Think Midges!

Snake River

Productivity on the Snake is squeezed squarely in a six hour time period from about 10:30am to 4:30 pm, with noon to about 3:30pm being the hotspot. Top water action is in slow current areas, primarily the inside turn of riffles and seam margins in side channels with minimal currents. This is at best a two hour proposition. Better action is coming below the surface in the same water but also on riffle current margins and tailouts. Go with chironomid imitations and larger nymph attractors. Don’t expect a ton of action, but there can be some consistency from time to time.

A wee bit more action on small streamers in currentless side channels. Go with slow but long retrieves on floating line. Best time period is noon until around 4pm.

Dry flies – Parachute Midges, CDC Midge Emergers, and Midge Spinners.

Nymphs – Peach Fuzz Jigs, Soft Hackle Pheasant Tails, Lightening Bugs, Rainbow Warriors, Copper Johns in red or black, Zebra Midges, Ice Cream Cone Midges, Day-2 Midge Pupa, and Rojo Midges.

Streamers – Slump Busters, Woolley Buggers, Rickard’s Seal Buggers, and Baby Bunnies.

South Fork

The South Fork is a pure midge game so far this January with larva/pupa imitations from about 11am and through the afternoon. Not stellar fishing by any means, but certainly respectable results can be had. Adults will work on warmer days (which we are now having with more frequency in the afternoon as well). Larger soft hackle patterns (#12 to #14) are fishing about as well as midge larva between approximately 11am to 1pm. Target riffle tailouts and riffle current margins. Shallow flats can have the best action on the surface for a two to three hour period in the afternoon.. They can also be fished with short leader and lightly weighted nymph rigs and can produce as well as top water flies.

Dry flies – Renegades, Parachute Midges, Parachute Mosquitoes, and CDC Midge Emergers.

Nymphs – Peach Fuzz Jigs, Soft Hackle Pheasant Tails, CDC Soft Hackles, Lightening Bugs, Zebra Midges, Ice Cream Cone Midges, Day-2 Midge Pupa, and Rojo Midges.