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Author: Bruce_Staples

Fly Fish Food Jimmy's / Articles posted by Bruce_Staples (Page 190)

Still Waters 7-12-14

July 12, 2014
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Still Water

Water levels in most of our irrigation reservoirs to the southeast are dropping as irrigation draw-down goes on. This means warming water temps and therefore slower fishing (early mornings may be best). Daniels Reservoir seems least impacted by this action and offers the best fishing of all these. Same as in our last report: fish the outer edges of the mud line when winds make for wave action. Look for the best fishing to be at the top end of the reservoir. Use your favorite damselfly nymph pattern, try midge pupa patterns under an indicator, or a damselfly adult pattern if you see mating and egg-laying flies in action.  Both the Harriman Fish Pond and Springfield Reservoir are weeding up, but fishing the channels between weeds with such as dry damselfly or speckled dun patterns can be productive.

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South Fork 7-12-14

July 12, 2014
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Fishing Reports

The giant stonefly event is pretty much over, but fish still know what they are, so keep a few patterns for them in your fly box. Golden stones, PMDs (3 tails on duns), pink alberts (2 tails on duns), afternoon caddis, and sallys are keeping fish active on most of the river. So be sure to have patterns for their life cycle in that box. Don’t overlook swinging one of Wes Newman’s Super-X patterns under, then away from overhead cover.

A good reason why South Fork fishing is stacking up better this year than last is that Palisades Reservoir at 75% of capacity. This means cooler water (currently around 54 deg. F just below Palisades Dam) going into the river. Last year with the reservoir at so much less of capacity, water going into the river was warmer making dry fly fishing frustratingly slow by this time of year.  Are you a South Fork enthusiast? Count your blessings for 2014 because good water conditions should go on for quite some time here.

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Henry’s Fork 7-8-14

July 8, 2014
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Henry's Fork

Mike Lawson offers that AM spinner fishing in the river from Last Chance to Pinehaven is productive in the morning with patterns for green drakes, PMDs, and Flavs working best. During afternoon hours PMDs and in overcast afternoons flavs bring about action. As expected, the fishing in the Henry’s Lake Outlet portion is slow. Increased water coming out of the lake did not happen until later when fish around the lake’s shoreline had moved to deeper water. Thus fewer fish were available to get into the Outlet via those increased flows.The river below Ashton Dam is beginning to warm because of irrigation water output. Look for action there to begin diminishing, but an early AM streamer can bring up some big trout.

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Small Streams 7-8-14

July 8, 2014
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Fishing Reports

All small streams not impacted by irrigation water are in good fishing shape. The lower Blackfoot River is an exception because of fluctuating flows of irrigation water. But the river above the reservoir, having opened on July 1st, is in good fishing shape. Try your favorite PMD life cycle patterns here, and for the meadow reach in the Blackfoot River Wildlife Management Area look for a sparse evening brown drake emergence. And remember that adult damselfly patterns will work here as they will on any meadow stream.

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Still Waters 7-8-14

July 8, 2014
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Still Water

With waters beginning to warm (around 67 deg. F at Daniels Reservoir), drop (Chesterfield, Hawkins, and 24-Mile Reservoirs) or moss up (Springfield, and Treasureton Reservoirs) fishing for warm water species might be an enjoyable alternative. Condie Reservoir offers good bass fishing. Twin Lakes offers bluegills, crappie, and bass action. Johnson and Lamont Reservoirs offer bluegill action.  If you want to continue trout fishing, Daniels offers your best bet. Stick to the upper end with a boat and present damselfly nymph patterns. If you see damselfly adults mating and laying eggs and rises, switch to your favorite adult  pattern. Also when wave action gets going walk the east side shore line and fish the outer edge of the mud slick with wooly bugger types.

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Yellowstone Park 7-8-14

July 8, 2014
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Yellowstone Park

It is amazing how much snow is left in the Park’s high country! Extensive areas on the Madison and Pitchstone Plateaus have snow cover remaining. Rangers who have traveled to these places say drifts up to three feet in depth remain.This bodes well for all drainages ( Bechler, Fall, Firehole, Lewis Rivers) from these places. Cool water from snow melt will keep dependent streams in the best fly-fishing shape well into this summer. This is now the case with Fall River Basin streams which are all running high for this time of year, but are clear and cool indicating a gradual run-off. The large PMDs that emerge this time of year are ongoing on all these streams with trout responding to them during PM hours.  Look for a good afternoon green drake event followed by a great evening brown drake event on all these streams in the upcoming days.

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Henry’s Lake 7-8-14

July 8, 2014
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Henry's Lake

Fly over Henry’s Lake, and you can tell from the boat clusters where the good fishing is. In front of Targhee and Duck creeks, in front of The Cliffs, and certain spots out in the lake where there are channels between weed beds are favored locations. Damselfly nymphs are what’s working in these places.  So are midge pupa patterns if you can find the taking depth, and small woolly bugger patterns.

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Still Water 7-1-14

July 1, 2014
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Still Water

Chesterfield Reservoir has been drawn down by about a third because of irrigation demands. This has warmed remaining water there and therefore hurt fishing some, even though damselflies are mating and laying eggs. Fishing at Daniels Reservoir is much better than at these two. Damsel adults are going great guns here. Midge pupa at the taking depth under an indicator work well, too.

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Henry’s Fork 6-28-14

June 28, 2014
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Fishing Reports, Henry's Fork

Add flavs to the list of mayflies emerging in the Last Chance-Harriman State Park area where fishing has been good. Still some green drakes and gray drakes with a few golden stones are left on the river below Ashton Dam.  Now that South Fork fishing is picking up big time, as Jimmy related a few days ago, there will be a shift of interest away from the Ashton to Chester part of the river and therefore fewer boats.  So with fewer anglers present from Ashton to Chester there is opportunity to enjoy fish responding to those drakes and golden stones before they die out.

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Yellowstone National Park 6-28-14

June 28, 2014
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Yellowstone Park

Runoff still remains high on Fall River Basin streams.  Same with Lamar River drainage. The Firehole River has come into its own and with the current cool weather will stay that way until the Park weather warms up.  Don’t overlook Duck Creek if you are looking for a dry fly challenge, and remember there is a good brown drake hatch coming in near future evenings. Lewis Lake offers good fishing with streamers, but if you use a boat, watch for the wind. The Lewis River in the meadow below the lake features an afternoon green drake hatch that has been a bit sparse in recent years but brings up resident brown trout.

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