Flow out of Palisades Dam has been reduced again. Now is about 1170 cfs at Irwin, 2100 cfs at Heise, and 1000 cfs at Lorenzo and makes for a greater number of walk-in wade locations, but even rougher conditions for hard sided boats. Unsettled weather predicted for later this week will increase BWO activity and enhance streamer fishing success.
Clark (Cheech) is a creative fly tier and angler and a Fly Fish Food partner operating out of Orem, Utah. Cheech conducts the first of our Saturday winter time fly tying demos, free to the public.
Cheech ties custom flies to target all species and has contracted tiers line up to help with demand for his patterns. His patterns are offered commercially through Fullingmill.
His fly fishing passion is throwing big meaty streamers for trout, as well as chasing large and smallmouth bass. Having grown up in a household where art was strongly encouraged, Cheech first focused on feathers and fur as a primary medium beginning in 2001.
Clark is an innovator and has created popular patterns such as the Cheech Leech, the Grumpy Frumpy, and the Unsinkabeetle. Grumpy Frumpy is featured in “Flies for the Greater Yellowstone Area” by Bruce Staples and published through Stackpole Books. Cheech has been featured in This Is Fly magazine and has been published in Southwest Flyfishing. His flies have also been featured in Fly Tyer Magazine and American Angler magazine.
Co-founding Fly Fish Food with like-minded fly tier and creator Curtis Fry, they have introduced an array of synthetic materials to the fly fishing world. Doing so, has created a fly tying following second to none. Together they create video fly tutorials, review materials and tools and generally “rant” about fly tying and fishing.
When Cheech isn’t tying or fishing, he is usually pestering his wife and three kids and inadvertently booby-trapping the house with stray hooks, as well as a thin layer of marabou scraps, tinsel, and FOAM.
He has demonstrated his fly tying abilities at Jimmy’s All Seasons Angler twice in recent years. These events were not only informative and generous in all respects, but fun. Rest assured that this demo, beginning at 10:30 AM, will be the same.
Beginning this week, Fly Fish Food-Jimmy’s will open Monday through Saturday at 10:00 AM rather than 9:00 AM. To coincide with this opening time change, Saturday Fly Tying Demos, free to the public, will begin at 10:30 AM to provide a half hour for demo tier set-up and the for public to begin attending.
Thanks to recent cold weather, these guys are gone
Wednesday there was another flow reduction. Here are current flows at three main gage stations: about 1750 cfs at Irwin, 2800 cfs at Heise, 1100 cfs at Lorenzo. Great flow for walk-in wade fishing, not so good for hard side boats and for fish. Let’s hope USBR does not lower flows further.
Snake River at Freeman Park
It is the the best brown trout fishery in the area right now. There are several walk-in wade locations above and below American falls Dam, and much of the river is good water for boat fishing. Within the Idaho Falls city limits such places as Freeman Park have convenient access points. Pitching streamer patterns is the name of the game through using sink tip or intermediate lines. Placing flies in the right location is more important than pattern selection.
Fishing remains spotty at best. Success depends on who you talk to. State Park Facilities are closed but access and the boat ramp remain open.
Most Park roads have been temporarily closed in order to clear snow. They close for good Wednesday, November 1st. That means no access to the Firehole River. Access to the lower Madison River can be done through Baker’s Hole Campground to get to the Beaver Meadows. Expect to walk through snow. The Park fishing season will be closed after the first Sunday in November.
This can happen during the late season
All brown trout runs are in full swing, but those close to roads are well attended by fly fishers (Gardner, Madison, Snake Rivers). Fewer attending fly fishers are on the Lewis River channle or at Lewis Lake outlet thanks to the weather conditions. Those conditons will worsen for the rt of the weeks, so be prepared for bad road conditions, snow, wind and reduced Park services. Presenting streamer or big nymph patterns of choice are the best ways to encounter aggressive browns this time if the season.
South Fork boat ramps won’t look like this until June of next year!
Flow out of Palisades /Dam was reduced a few days ago ( now about 2200 cfs at Irwin, 3200 cfs at Heise, 1200 cfs at Lorenzo). Water downstream to the Henry’s Fork confluence is cold and clear. BWO and midges make for the best hatches with mahogany duns beginning to diminish. Browns are migrating and becoming aggressive, so streamer patterns of choice will attract them. Walk-in wade conditions are about as good as can be. Unsettled weather is coming up for the rest of the week.
With a bit more than 100 cfs in flow coming out of Mackay Dam, the river is in ideal wading conditions. These flow conditions extend downstream as far as the Leslie township. If you visit the waters in the Leslie area, respect private land, but you are legal when staying within the river high water marks. BWO and midge activity will make for top water fishing, so bring their life cycle patterns to enjoy actively feeding fish, mostly rainbows with a sprinkling of brookies. Traditional nymph, small rubber leg and streamer patterns will also be effective.