Ups-and-Downs With Our Fishing At The Moment

Snake River

BWOs are around every day and dominate in slower water types during the mid-afternoon hours when there is cloud cover and precipitation. Midges are around under similar conditions, although not in as strong of numbers. Fishing is inconsistent with some days being very good and others being sub-par. Some consistency can be found on cloudy days. The best action for dry flies and dropper rigs are seams, riffle pools, and ledge rock pools. With whitefish still in spawning mode, nymphs fish on riffle shelves with moderate currents should continue to produce.

Streamer fishing is also inconsistent but clearly moving larger fish. Moderately sized patterns are performing well with brighter or neutral-colored (olive primarily) being most productive. Fish these on floating lines or short INT tips. Target tight holding water along banks, submerged structure, seams, and riffle pools.

Dry flies – Mini Mary Kays, Will’s Winged Chernobyl, Parachute Extended Body BWOs and Mahogany Duns, Parachute Adams, Copper Hazes, Booty’s BWO Emerger, Booty’s DL Cripple, Minimal Mayflies, Parachute Midges, and CDC Midge Emergers.

Nymphs – Keller’s Peach Fuzz, Cyclops, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Lightening Bugs, Military Mayflies, Zebra Midges, Booty’s Day-2 Midge Pupa, Perdigons, Glo-Bugs, Yarn Eggs, and Otter’s Soft Milking Eggs.

Streamers – Strolis’ Headbanger Sculpin, Goldilocks, Mojo Minnows, Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Booty Call Minnows, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, Clouser Minnows, and Kreelux.

South Fork

As on the Snake, BWOs are around in good numbers on the lower reaches from Wolf Eddy down to Menan. Unlike the Snake, they can be prevalent under sunny skies, particularly after 2pm. Midges are on just about every reach and can offer intermittent surface action from time-to-time throughout the day if one has patience. Slower water types in eddies and slow current margins along seams and riffles are key targets. There can be production with BWO imitations in riffles with moderate currents.

Nymph rigs can produce on all reaches when using cdc soft hackle patterns, midge larva and pupa patterns, and small mayfly imitations. Leader/tippet lengths of around three to six feet from trailing fly to line/suspension device is producing in most waters. The best action is coming in riffles, seams, and thalwegs. Riffles and flats can also produce with roe patterns as whitefish continue to spawn.

Streamer fishing has been best on the lower reaches downstream of Heise Bridge when using small to moderately size imitations fished on floating lines or short sinking tips in the INT range. Focus primarily on submerged structure, riffle pools, and seams running along backwater side channels.

Dry flies – Parachute Adams, Parachute Extended Body BWOs and Mahogany Duns, Snowshoe Duns, Booty’s DL Cripple, Booty’s BWO Emerger, Film Critics, Renegades, Parachute Midges, Air-Flo Tricos and CDC Midge Emergers.

Nymphs – Cyclops, Brillion’s Lucent Jig, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Military Mayflies, Redemption BWOs, Lil’ Amigos, Juju Baetis, Zebra Midges, Ice Cream Cone Midges, Spanish Bullets, and Perdigons.

Streamers – Arum’s Lil’ Kim, Booty Call Minnows, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, Flesh Fry, Doc’s Articulator, Marabou Muddlers, and Kreelux.