Snake River
Recent rains have helps cool temps by two to three helpful degrees. We are seeing our first signs of Claassenia on the Snake and we should be seeing a lot more over the coming days. Fishing has been most consistent along banks and submerged structure, although riffles are starting to fish decent, especially below South Park, as PMDs continue to come off after 11am. All of these waters, as well as side channels, confluences, and troughs, are fishing well with terrestrial patterns after 12:30pm.
Nymph rigs continue to work well on all reaches with caddis and PMD imitations producing best. Stonefly patterns are a distant second but definitely worth considering, particularly below South Park and from Pacific Creek down to Deadman’s Bar. Target banks, structure, riffles, seams, side channels, and confluences.
Streamer fishing has been hit-or-miss but when it is on it produces best in the morning hours until around 1pm. Moderately sized streamers are working better than larger counterparts. Fish these on floating or hover lines or sinking tips in the INT to 3ips range and go with slower retrieves as a default and turn to moderate speed line strips with hesitations as a backup. Focus on banks, submerged structure, seams, and confluences.
Dry flies – Mary Kays, Circus Peanuts, Chubby Chernobyls, Will’s Winged Chernobyl, Snake River Water Walkers, Morrish Hoppers, Parachute Hoppers, Boz’s Bitchin’ Frenzy, Stimulators, Elk Hair Caddis, Tent-Wing Caddis, Chez’s Mega Beetle, Turck’s Power Ant, Galloup’s Ant Acid, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Parachute Adams, Purple Hazes, Copper Hazes, Booty’s DL PMD Cripple, Cole’s Split Wing Cripple, and Film Critics.
Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Nymph Formerly Known As Prince, Duracalls, Hustler CDC Lights, Mercer’s Woven Caddis Pupa, Panty Droppers, Bruised Mays, Psycho Princes, Hare’s Ear Nymphs, Egan’s Iron Lotus, Robins, Lightening Bugs, and Perdigons.
Streamers – Silvey Sculpins, Galloup’s Peanut Envy, Craven’s Swim Coach, Goldilocks, Galloup’s Mini Dungeon, Mojo Minnows, Sparkle Yummies, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Booty Call Minnows, J.J. Specials, Marabou Muddlers, and Kreelux.
South Fork
Flows from Palisades Reservoir are at approximately 9,500cfs. As on the Snake, mutant stones are out but in decent numbers. Surface action with surface attractor and hopper patterns has been best along banks, structure, in side channels with slow to moderate currents, and along seams (particularly the heads). Providing some movement can help with getting eats, especially from Conant down to Lorenzo. PMDs and caddis (the latter in the morning primarily) are still around in decent numbers and there is FINALLY starting to be better action in riffles and side channels on there imitations. Expect this to occur from around 11am and going until approximately 3:30pm.
Nymph rigs are working in just about all water types with double/triple rigs producing best at the head of riffles, in riffle pools, in eddies, and in bankside troughs. Fish these with seven to nine feet of leader from trailing pattern to line/suspension device. Dry-dropper rigs are working best in side channels, along banks and structure, in confluences, on flats, and in confluences. Vary up your dropper tippet length anywhere from three to six feet.
Streamer fishing remains good, but there is noticeably more action on moderately sized patterns than larger ones. The best production is coming along banks and structure, bankside troughs, eddy current margins, and the current margin of seams. Moderate retrieves are a good way to go. Use floating lines or sinking tips in the INT to 6ips range.
Dry Flies – Snake River Water Walkers, South Fork Secrets, G’s Super Fly, Chubby Chernobyls, Circus Peanuts, Jay-Dave’s Hoppers, Parachute Hoppers, Stimulators, Mathews’ X-Caddis, Gallup’s Ant Acid, Sparkle Ants, Parachute Extended Body PMDs and Mahogany Duns, Parachute Adams, Purple Hazes, Pink Alberts, Pink Parachutes, and Film Critics.
