From Ashton Dam upstream to the bottom of Box Canyon whether you are wading or float fishing, presenting terrestrial insect patterns is effective especially during afternoon hours. Fishing trico dun & spinner patterns early in the day is another way to action, but a bit tougher on the eyes than presenting hopper patterns.
Slow fishing is the name of the game, but the fish are in residence. Improvement will likely come during autumn months.
Fishing is holding up very up & down the river. Near constant inflow from the reservoir and good water temps are the reasons. A good general strategy is to begin early in the day with mutant golden stone patterns, then with the advancing morning switch to a double nymph rig under an indicator. The top fly should be a rubber leg pattern and the bottom a small bead head nymph of choice. As the afternoon hours proceed, concentrate efforts in riffles with PMD and pink albert emerger and dun patterns. As evening rolls around, switch to caddis life cycle patterns. As evening advances, consider presenting streamer patterns around overhead cover and around areas out of direct sunlight.
Are you looking for a small stream sure to produce reliable action during these warm, dry summer days? If you are, Warm River just below Warm River Spring should be at the top of your “to-visit” list. Here’s why: the spring provides an abundant and constant inflow of quality water in the low fifties of degrees Fahrenheit. That temperature is about ideal for trout living conditions which includes feeding. With caddisflies, PMDs, and tricos emerging and ants, beetles, and hoppers falling in from banks a variety of food forms is present. Brookies, browns and rainbows make up the trout roster here. True, they do not range as large as those on the nearby Henry’s Fork, so scale your tackle accordingly. In addition, most fly-fishers in the area will be on the Henry’s Fork (or around Three Rivers downstream), so add a good chance for solitude as a plus when trying this great small river.
To get there turn right on the Warm River Road off the Mesa Falls Scenic Highway just above Upper Mesa Falls. Then turn right onto the Warm River Fish Hatchery Road, aka Warm River Spring Road. After this road drops down to the river there are a number of pull-outs before reaching the spring and hatchery. Park, then walk downstream to fish as much as time permits and you should have a good outing.
Palisades Creek is fishing quite well where terrestrial insect, traditional attractor, and caddis life cycle patterns are producing best almost throughout the creek. The flavs are emerging afternoon hours from Big Elk Creek. Two-nymph rigs and terrestrial patterns will work well earlier in the day until the stream warms to the point where the flavs emerge. Blackfoot River on the WMA is also fishing well. Try terrestrial insect patterns and concentrate presenting them on the faster portions of the river there.
It’s time to concentrate on presenting terrestrial insect patterns on the river from Last Chance down to Riverside. Ant (honey), beetle, cricket, hopper, and even deer or horsefly imitations should be in your fly box. Horse and deer flies will be the major airborne pests these days. So when they land on you, swat ’em as usual then pitch the remains into the river. Go on fishing, but if you hear a solitary take downstream, it is likely a trout taking that deer or horsefly you just dispatched. A purist may accuse you of “chumming,” but you now have a great clue as to what the trout will take!
The South fork continues to fish well with flows staying pretty stable throughout most of the river. In the evening there are some very impressive mayfly hatches coming off, and the fishing has been great. Riffle fishing is going to be best up towards the dam, and the best bank fishing is going to be on the lower river. Hoppers are starting to make an apperance, but best action seems to be on the golden mutant stone. The lower end below Heise has a little more exposed gravel, and with that, the start of the mutant stones. To fish these with the most success, start focusing your attention on fishing mutant stones early in the morning, and later in the evening. Putting in tight casts to the bank, and using a twitch or skate on your bug will produce great success. Focus on the slower water, and stay out of the fast banks. If you find yourself on fast banks, make sure to time your casts on the slowest holding water, and dont flail casts aimlessly at the boils. As for the riffles: fishing a tandem rig with two maylfies will be the best.. For streamers I would use something big, or two smaller flies fished in tandem. Streamer fishing on the South Fork is all about figuring out what color they are interested in on that day, and that is where fishing the two fly tandem rig is helpful, fishing two different colors.
Best bugs to use:
Riffles: PMD Thorax Dun 16-18, Pmd Biot Emerger 16-18, PMD Para-spinner 16-18, Pink Albert Para-spinner 16, Rusty Spinner 16, Purple Haze 16-18, Williams Transitional Dun 16-18, Brooks Flexwing Baetis 18-20, Baetis Parachute 20.
Banks: Super Chernobyl Brown or Yellow 8-10, CFO Flamer Ant Yellow or Pink 8-10, CFO Ant Flesh 6-8, Plan B 8-10, More or Less Hopper 10-12.
Streamers: Galloup’s Sex Dungeon, Peanut envy, Kreelex Minnow, Sparkle Minnow, Sculpzilla, JJ Special, Complex Twist Bugger, El Sculpito, Prince of a Bugger.
Big draw here is Hebgen Lake gulper activity. The Madison Arm seems to offer the best action. All you need is wind-free periods. Mornings and evenings provide the best chances for these. Only “fly in the ointment” in getting there is the U. S. Highway 20 construction ongoing (into September) from Elk Creek Conoco to Island Park Village. Delays can be up to an hour, so plan accordingly.
The Teton River is fishing very well throughout. In Teton Basin PMD spinner and terrestrial insect patterns bring good action mornings and evenings. During daytime hours recreational boaters flock to the river here, so best fishing is early and late. To fish with less daytime disturbance, try below the State Highway 33 bridge. There is plenty of easily wading, but because of no boat launch-take out facility, except at the bridge, recreational and fly-fishing boaters are greatly reduced. Access to Teton Canyon above the dam site is somewhat limited. The river can be reached with the least effort at the Felt Dam, from Badger Creek, from the Bitch Creek Slide and from the Spring Hollow Road. Beware of rattlesnakes when you are not within the high water level. Gray drakes will soon be emerging during afternoon hours. Caddis life cycle, traditional attractor, and terrestrial patterns bring most interest from resident trout. All these patterns work well on the lower river which can be waded at the dam site, at the Hog Hollow area, and above Teton City where it splits into the north and south forks.
To eliminate boaters altogether try Big Elk, Bear, and Palisades Creeks. Caddis life cycle, terrestrial insect and traditional attractor patterns are currently working well on each. The flavs (western green drake?) should begin any day, with that event on Big Elk Creek being the “star of the show.” Want a real “get away from it all” stream? Try the South Fork of Tincup Creek. Trying to fool cutts there with lightweight tackle there is a blast. There are others in this category. Come into the shop and ask where they can be found.
It appears that outflow from Grassy Lake Reservoir has been reduced. This will give better dry fly fishing in Fall River below. Concentrate on presenting terrestrial insect patterns. Presenting trico patterns will soon be important there as we move through August into September. In fact terrestrial patterns will bring success on almost all park streams this time of the season. In addition, try soft hackled patterns on these waters, especially during evenings.