Responses to damselflies still seems spotty with some action along the southwest corner of the lake. Try leech patterns on an intermediate line with a slow retrieve and with a blood worm trailer at other places. As the lake warms up be ready to fish creek mouths with traditional Henry’s Lake patterns.
With flows stabilizing to normal levels it is time to break out streamer patterns for some evening fishing. Concentrate on areas out of the sun, but make sure you can wade or boat safely.
All are at their peaks for action. But with hot weather coming some of the smallest streams will tend to warm and therefore slow down. This does not apply to the rivers such as the Teton, Falls, Warm, Blackfoot and Portneuf. On all of these PMDs, caddis and sallys still bring action, but for riffle and run reaches attractor patterns will be a blast to fish. This means such as humpys, renegades, Wulff series, and irresistibles. For slower reaches such as in Teton Basin PMD life cycle patterns will bring action. And on all small waters it is time to break out your ant and beetle patterns remembering that hoppers are only a week or two from taking over as the patterns of choice.
Drakes have come & gone everywhere on the river. On the Harriman-Last Chance reach mornings and evenings offer the best fishing with PMDs in decreasing sizes (bring life cycle patterns in #18-#22) providing daytime action, then flavs bring evening action. Hoppers are not significant yet, but ant and beetle patterns will bring action anywhere on the river. So will evening caddis flights. On the middle and lower river, a few golden stones can still be seen, but sallys are more numerous, so medium and small stimulator and dry muddler patterns will work well. Likewise, no hoppers of significance yet, but ant, beetle, and PMD life cycle patterns can bring action. Don’t overlook streamer patterns if you will be on the river during evenings.
Flow out of Palisades Dam has been stable at 12700 cfs for several days now, and the flow at Heise (13,800 cfs) has been just as stable. And both flows are at historic normals. All this means that the river, especially in Swan Valley and in the canyon, is at its summer best. Some golden stones are still hanging around there, emerging yellow sallys and PMDs are bringing fish into riffles. Bring your favorite life-cycle patterns for these remembering that presentation dominates specific pattern. On the specific side, super-x patterns are living up to their “fish-getter” reputations when swept under bushes, overhangs and along grassy banks. Caddis flights bring evening action, and a few green drakes are beginning to show in canyon locations. One should also pack streamer patterns for evening action around sheltered banks and shallows. It’s a great time to be on the river, and look for the river to fish well for weeks to come. Get in touch. We can give you advise not only on strategy, but equipment, best locations, and specific fly patterns.
With flows out of Mackay Dam at just under 700 cfs, wading here is not for the faint of heart. Small & medium sized leech patterns presented on a sink-tip line will bring the most action until waters get down to a more suitable level for wading.
It’s the same as earlier this week: damselflies are what’s bringing the best action on all these. Now speckled duns are beginning to show here & there, so they may be the next bug to bring action. Want to escape to new waters? Try such as Aldous Lake (cutthroats only), Paul Reservoir (cutthroats only), Horseshoe Lake (put and take grayling & ‘bows), or Harriman Fish Pond (‘bows and brookies). Get in touch with us to see how to get to these and fishing strategies for fishing them.
Big news here is Madison River big stonefly hatch. They are up the river as far as between Hebgen and Quake lakes. So is the “fly-fisher hatch”!.
It’s hard to find one that is not fishing well. Expect the most accessible to be crowded on weekends. Do you enjoy fishing traditional attractor patterns? Any riffle and run areas of these will be a great choice. Some of our small streams have a good number of large trout. This applies to the Blackfoot, Teton, Portneuf and Warm Rivers. It also applies to Bitch, Stump, Crow, Palisades, Big Elk, Medicine Lodge, Bear, and Sheridan creeks. Get in touch with us for more information on these.
Fishing remains spotty even though damselfly nymphs are numerous. The west side seems to provide the best action for now. Let’s see what a week of real summer weather coming up will do.