Just a quick note.
We received our Yellowstone National Park fishing licenses Yesterday so we are set to sell the 2013 licenses. There have been some changes in the park fishing regulations and we have plenty of copies of the new regs.
A couple of days ago we floated from Lorenzo to Menan and were happy to see that the new ramp being built below Lorenzo. It will be on the south side of the river and access will be from the Lorenzo/Menan highway. We don’t know the exact date that it will open but we will let when it is. In the meantime there is a 3 foot ledge of ice sitting on the ramp at current launch site. In order to put in you have to push the boat down over the ice ledge. Getting a boat out will take some extra rope and a good push by two folks on the back end of the boat. Then ice hopefully will melt in a week or so.
The flow has dropped to 6,960 cfs at Irwin. There are good hatches of blue wing olives and mahogany duns on bright days and even better hatches on the overcast days. This weekend we had very good fishing using a small black or cinnamon ant (14 & 16) in the riffles. There is still good action on hoppers and remember that each water drop causes more of the golden stones to emerge.
Chris Helm is coming to Idaho Falls on Saturday September 25th to teach a class on spinning deer hair. The class begins at 10 am here at the shop. The class fee is $25.00 and includes materials. All you need to bring are your vice and tools. The class is limited to 8 students and as of today there are two spaces left. I took this class several years ago at an FFF conclave and Chris showed us many tips on how to work with deer hair that I wished I had learned years before.
In preparation for the 2011 we are starting to close out items that are being discontinued next year. We have both men’s and women’s clothing from Cloudveil on sale. The Simms pursuit shoe and pursuit wading sandal are also being updated for next year and we have those at 40 percent off.
Also if you you have not heard Simms is offering their rebate program again this Fall. Bring in your old pair of waders and get $50.00 off on a pair of G4Z, G4Pro or G3 guide waders. In order to participate you need to go to the Simms web page and print off a voucher which you then bring into our shop along with your old pair of waders. We have most sizes in stock and if we don’t have your size we can order it.
Just a quick note.The flow dropped again this morning about 300 cfs to 8,000. Keep in mind these drops cause the wingless golden stones(mutants) to emerge. Hate to sound like a broken record but the water conditions are as good as they get. Look for mahogany duns and blue wings in the riffles.
We have word that flow out of Palisades Dam has been dropped to 6000 cfs to aid in the search for a missing person. A boating accident happened yesterday around 6:30 PM just above the Spring Creek launch site. Since then a boat and person are missing on the river below. Expect some congestion on the river below and lowered flows until this situation is resolved.
9-2-10 5 pm
As of 5 pm the flow has returned to 8000 cfs.
With the weather change we are going to have this coming week look for several changes on the South Fork. The Pale Morning Dun hatch is about over for the summer but the first good cold front of the year will bring out the Blue Wing Olive and Mahogany Dun Mayflies. Also through September the flow will begin to drop as the irrigation demand decreases. The water drops will cause the mutant golden stones to emerge which will make the chernobyl/golden stone patterns more effective.
The streamer fishing has been good early in the mornings (daylight until the sun hits the water) and then change to a chernobyl. The hopper fishing has been better in the lower canyon down to Menan with smaller size 8 and 10 hoppers.
Hey guys, a pair of wading boots were found at Kelly Island on the 28th of August. Call Dustin at 201-5313 to identify.
Flows on the South Fork are-
Heise: 8,760
Irwin:8,350
Chesterfield still has been fishing pretty well. The fish are starting to move out into a little deeper water though, making finding the fish a little more difficult. But, when you find the fish and what they are feeding on you can still get into some really good fishing. Damsels are still going on the lake, so fishing with damsel patterns continues to be a good bet. Fish these on floating lines under an indicator, or on sinking lines along with your traditional leech patterns like crystal buggers and mohair leeches. There are a lot of weeds in the lake, but don’t be discouraged by them. Stillwater trout utilize weed beds like you wouldn’t believe. They use them for food, safety, and shade so don’t be afraid to fish right amongst the weeds.
Right now, Chesterfield Reservoir has the best still water fishing in the area. Springfield, Hawkins and Daniels reservoirs have warmed up, and we have received fewer reports of good fishing from them compared to Chesterfield.
The flow has gone up 900 cfs to 13,400. It could bother the fish for a day or so but I don’t think it will impact the hatches. There are heavy hatches of Pale Morning Duns and Yellow Sallies on all stretches of the river from Palisades Dam downstream to Lorenzo. There are some big stones in the upper stretches. Golden stones are out in good numbers through the canyon.
The water is still cold so the hatches don’t start until late morning. Before that fishing nymphs or throwing streamers has been very productive.
The main stem from Idaho Falls down to American falls has dropped to normal summer levels. The water is clear and is this stretch of river offers some great streamer fishing and even some caddis and pale morning dun hatches.
Access is somewhat limited if you don’t have a boat but there is some access near bridges or adjacent roads. When streamer fishing we like to use a type VI 15 foot sinking tip or150 to 200 grain 24 foot tip. Fish the deeper runs and and around any log piles or structures. Also fish the slower inside bends that are 4 to 6 feet in depth. They don’t look productive but fish through them quickly because sometimes trout move into these areas to chase minnows.