Flow throughout the river is about normal for this time of year, and brown trout are migrating. There are numerous walk-in locations as well as a great selection of reaches to float. Visit the shop to get info for making a selection of places to fish and to see the streamer patterns we stock for the river.
With flows out of Mackay Dam just below 200 cfs and BWOs and midges active, this is one of the places to be fishing. Look for these good conditions to hold into November.
Fishing the shallows is really picking up if you can stand the weather. Snow/rain and wind has been the norm for days, but for the warmly dressed person, this is the time to be here.
Take your pick from two extremes: BWO life cycle patterns or streamers! This cool, unsettled weather we are having makes both the best way to fish up and down the river. For streamers, any low light conditions will make for best fishing. For the BWOs, PMs and overcast conditions will make for the best success.
Flows on the South Fork have dropped down to 3000 cfs out of the dam. The river is very acessable for wading right now. You can also float the river at these flows, but with the decrease in flows shorter floats will make for a full day of fishing. Floating the entire canyon from Conant to Byington is no longer an option for a day float unless you have a motor or prefer rowing a lot.
Blue WIng Olives have been hatching in good numbers and fish have been up eating them. Rubberlegs with a beadhead dropper presented 18-24 inches below the rubberleg have also done well. Streamers will produce fish on cloudy days and in the mornings and evenings. As the nights get colder look for the fish to start rising to midges as well.
So we have been writing a lot of reports for the South Fork recently because of all the changes in water flows. Flows have dropped today down to 3600 cfs. Fishing will still remain the same with the Blue Wing Olives, nymphing and the streamers are starting to pick up. This weekend is supposed to be stormy, expect some good fishing!
This “November weather” is just what we need to get things moving. Midge pupa patterns below a strike indicator will work just about everywhere as we cool of. So will small leech and scud patterns.
Break out the streamers; it brown trout time on many rivers!
Some of the smaller ones are “going to sleep for the winter”. Others such as the Blackfoot, Teton and Portneuf rivers and Birch, Robinson and Sawmill creeks will be great during Indian summer days if we get any. Attractor and caddis patterns work on top, bead head and small leech patterns work below.
A new location for fly fishers is the Fox Ranch reach of the Blackfoot River. Recently purchased by the Monsanto Corporation, this part of the river is reached off the Blackfoot River Road east of Henry, Idaho. Primarily a cutthroat fishery, it holds a few rainbows and a rare brook trout. With seven miles of new water open to the public, it is certainly worth considering.
Choice of best fishing now is pretty much down to either top water with BWOs at such as the Firehole, Gibbon and Madison River and the Lamar River drainage or streamer fishing for migrating browns or bows. For browns the current best waters are Madison, Lewis, and Snake rivers. The Gardner River will kick in later in the month. Want a still water break from this? About the middle of this month Trout Lake will kick in. The biggest cut-bow hybrids in Park waters reside here. Another is to wade Lewis Lake shoreline and pitch streamers while wearing well insulated waders.