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August 2010

Fly Fish Food Jimmy's / 2010 / August (Page 3)

Still Waters 8-17-10

After being featured in last week’s Post Register Outdoor section, Sand Creek Ponds have received some attention.  Gulpers are providing late morning to early afternoon action in Pond #4.  Hold-over rainbows go more than twenty inches, and some fair sized brook trout can be found in the spring creeks feeding these ponds.   Best action can be had by launching a float tube or kick boat.  Ponds are motorless fishing only.  Consider trying adult damsel patterns here and on other still waters.   We have word of some good action resulting from presenting them on Springfield Reservoir.

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Big Lost River 8-17-10

With flows out of Mackay Dam at just under 350 cfs, it is time to try the river where safe walk-in fishing is available. Flavs will emerge in the afternoon, and the peak of the trico hatch is not far away. That hatch will make for great action until mid day. Meanwhile terrestrial patterns will provide day time action, and action because of the evening caddis hatch will round out the trout fishing for the day.

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Mainstem Snake River 8-17-10

A great place to try the river now is around Blackfoot and the Tilden Bridge areas. The flow here is around 2200 cfs meaning that wading is a safe option. Evenings are the best time to be on the river as trout will be chasing the caddis hatch and  large trout will chase baitfish in the shallows along sheltered areas.  Some action can also be found during early AM spinner falls.   At the Shelley Interstate-15 connector flows are still around 4500 cfs, but some walk-in fishing is possible especially about a mile below the connector downstream to Cook’s Diversion.  Grassy banks and undercuts will be the best places to find fish looking for terrestrial patterns. No doubt the best way to enjoy the river, however, is through a float trip.  Get in touch with us; we can help you choose a section to try.

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Small Streams 8-17-10

Whether you float the Teton River, walk in to the Blackfoot River on the Wildlife Management area or try streams of equivalent character, terrestrial insect patterns are your best bet for  action this time of year. In Teton River canyon chernobyl types work well, and on the Blackfoot River with its slower flowing waters, traditional hopper patterns would be best.  Some of the smaller streams now at base levels (Robinson Creek) or having significant diversion for irrigation (Fall River) are warm, and action on them can slow.  There are some good exceptions to this warming.   Birch Creek (try attractor and terrestrial patterns) in the family area stays cools because of springs above and within the area.  Warm River (try attractor, PMD life cycle, sally, and terrestrial patterns)  below the spring will remain good fishing to the end of the season because the spring provides cool water in abundance. The same happens with Palisades Creek  (Try flav, terrestrial and attractor patterns) which receives cooler water from subsurface flows from the upper lake.  The lower lake also has an subsurface component to flow coming out.  Both these keep Palisades Creek water temps at best levels for trout and insect activity.

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Henry’s Lake 8-17-10

Still slow.   Action can be had in front of Targhee and Duck creeks and at Staley’s, but  expect a crowd.

The road around the south end of the lake closes soon just east of the junction to Centennial Valley.  It will be closed for several weeks as a culvert is replaced by a bridge making for easier fish passage up Duck Creek.  Likewise, another culvert is being replaced further up the road to Centennial Valley to be replaced by another bridge for the same purpose. There will be a bypass at this construction allowing traffic to proceed to Centennial Valley.   For sure Henry’s Lake  cutts will benefit from these two projects.

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Henry’s Fork 8-16-10

Slow on the lower river, but fair in the Island Park reaches.  For the upper river terrestrial patterns are your best bet for action on such as the Riverside to Hatchery Ford reach, Bear Gulch to Warm River and Harriman-Last Chance.  If you fish the lower river, late and early in the day are best times.  Rusty spinner, caddis, terrestrial patterns and streamer patterns will work during these times.

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South Fork 8-16-10

With flow out of Palisades Dam at just under 9000 cfs, the river now has numerous walk-in fishing locations as well as being excellent for float fishing.  Get in touch with us to help choose best walk-in locations because for the rest of the season walk-in fishing will be a great alternative to float fishing.   What is going on “bugwise” on the South Fork?  Throughout the river emerging PMDs, sallys and caddis continue to make riffle fishing great, but with hoppers in good numbers, hitting the banks brings action similar to that during the recent big stonefly emergences.   A lot of folks are enjoying the South Fork’s great fishing these days, so be patient and considerate.   Remember: there enough trout for all to enjoy, but you want a little solitude on this wonderful river, get in touch with us—we know where & how you can find some there.

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Main Stem Snake 8-07-10

The river is coming on strong as flows drop.   Walk-in places abound from Menan to the McTucker area just above American Falls Reservoir.   Get in touch with us to select one that fits your schedule and location.  Several sections of the river offer great float trips, and we can help you select one of these.  Even though it is late in the season , the river offers some mayfly hatches as well as fishing through caddisflies, sallys, and terrestrials.  But the river is best known for streamer fishing, especially during the late and early hours.

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Yellowstone Park 8-07-10

Fastest action in the Park is from Beula Lake. Gulpers are going, and will continue through the month as speckled duns are emerging.  Yellowstone cutts are present, and they range to twenty inches.  It’s a 2.75 mile walk from the trail head across the road from the upper end of Grassy Lake Reservoir.   Packing a float tube gets you into the best fishing.   If walking this far with a float tube and other gear is not for you and you want fast fishing, try Obsidian, Winter, Indian and Panther creeks at the top of the Gardner River drainage.  Want to try larger streams?   Bring all your skills as this is the time of year when all are reaching base levels and trout become quite selective.   This applies to Fall River Basin streams, Slough, Soda Butte, Duck and Grayling creeks, and the Lamar, Gibbon, Snake and Lewis rivers.  Run-off from thundershowers can cloud many of these for a time, but after they clear some great fishing can be had. Try big hopper patterns after these as winds blow them around.  Also because some bank erosion goes on, going back to patterns that simulate earthworms and grubs are good for a while.

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Small Streams 8-07-10

Many are at their best fishing shape right now.  The Teton River is fishing great throughout its length. In Teton Basin, PMDs are providing action with terrestrial populations coming on. In the canyon, terrestrial patterns and chernobyl types provide the best action.  Fall River is slow because of irrigation draw down. The upper Blackfoot River is providing good action in the Wildlife Management area. Flows in the river below the reservoir vary enough to make for spotty fishing.  Terrestrial patterns, bead head nymphs, and sometimes PMD life cycle patterns bring action.  South Fork and Salt River tribs are excellent fishing now with flav life cycle and terrestrial patterns making for great action. Small bead head nymphs bring early in the day action on all of these.  Robinson Creek continues to produce with caddis, terrestrial and attractor patterns making for action.   Same goes for Birch, Beaver and Medicine lodge creeks.  Another choice is Warm River for a mile or two below the spring.  Here caddis, sallys, PMDs, terrestrials, and a few BWOs make for action.

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