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South Fork

Jimmy's All Seasons Angler / South Fork (Page 53)

South Fork 10-22

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.

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South Fork 10-19

Flows have been reduced on the South Fork to 3,300 cfs. They are slowly shutting the water down. Honestly I am surprised it is still this high. I expected it to be around 2,000 cfs by now. Streamer fishing has been the ticket for hooking into a big fish. The Blue Wing Olive hatches have been sparse and almost non existence. I would fish a Parachute Adams and trail a BWO behind it. Fish this setup on the riffles, foam lines and tight to the banks. You will find fish that will eat off the surface. Nymphing is effective as well, but I would make sure you fish only 5 feet deep to help stay out of the moss. Rubberlegs and zebra midges this time of year seem to work the best. BWO redemption nymphs and our tungsten BWO nymph have been effective.

We have been getting a lot of calls about Twin Bridges. You can not launch or take out at Twin Bridges. If you have a pontoon boat this doesn’t really apply to you cause you can walk it down the channel. Drift boats and Jet boats are out of luck. The Lorenzo boat ramp continues to be a major pain. Be careful use your head and wait for your turn. You can no eddy up next to the Handicap ramp but there is only room for 2 boats at the most.

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South Fork 10-15

Flows on the South Fork have stayed steady for about a week now at 3,700 cfs. Streamer fishing has been effective even on the sunny days. Nymphing with rubberlegs and Zebra midges and Blue Wing Olives on the surface have also been effective. If you are floating the lower river be cautious of a couple tight spots with trees and fast water. One spot is above Heise bridge and you need to stop the boat and walk it around on the right side of the tree jam. The other two are between Twin Bridges and Lorenzo and require you to pay attention while on the oars.

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South Fork 10-12

Flows were dropped earlier this week to 3,700 cfs. The moss is starting to clear up a little, which means you still gotta clean off your flies and check them regularly. The streamer fishing is still good and you don’t run into as much moss on the lower end of the river. I have still been throwing a Chubby Chernobyl with bead head droppers. This has been the most effective method for catching fish. Blue Wing Olives have been bringing fish to the surface. I have seen very small BWO’s on the surface during the day. These flies are so small that you would be hard pressed to find a fly to fish. However the #18 and #20 BWO patterns are working as well as a Purple Haze and an Adams.

One note on the Twin Bridges ramp. With the last two drops in the flows the ramp at Twin Bridges is now dry. If you are floating to Lorenzo you’ll have to put in at Byington.

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South Fork 10-9-12

Flow out of Palisades Dam has been around 4200 cfs for several days meaning stability, but expect more drops in flow out of the dam as we move through the fall season.  We will keep you posted when these happen.  All these drops in flow make for better and more wading opportunities, but make float fishing a bit tougher. The BWO activity will be suppressed during these bright days, but they will emerge in smaller numbers during  afternoons when shadows lengthen.  Streamers will be your best best for encountering big browns this time of year.

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South Fork 10/5

The flows were reduced to 4,200 cfs yesterday. I assume that we will see a more aggressive approach to lowering the water to our winter flows within the next 2 weeks. The lake is low and irrigation demand is low as well, so there is no need for water to be in the system. We have not been informed of how low the river will go for the majority of the winter, but my guess is between 800 and 1,200 cfs.

Fishing is still moderate. Lots of moss still in the river and cleaning your flies is a must if you want to catch any fish. I suggest fishing bead head nymphs below a Hopper or a Chernobyl Ant. Zebra Midges in Red and Black size #16 & #18. Pheasant Tails, and BWO nymphs like the Bubble back Emerger BWO have proven effective as well. You will still get a few eats on the big dry so try not to be so suprised when it happens. I prefer the nymphs below the dry because you don’t seem to catch as much moss on your flies, versus fishing deep with an indicator. Streamer fishing has really picked up and I suggest fishing a sinking tip line or a sinking leader.

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South Fork 10-04-12

The flow dropped again this afternoon to 4,200 cfs from 5,087. Generally it takes a day for the fish to adjust so we usually wait a day to go fishing. Then there was a day a couple of years ago in October when we were on the the river when it dropped and we still did well so you never know.

A little overcast and rain would be nice to help the hatches out but that is not in the immediate forecast. In the meantime still fish mahogany duns and small parachutes in the riffles even if you don’t see any hatches or fish rising. I like to keep fishing chernobyls until the fall weather cools and the fish quite taking them. Streamers have been the best early in the morning and again when the shadows fall in the late afternoon till dark.

 

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South Fork 10/2

Just want to give you all a heads up the flows dropped last night to 5,100 cfs. Check yesterdays report for fishing conditions. If we actually get the cold weather that has been forcasted this week we should see changes in the river conditions in terms of moss leaving the bottom of the river and clearing up.

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South Fork 10/1

The river has stayed steady at 5,500 cfs. This water conditions are very nice. The water is a little off color by the dam and through Swan Valley, but becomes crystal clear through the Canyon. The biggest issue with the water right now is the moss that has been dumped into the river from the reservoir. Fishing this weekend was good on a Chernobyl and and a bead head dropper. the fish have been keying in on red and black Zebra Midges. The BWO Redemption nymph and a red copper john have also been effective. Dropping a bead head about 3 feet below the hopper or Chernobyl and has helped with moss control. The streamer fishing has been decent with lots of chasing fish and a few players who are eating. I would personally consider the streamer fishing on the lower river really good right now. If you have questions call the shop. We will be happy to help you in any way we can.

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South Fork 9/26

Fishing has stayed pretty steady on the River. Streamer fishing is really starting to pick up especially on the lower river. There is a lot of moss in the river right from the reservoir and the lake so make sure to check your flies often and keep them clean. Hoppers and Chenobyls ants with droppers have been producing fish. Takes on the big dry flies are few and far between but it beats staring at an indicator. Also running a dropper off of the dry fly seems to produce less moss on your nymphs. Mahogany’s and Blue Wing Olive patterns presented into the bank have also been effective.

I took out at Lorenzo the other day and it was a nightmare. Remember that this is a 1 boat ramp right now. Please check out the boat ramp up stream before you decide to land and make sure you have a spot. I saw a boat completely miss the ramp because they were not paying attention and had no place to go. The river is still screaming by the ramp and that current makes it very difficult to launch and take out. Unless you want to really risk swamping your boat and potentially loosing it down the river DO NOT back your trailer tires all the way into the river when taking out. Back up to your boat and drag it onto the trailer. I didn’t even get my tires wet and the strong current still pulled my boat around while trying to trailer the boat.

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