Snake River

Hatches are waning as we get deeper into summer, with a smattering of caddis, PMDs, and yellow sallies each day. Grasshoppers are becoming more prevalent Dry and dry-droppers are working well in almost all water types with the forest service sections below South Park producing slightly more consistently than those reaches further upstream.  Banks, riffles, seams, and confluences are the key waters to target.  You can go long – 4ft to 6ft – with your dropper tippet in the morning, but the action from 10am until 2pm is good enough on the surface that shorter tippet in the 18” to 30” range can work better.

Streamer fishing has been best on the lower reaches below South Park, with the mid-reaches from Moose to South Park a slightly distant second.  Moderately sized streamers continue to outperform larger patterns. Heavily-weighted flies fished on floating lines is working best.  Sinking tips in the 3ips to 6ips range, or short lengths of T-8, can produce well before 10am and are the only game in town after 2pm.  Target banks, structure, troughs, seams, and eddy current margins.

Note – Please keep an eye on water temperatures and end your fishing by 3pm on those days when temps exceed 68 degrees.

South Fork

Flows at Palisades Dam are at just over 9.500cfs.  Salmon flies have run their course, but golden stones are still out, making larger attractor patterns still a solid choice throughout the day.  Caddis continue too appear in good numbers in the morning and PMDs dominate after 11am with the peak emergence generally running from around 1pm to 3pm.  Dry-dropper and tandem dry rigs are fishing best in riffles, on seams and flats, and in troughs.  There is a noticeable slowdown after 3pm, so it is a good bet to be out early despite relatively good water temps.

Streamers have been producing strong on all reaches, especially in the canyon sections from Conant down to Byington.  Target banks, structure, parallel drop-offs, and seams.  Go with both large and moderately sized patterns that are bright or neutral in color.  Go with floating lines or sinking tips in the INT to 3ips range.  Variable retrieves are key, with moderate retrieves and hesitations in line strips having the edge (at least slightly).

Salt River

A smattering of caddis in the morning and PMDs in the afternoon, but yellow sallies emergences remain consistent from around 11am until 3pm.  High gradient reaches are outperforming low gradient sections of water, although low gradients can fish very well in the morning hours until around 10:30am.  Eddies and seams are key water types to focus on.  Riffles and troughs are a second go-to water.  Dry-dropper rigs and tandem dry rigs are productive.  Dropper tippet in the 14” to 24” length is working well on seams and eddies.  Tandem dry rigs – especially in the afternoon – are working in all water types.