Nymphs – Pat’s Rubber Leg, Duracells, Brillion’s Lucent Jigs, Rubber Legged Flashback Hares Ear Nymphs, Mini Mopscicles, Psycho Mays, Bruised Mays, Panty Droppers, Bubbleback Pheasant Tails, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns in red or olive, Lightening Bugs, Rainbow Warriors, Lite Brite Serendipities, Booty’s Day-2 Midge Pupa, Ice Cream Cone Midges, and Perdigons.
Streamers – Galloup’s Barely Legals, SRA Double Bunnies, McKnight’s Home Invader, Rustic Trombones, Goldilocks, Geisha Girls, Galloup’s Mini Peanut Envy, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Booty Call Minnows, Beldar Buggers, Kreelux, and Clouser Minnows.
Salt River
Temps warmed some over the past couple of weeks but have come down to a nice level with the recent cooler temps and precipitation from last weeks. A smattering of caddis in the morning and PMDs in the afternoon, but the main emergence to focus on is tricos that are starting to come out in good numbers from around 10:30am to around 3pm. There is also still a good number of grasshoppers and especially carpenter ants around (like on most waters in the area). Fishing tandem dry rigs is a good way to go from 10am until finishing up in the afternoon. Target submerged structure, eddies and eddy current margins, riffles, and confluences.
The Salt is low throughout the drainage, so fishing dry-droppers is the best way to go if fishing nymphs. Two to three feet of dropper tippet will handle the vast majority of waters. Deeper eddies and seams can be handled with up to five feet of tippet. Target the same water as you would with your dry flies. There is better action pre-10am on dropper nymphs than there is on single or tandem dries.
Dry flies – Micro Winged Chernobyls, Micro Peanuts, Parachute Hoppers, Dave’s Hoppers, Turck’s Power Ant, Galloup’s Ant Acid, Bear’s No Hackle Ant, Sparkle Ants, Elk Hair Caddis, Cole’s U-Con Caddis, Mathews’ X-Caddis, Stimulators, Parachute Adams, Parachute Extended Body PMDs and Mahogany Duns, Snowshoe Duns, Air-Flo Tricos, Pheasant Tail Emergers, Coles’ Split-Wing Cripple, Film Critics.
Nymphs – Keller’s Peach Fuzz, Hustler CDC Lights, Prince Nymphs, Lightening Bugs, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Hares Ear Nymphs, Psycho Princes, Egan’s Iron Lotus, Booty’s Day-2 Midge Pupa, and Perdigons.
Flat Creek
Flat Creek opened on the 1st of the month and the fishing has been decent to good during the morning hours from approximately 6:30pm until around 1pm. There is also a noticeably blip of activity after 8:30pm and going until dark. Temps are still warm, so it is a good idea to avoid fishing after 3pm (when the production is a bit slower than normal. Days with some cloud cover and a little precipitation are helpful. PMDs are out as well as caddis in the early morning hours. Craneflies and dragon flies are also around in bits and pieces throughout the day. And of course, midges are around in good numbers during the morning. You have to work for your fish by this time of the year but cutties seem a smidge more active despite the congestion. Don’t expect a 20 fish day over a six hour period, but 8-10 is in the cards when the stars align. Target undercut banks, riffle seams, eddy seams, and submerged structure.
Dry flies – Parachute Hoppers, Jay-Dave’s Hoppers, Parasol Sparkle Ants, Will’s Cranefly Perfection, Peking Caddis, Tent-Wing Caddis, Cole’s U-Con Caddis, Parachute Extended Body PMDs, Carlson’s Purple Haze and Copper Haze, Pink Parachutes, Thorax PMDs, Comparaduns, Parachute Midges, CDC Midge Emergers, Pheasant Tail Emergers, and Film Critics.
Nymphs – Mopscicles, Fury Dragons, Lucent Cranefly Larva, Mathew’s Sparkle Caddis Pupa, Hustler CDC Lights, Psycho Mays, Bruised Mays, Egan’s Iron Lotus, Lightening Bugs, Zwbra Midges, Booty’s Day-2 Midge Pupa, and Perdigons.