With the Henry’s Fork fishing slow because of warm water the mainstem Snake River is a great alternative. In the early morning trico activty and well placed streamers are bringing action. During evenings around and after sunset streamers are the best way to encounter large trout.
Flow out of Palisades Dam has been stable (around 9400 cfs there, around 10000 cfs at Heise) for five days. Riffles are producing as PMDs, slate cream duns, caddis and a few sallys are active. Great fishing with chernobyls and hoppers against banks, evening streamers, small nymphs, two fly rigs (chernobyl and beetle, chernobyl with small bead head, rubber legs with a tungsten bead San Juan worm), and even rubberlegs make for a great working variety. Pick the one you like and have a great time.
Fishing is slow because fish are running deep to find coolest waters. Exceptions are gulpers which are active on surface in mornings when surface waters are coolest and such as speckled duns and trico clumps are easily visible until wind comes up.
Gulpers are going great guns on Hebgen, Ennis and Quake lakes. The Madison River below Slide Inn on down to Ennis is in a great fishing mood. On such as the Gallatin and Madison River drainages it is time to include spruce moth patterns in your fly boxes.
Terrestrials, particularly ant and hopper patterns, are bringing action on almost all streams. Don’t overlook presenting ant patterns on lakes. Carry cinnamon and black patterns of various sizes in order to be ready for which are attracting fish. And remember lakes such as Beula, Cascade and Grebe have great ant flights this time of the season.
Walk-in wade fishing opportunities are getting more numerous as the river is flowing at close to normal amounts. Best fishing seems to be below Blackfoot, but evening streamers will produce just about anywhere. This is also the time of year where ant flights attract fish, so be sure to carry various dry and wet ant patterns whenever you fish the river.
Fish remain scattered around the lake, but the best chances for action are at creek mouths and spring holes.
The best times on the lower river are early and late in the day. Streamers are a good choice either time with caddis life cycle patterns and hopper patterns effective during evenings. Morning spinner falls can result in some action. Small beadhead nymphs work during both times. On the upper river there are several mayfly hatches including tricos, speckled duns, small PMDs, and a few mahogany duns. But the best action can be found through fishing ant and other terrestrial patterns. Best tactics for Box Canyon includes small beadhead nymphs and early and late day streamers.
Flow out of Palisades Dam is up to a bit over 9000 cfs because of pre-harvest irrigation demands. In no way has this small and temporary increase hurt fishing. Yesterday’s rainy weather made for a great day on the river. As if to preview things to come this September, BWOs and a few mahogany duns were coming out in riffles already featuring PMD, slate cream dun, and caddis activity. This along with the currently great hopper and chernobyl fishing makes for some of the best top water fishing in the region.
Mikey’s Big South Fork Cutt
Word has gotten out about the superb dry fly fishing making the canyon and Swan Valley reaches a bit crowded with boat traffic. To get away from much of this traffic consider floating the lower river from the Lorenzo access on U. S. Highway 20 to the Menan access. True, it makes for a relatively short float compared to the canyon, but riffles, side channels, and spring holes are in plenty and will tempt you to stop and fish. The fare is brown trout with occasional cutts and bows, all of which are currently active on the surface.
Big news here is that Hebgen Lake gulpers are very active. This means getitng out on the lake and fishing mornings to near mid day and praying for wind to hold off. Fishing on the Madison River (see our last few reports for details) is holding up and so is that on the Beaverhead.