Snake River A lot of back-and-forth weather-wise over the past two weeks, with cold spells, warm spells, sunshine, and precipitation.  The best fishing has been on those days with temps between 20 and 40 degrees a few days after a weather transition. Fish have been holding fairly deep and have been in tight pods.  This includes eddies, ledge rock pool and seams.  There are times when faster currents in riffles and along submerged structure is…
READ MORE

Snake River Our first true cold spell of the winter occurred this month, creating substantial anchor ice and frazzle ice on the Snake.  Conditions have been tough, but the best fishing has come in slow currents like back channels and eddies when they are ice free with double nymph rigs composed mainly of midge imitations.  With these cold temps, be sure to limit fish exposure to hands, gloves, and air when being released. South Fork…
READ MORE

Snake River Air temps have still been above average overall, but have also had a string of colder days here and there.  This has put fish into deeper, pooled water with slow, recirculating currents.  Production has been coming primarily from double/trip nymph rigs fished relatively deep – six to nine feet – on a dead drift with midge, cdc soft hackle, BWO, and moderately sized attractor nymphs.  At times, fish will eat these patterns on…
READ MORE

Snake River Midges are popping on the surface starting around 11am and peaking between 1pm and 2pm before waning around 4pm.  Shallow nymph rigs (with trailing fly around three feet down in the water column) are working best, and producing primarily in ledge rock pools, deep eddies, and riffle pools.  Zebra Midges, Perdigons, Day-2 Midges, and Jujubee Midges are amongst the most productive patterns.   South Fork Decent fishing on both the upper and lower reaches…
READ MORE

Snake River Ledge rock pools from South Park down to Sheep Gulch are the key targets for dry and dry-dropper rigs when using midge imitations (Zebra Midges, Perdigons, Day-2 Midges, etc) with the most productive action occurring from around noon until around 4pm.  Riffles and seams can offer good action with these as well, but riffle pools continue to fish best with egg patterns as whitefish are finishing up spawning.  Production can occur as early…
READ MORE