Migrating brown trout are bringing action on the lower river. The recent stormy weather seems made to order for fishing here. On these stormy days BWOs are bringing action there and on the upper river. Now is also the time to pitch streamers in Box Canyon and the Tubs above Mack’s Inn, weather permitting.
The Park has closed several roads because of recent snows. If you are planning a trip to the Park’s interior, it is a good idea to check its web site for road closures and weather forecasts. Such as the Madison River along the West Entrance Highway and around Baker’s Hole remain accessible, as does Duck and Grayling creeks and the Gallatin River. On the south side of the Park the Snake River, featuring a late season brown trout run, is accessible. For all these streamer fishing is the name of the game.
We have a few new items in the shop.
The Patagonia Sloucher beenie is a deep hat and very warm. We have them in 2 different colors shown below.
The other item is from Cliff Fly Boxes. This is the Articulator fly box. This box is great for articulated streamers, Steelhead or Intruder Flies. This box will fit into your waders, so it’s easy to carry and hold all those favorite articulated flies.
Flows have stayed steady on the South Fork at 3,300 cfs. The Blue Wing Olives have finally started to hatch on the river. Earlier this week Jimmy had a epic day fishing dry BWO’s to rising fish. The hatch came on a cloudy rainy day. Look for the weather to bring those fish to the surface when there is a hatch. Streamers are also very good this time of year especially with the weather changing and becoming colder and colder. Stop by the shop or call if you have any questions.
Once again weather becomes important in your plans to fish Park waters. Little of the Park is under six thousand feet in elevation, thus a nice day at four thousand feet in elevation doesn’t mean the same at six or seven thousand feet. So go prepared with warm clothing including a shell to protect from precipitation and rest assured that will be no more wet wading this year! Streamer fishing for migrating browns and rainbows and foraging cutthroat will get you into the biggest fish, but BWOs emerging from the Firehole River will make a visit for the top water enthusiast worth considering.
What makes the Snake River so attractive this time of year is the short drive to reach it at almost any location. So many of these are located off well-maintained roads, driving a relatively easy effort. With browns migrating and streamer patterns being most effective for encountering them all that remains is finding a location along their migration routes. Come in and talk to us about where to find these.
Fishing remains very good, and with a week of not so good weather crowds will be down. Same strategies we discussed in recent fishing reports applies, but now come prepared for foul weather and questionable road conditions.
Big concerns this time of year is the impact of weather on the roads and colder weather. Getting back in such as Willow Creek and Blackfoot River countries almost requires preparation for bad roads and cold weather. So pack foul weather gear along with making your vehicle “bad road ready” in case you venture to places such as given above. What would be the best fly selection for smaller streams this time of year? Small streamer patterns, small nymphs, with and without a bead head, and for closer to the surface fishing depend on BWO dun and emerger patterns.
Flows out of the dam are at 3,300 cfs and have remained steady for about a week now. There has been a Blue Wing Olive hatch but it has been very sparse and marginal at best. Fish a #12-#16 Parachute Adams and a BWO size #18 about 2-3 feet behind it. This set up against the banks will produce fish on the surface. Streamers have still remained the ticket for catching the bigger fish right now. With the flows at this level wade fishing is very assessable right now. The Heise area and above Wolf Flats has some great spots for wade fishing right now. Look for fish concentrated in the foam lines and structure along the bank.
We fished the lower Henry’s Fork this weekend and had some good fishing. Nymphing was the most consistent, but if you had some clouds roll in and the wind wasn’t too bad, there were fish all over BWO’s. We caught fish on dries, but most of the nicer fish came on emergers dropped off the dry. Streamer fishing was also pretty good. All of the fish were in really good shape and were a lot of fun. Get out there while the weather is still decent!