canyon reach from Conant down to Byington. Surface action has been inconsistent with riffles being the prime target on some days and banks, seams, and structure on other days. The best bet is to go double loaded with a tandem dry or dry-dropper rig on one rod and a double/triple rig on another.

Nymph rigs can be fished with more consistency throughout the day and are really hammering it on the upper reaches from the Dam down to Cottonwood. Target riffle pools, seams, bankside troughs, eddies, and banks with moderate depths and current speeds. Go with standard leader lengths in the seven to nine foot range from trailing flies to line/indocator.

Dry flies – Chubby Chernobyls, Winged Peanuts, Barrett’s Ant, Will’s Winged Chernobyls, SRA Chernobyls, Bart’s Lipstick, Rubber Legged Double Humpies, Parachute Sallies, Hackle Stacker Sallies, Red Butt Sallies, Tilt-Wing Green Drakes, Booty’s Green Drake Emerger, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Thorax PMDs, Parachute Adams, Booty’s PMD Emerger, and Film Critics.

Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, San Juan Worms, Foxy Sallie Stones, Biot Stones, Matte Deamon Sallie Stones, Olive Hares Ear Nymphs, Super Reel Green Drake Nymphs, Lightening Bugs, Copper Johns in red or olive, Bruised Mays, Psycho Princes, and Psycho Mays.

Green River

Flow at Warren Bridge stand at approximately 1,400cfs. The Green is definitely on and fishing well on the surface as broad hatches on small golden stones, gray drakes, yellow sallies, and PMDs emerge throughout the drainage. The best surface action has been from the Lakes down to Daniel Bridge. Below Daniel, surface action is still decent, but having a dropper attached can reap dividends. In fact, there is little reason to be fishing nymph rigs. All water types are fishing well. Taking the cake are undercut banks and bankside troughs with mid-sized attractors and drake imitations. Next in line are submerged structure, riffles and riffle pools, and seams with PMD, sallie, and drake imitations. Eddies are definitely worth hitting but it is taking a solid cast and presentation to get fish to the surface. Doing so can be worth it. As usual, streamer action has been solid on every reach, particularly from Daniel Bridge down to Sommers.

Moderately sized streamers are fishing best. Larger articulated patterns are getting attention but there are a lot of short takes and side-swipes. Target banks, bankside troughs, riffle pools, eddy current margins, and the tail of seams with floating or intermediate sinking lines or sinking tips between INT and 6ips. Go with fast retrieves in fast currents and go slower in slower water. Hesitations between line strips can help in both current types.

Dry Flies – Will’s Winged Chernobyls, Circus Peanuts, Chubby Chernbyls, Gold Members, Bean’s Orange Crush, Mary Kays, Snake River Water Walkers, Parachute Extended Body Gray Drakes, Quad Wing Drakes, Parachute Hares Ears, Booty’s Gray Drake Emerger, Hackle Stacker Sallies, Sparkle Sallies, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Comparaduns, Parachute Adams, Pink Sulfur Emergers, Booty’s PMD Emerger, and Quigley Cripples.

Nymphs – San Juan Worms, Peach Fuzz Jigs, Duracells, Copper Johns in red, copper, or olive, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Foxy Sallie Nymphs, Hares Ear Nymphs, Zug Bugs, Lightening Bugs, Rainbow Warriors, Psycho Princes, and Redemption PMDs.

Streamers – Galloup’s Sex Dungeon, Galloup’s Boogeyman, Silvey Sculpins, SRA Bunnies, Chicklets, Arum’s Lil Kim, Booty Call Minnows, McCune Sculpins, Bow River Buggers, and Squirrel Zonkers.

Salt River

The Salt River is FINALLY fishing after what seems like a longer than normal delay. There is not any kind of significant visibility but it is more than enough for to get fish to feed on the surface through most of the day as small golden stones, yellow sallies, and PMDs emerge, particularly from about 11am until late afternoon. A fair amount of green drakes are around from about noon until 2pm. The best water to target includes banks, bankside troughs, eddies, and seams. Banks and troughs are actually fishing better earlier in the day than other holding water types. Dry-dropper rigs with dropper tippet in the 18” to 30” range are working in the same water, but really hammer it home in eddies and seam current margins.

Dry flies – J-Slams, Fat Alberts, Circus Peanuts, Will’s Winged Chernobyls, Mary Kays, Hackle Stacker Sallies, Parachute Sallies, Sparkle Sallies, Cole’s Split Wing Cripple, Hair Wing Green Drake Emerers, Booty’s Green Drake Emerger,Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Comparaduns, Booty’s PMD Emerger, Booty’s PMD DL Cripple, and Loop Wing Cripples.

Nymphs – Peach Fuzz Jigs, Copper Johns in red or olive, Lightening Bugs, Matte Deamon Sallies, Biot Sallies, Booty’s Deep Stinker Nymph, Redemption PMDs, Psycho Mays, and Flashback Pheasant Tails.