Top

South Fork

Jimmy's All Seasons Angler / South Fork (Page 28)

South Fork 9-18-18

At Heise Br. (640x480)

Fishing sure has slowed down up & down the river. Best results, if you can call it such, seems to be for those fly-fishers presenting hopper-dropper ( bead head nymphs of choice) combinations in the canyon stretch.  Flow out of Palisades has been constant for about ten days at around 8100-8500 cfs.  Lower flows are coming, but what is really needed to bring on the BWOs and mahoganies is a stretch of cold stormy weather, and for now none of this is in weather forecasts.

Share

South Fork 9-15-18

 

South Fork 4

Flow out of Palisades Dam remains constant at about 8500 cfs.  For some set of reasons riffle fishing on the upper river has slowed, but presenting hopper  patterns in close to vegetated banks remains effective, especially on the lower river. Flows below the Big Feeder are around 5600 cfs  ( just about normal for this time of year), so downstream of Heise is best water for finding action. For sure some stormy weather would help bring on the BWO activity everyone is waiting for!

Share

South Fork 9-11-18

Fall Cr. Falls (640x480)

No changes in flow out of Palisades Dam in the last several days.  Presenting hopper patterns from the old Joe’s Hopper to current chernobyl types is best way for dry fly fishing success all along the river. Any day now BWOs will become important. Bad weather would bring them on sooner. Try a streamer or two if you find low light conditions.

Share

South Fork 9-8-18

03-12-09 South Fork 010

Flow out of Palisades Dam has been stable for several days at around 8500 cfs.   Expect flow to drop further soon. Hopper fishing is great up and down the river, and evening caddis activity continues to attract trout.  Some mutant stones are present, but lower water would help their numbers. Mahoganies and BWOs will begin to be important soon as we cool off.  The same will apply to streamers presented during low light conditions.

Share

South Fork 9-1-18

 

SF With Baldy 2 (640x480)

Flow out of Palisades Dam was reduced to 8550 cfs  (same cfs at Heise, 2770 cfs at Lorenzo) Tuesday. This will make for more walk-in wade fishing locations and increase the mutant golden stonefly emergence.

Share

South Fork 8-28-18

 

South Fork 4

No change in flow here, currently flow is a bit higher than the average for this time of year, so reduced flows are coming up as irrigation season winds down. Stick to what we suggest in the  8/25/18 report for the South Fork. Mutant golden stones have moved into the lower canyon, but hopper fishing there seems more effective.

Share

South Fork 8-25-18

 

SF With Baldy 2 (640x480)

Flow out of Palisades Dam has been reduced to a bit over 9000 cfs (  9200 cfs at Heise,  4370 cfs at Lorenzo).  More safe walk in-wade locations are now available, and look for more to become available as flow will continue to drop as irrigation season winds down.  Riffle fishing has slowed a bit. Try #14-16 adams and purple haze in these. With the dropping flow mutant golden stones now coming out on the lower river  (see flow at Lorenzo), especially below the big feeder, should be coming out soon from the river above. Terrestrial patterns will be effective anywhere there is vegetated banks along the river.

Share

South Fork 8-18-18

 

 

Jon Hegsted

Most fly fishing aspects are holding steady. Flow out of Palisades Dam has not changed significantly in several days. Riffle fishing remains great with pink alberts providing  much action.  River flow must drop to expose more substrate before significant mutant or midnight golden stones emerge in numbers that will attract fish. During mid-day boat traffic can be thick, so consider an evening float in such as Huskey’s to Spring Creek, or Spring Creek to Conant, etc.

Share

South Fork 8-14-18

Lower South Fork

Flow out of Palisades Dam has been constant at 11100 cfs for several days.   Pink alberts are making a strong showing in riffles. Fishing success there requires changing flies frequently as the fish are ” closed lipped” about which life cycle form they are keying on at a given time.  Best terrestrial insect pattern fishing seems to be on the lower river.  Look for “midnight golden stones” to emerge in numbers important for trout attention only after flow out of the dam is reduced enough to expose a lot more substrate.

Share

South Fork 8-7-18

 

South Fork 4

Flow out of Palisades Dam has been stable for several days at around 11400 cfs.  Riffle fishing provides good times with PMDs and pink alberts providing the action for those folks presenting life cycle patterns of each.   Remembering that boat traffic is down early in the day, nymphing the riffles is a great approach whether you fish from a boat or wade. The same applies to evenings when  most boats are gone and caddis life cycle patterns and well-placed streamers bring action. Grasshoppers are numerous, so vegetated banks can be targeted with patterns for these.

Share