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August 2016

Fly Fish Food Jimmy's / 2016 (Page 7)

Henry’s Fork 8-9-16

August 9, 2016
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Henry's Fork

It’s time to concentrate on presenting terrestrial insect patterns on the river from Last Chance down to Riverside. Ant (honey), beetle, cricket, hopper, and even deer or horsefly imitations should be in your fly box. Horse and deer flies will be the major airborne pests these days. So when they land on you, swat ’em as usual then pitch the remains into the river. Go on fishing, but if you hear a solitary take downstream, it is likely a trout taking that deer or horsefly you just dispatched.  A purist may accuse you of “chumming,” but you now have a great clue as to what the trout will take!

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South Fork 08-08-2016

August 8, 2016
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Fishing Reports

The South fork continues to fish well with flows staying pretty stable throughout most of the river. In the evening there are some very impressive mayfly hatches coming off, and the fishing has been great. Riffle fishing is going to be best up towards the dam, and the best bank fishing is going to be on the lower river. Hoppers are starting to make an apperance, but best action seems to be on the golden mutant stone. The lower end below Heise has a little more exposed gravel, and with that, the start of the mutant stones. To fish these with the most success, start focusing your attention on fishing mutant stones early in the morning, and later in the evening. Putting in tight casts to the bank, and using a twitch or skate on your bug will produce great success. Focus on the slower water, and stay out of the fast banks. If you find yourself on fast banks, make sure to time your casts on the slowest holding water, and dont flail casts aimlessly at the boils. As for the riffles: fishing a tandem rig with two maylfies will be the best.. For streamers I would use something big, or two smaller flies fished in tandem. Streamer fishing on the South Fork is all about figuring out what color they are interested in on that day, and that is where fishing the two fly tandem rig is helpful, fishing two different colors.

Best bugs to use:

Riffles: PMD Thorax Dun 16-18, Pmd Biot Emerger 16-18, PMD Para-spinner 16-18, Pink Albert Para-spinner 16, Rusty Spinner 16, Purple Haze 16-18, Williams Transitional Dun 16-18, Brooks Flexwing Baetis 18-20, Baetis Parachute 20.

Banks: Super Chernobyl Brown or Yellow 8-10, CFO Flamer Ant Yellow or Pink 8-10, CFO Ant Flesh 6-8, Plan B 8-10, More or Less Hopper 10-12.

Streamers: Galloup’s Sex Dungeon, Peanut envy, Kreelex Minnow, Sparkle Minnow, Sculpzilla, JJ Special, Complex Twist Bugger, El Sculpito, Prince of a Bugger.

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Southwestern Montana 8-2-16

August 2, 2016
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South Western Montana

Big draw here is Hebgen Lake gulper activity. The Madison Arm seems to offer the best action. All you need is wind-free periods. Mornings and evenings provide the best chances for these. Only “fly in the ointment” in getting there is the U. S. Highway 20 construction ongoing (into September) from Elk Creek Conoco to Island Park Village. Delays can be up to an hour, so plan accordingly.

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Small Streams 8-2-16

August 2, 2016
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Small Streams

The Teton River is fishing very well throughout. In Teton Basin PMD spinner and terrestrial insect patterns bring good action mornings and evenings.   During daytime hours recreational boaters flock to the river here, so best fishing is early and late. To fish with less daytime disturbance, try below the State Highway 33 bridge. There is plenty of easily wading, but because of no boat launch-take out facility, except at the bridge, recreational and fly-fishing boaters are greatly reduced.  Access to Teton Canyon above the dam site is somewhat limited. The river can be reached with the least effort at the Felt Dam, from Badger Creek, from the Bitch Creek Slide and from the Spring Hollow Road. Beware of rattlesnakes when you are not within the high water level. Gray drakes will soon be emerging during afternoon hours. Caddis life cycle, traditional attractor, and terrestrial patterns bring most interest from resident trout.   All these patterns work well on the lower river which can be waded at the dam site, at the Hog Hollow area, and above Teton City where it splits into the north and south forks.

To eliminate boaters altogether try Big Elk, Bear, and Palisades Creeks. Caddis life cycle, terrestrial insect and traditional attractor patterns are currently working well on each. The flavs (western green drake?)  should begin any day, with that event on Big Elk Creek being the “star of the show.”  Want a real “get away from it all” stream?  Try the South Fork of Tincup Creek.  Trying to fool cutts there with lightweight tackle there is a blast. There are others in this category. Come into the shop and ask where they can be found.

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Yellowstone Park 8-2-16

August 2, 2016
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Yellowstone Park

It appears that outflow from Grassy Lake Reservoir has been reduced. This will give better dry fly fishing in Fall River below.  Concentrate on presenting terrestrial insect patterns. Presenting trico patterns will soon be important there as we move through August into September. In fact terrestrial patterns will bring success on almost all park streams this time of the season. In addition, try soft hackled patterns on these waters, especially during evenings.

