Hecubas, Mahganies, PMDs, and Claassenia

Snake River

Recent (an we mean VERY recent) cool temps, precipitation, and cloud cover have sparked emergences of Hecuba and mahogany duns, making riffles, seams, confluences, eddies, and side channels key targets with mayfly imitations. Claassenia is also out and will be so for another two-plus weeks.  This means foam and heavily hackled attractors continue to produce in most waters, but especially along banks, structure, in troughs, and along the inside current margin of riffles.  While PMDs are waning, you will still see some around each day for the next month or so.  It’s almost a autumn smorgasbord.

Streamers have turned on fairly strong and are fishing best along banks, structure, troughs, confluences, seams, and in side channels.  Floating lines or sinking tips in the INT to 6ips range are working best, as are streamers that are dark or neutral in color.  Go moderate in size and avoid the larger stuff. 

South Fork

Flows from Palisades Reservoir dropping to the low 8,000 cfs range.  Mutant Stone patterns have been the key imitations to use and have been fishing well throughout the day as opposed to the morning hours which has been the case over the past month.  However, mahogany duns have just started to come on the scene and are producing in riffles, troughs, flats, and the inside of riffle current margins.  Seams are also worth targeting.

Streamers have been producing well but the action now has been more hit-or-miss except over the past few days when we have had cloud cover and precipitation.  Moderately sized imitations are working best.  Fish these on floating lines or sinking tips in the INT to 6ips range.  Moderate to fast retrieves are kind of working best but lack consistency, so be prepared to vary the speed and tempo of your line strips.

Flat Creek

A bit of a transition to mid-day fishing being the most productive part of the day. PMDs are out and mahogany duns are making their first appearance (although less than a smattering).  Adult, emergent, and nymph imitations are working well in riffles, eddies, seams, and along undercut banks, with banks working throughout the day.  Damsel and dragonfly nymphs continue to produce in riffle pools, eddie current margins, and along banks, and are probably working better now than any other time since Flat Creek opened.  As always, go with imitative figure-8 and pinch retrieves and fish these on floating lines with long – 12ft – fluorocarbon leader.

Salt River

Mostly midges but also a resurgence of infrequen PMDs and a smattering of tricos, both of which are popping from around 11am until 2pm.  Surface action is good on all sections but best on the higher gradient reaches.  Days with cloud cover and rain can bring lower gradient sections up to par with other reaches.  Eddies and seams are the most productive waters.  Riffles and troughs are producing as well.  Look for carpenter ants and grasshopper to be out in good numbers and their imitations can bring fish to the surface when small aquatic invertebrates are not doing the trick.