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South Fork 08-01-16

August 1, 2016
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Fishing Reports, South Fork

The fishing on the South Fork is remaining constant with Golden Stones, PMD’s, and now small ants. The flows are staying constant on the river with it running 12,400 cfs out of the Palisades Damn, and the hopper fishing is getting close to starting with these warm dry temperatures. The best fishing lately has been in the mornings and evenings with a dead period during the middle of the day. During that time, I would recommend a dry dropper with a size 12 or 14 bead-headed nymph.

Flies I would use:

Nymphs: Bennett’s Brown Rubber Leg size 6 & 8, Pearl Lightning Bug size 16, Red Copper John size 14, Bead Headed Pheasant Tail Crystal Flash size 16

Streamers: Gallop’s Yellow Dungeon, Kreelix Copper/Gold, Gallop’s White Peanut Envy, Sparkle Minnow, Flash Minnow.

Dry Flies: CFO Copper/Black Ant size 14, CFO Black/Red Ant size 16,  Super Chernobyl Golden size 10 (A.K.A Chubby), CFO Flamer (Purple or Brown) size 8, CW Pink Albert Dun size 16, Pink Albert Captive Dun size 16,

Also, a yellow lab was found at the Byington Boat Ramp Saturday, if you have any information contact Logan at 208-346-2066.

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South Fork 7-30-16

July 30, 2016
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South Fork

The river is about as stable as it can get with flows out of Palisades Dam at 12500 cfs for over a week. Riffle fishing has been good. Try pink albert life cycle patterns with thorax dun, cripples, and emergers being the best candidates. Switch from one to the other  to see which suits fish best in any riffle. Nocturnal golden stones have yet to make a significant appearance.  Ant and beetle patterns work well along well vegetated banks and hoppers are coming on. Try any big floating pattern with an ant dropper and watch cutts take that ant. Also two-nymph rigs presented over drop-offs will produce.

The US Highway 26 seal coating project is not as big a delay as first thought for those folks heading to Conant and Swan Valleys and above. Sections of the highway have reduced speed limits and waits required by flagger orders are usually around 15-20 minutes if at all.

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Henry’s Fork 7-30-16

July 30, 2016
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Henry's Fork

The outflow from Island Park Dam has cleared resulting in much better fishing in the river below  down to Riverside Campground. The reason for this rather sudden clear-up seems obscure, but a good analysis for its presence and of the previous suspended residue within can be seen on the 7/22/16 Henry’s Fork Anglers fishing report. Mike Lawson wrote it. This guy’s life time of Henry’s Fork experience more than matches that of ALL HF enthusiasts that walk into his business. When he writes/speaks on the Henry’s Fork, it is time to read/listen.

If I were going to fish the river below the dam and Box Canyon, I would concentrate a variety of terrestrial patterns on board. With respect to mayflies, flavs and PMDs are decreasing in the Last Chance-Harriman reach, but speckled duns are coming on. I’d do the same with respect to terrestrial patterns in the Cardiac Canyon reach, but also have large stonefly nymph patterns on  board and hope for some overcast weather (even a passing thundershower (we sure need moisture anyway)) which makes for the best time to present them.

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Yellowstone Park 7-26-16

July 26, 2016
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Yellowstone Park

Some of the fastest fishing in the park can be experienced currently at Beula Lake. Speckled dun and damselfly emergences and egg laying actions will bring cutthroat trout to the surface, while nymph and small leech patterns will interest those staying subsurface. Getting there is a bit slow because of the Ashton-Flagg Ranch surface condition and the 2.5 mile hike, but there are no major road construction projects to deal with on the way as are underway on US Highways 20 and 26.

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Henry’s Fork 7-26-16

July 26, 2016
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Henry's Fork

If you are concerned about slower fishing this season on the river from Box Canyon to Riverside Campground, read and consider the “River Is Changing, We’re On It” article on the Henry’s Fork Foundation web site home page.

Flow out of Henry’s Lake has been raised to 100 cfs and Henry’s Lake Outlet section was stocked with rainbows in early July. With low flows out of the lake early in the year, not as many as usual trout escaped to the outlet. However, trout stocked earlier this month and any from the lake will tend to stay in the outlet until flows drop, then they will migrate to the river below.  Good fishing can happen for folks presenting terrestrial patterns here. Concentrate these presentations where the river flows though willow thickets at the top and bottom of the Flat Ranch Preserve, and be sure to check in (and out) at the Ranch Visitor Center to help in the Nature Conservancy’s efforts to maintain the property.  Only “fly in the ointment” is the travel delays because of construction on US Highway 20 to the south.

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