Flow out of Palisades Dam was upped to 1250 cfs a week ago today from around 1000 cfs. It is uncertain if 1250 cfs will be the winter flow, but if it were it would benefit the fishery. A good number of walk-in wade locations remain, but weather determines how pleasant fishing will be this time of year. If you give it a try be sure to have rubberleg and streamer patterns in your fly box.
Buddy Shaw is a fly fisherman and fly tyer from Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he lives with
his wife and three children. Buddy grew up fly fishing the South Fork of the Snake River, the
Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, The lower Blackfoot River, and the many small streams and
creeks surrounding the Idaho Falls area. Buddy has also spent a considerable amount of time
fly fishing Idaho’s and Washington’s Steelhead rivers. Buddy ties everything from small dry flies
and nymphs to large streamers and terrestrial patterns. Buddy tied at the 2019 Eastern Idaho
Fly Tying Expo. This will be his first tying demo at Jimmy’s.
Born and raised in Eastern Idaho on the banks of the beautiful South Fork reach of the Snake River, that is where Gary Barnes passion for fly fishing began. He started fishing and exploring the South Fork reach at the age of six which evolved into a passion of tying flies starting in his early teenage years. Living near the river by Ririe, he fishes and knows it better than most folks out there. Gary’s South Fork experience and observations, and those on numerous other waters he frequents, have made him a superb tier, much coming from being self-taught. Because of this, he reveals some very unique and innovative methods and patterns that catch many different fish species. Gary’s productive patterns have resulted in invitations to demonstrate many of his techniques at shows and conclaves. He has fly tying demos at shops and at shows including Eastern Idaho’s Fly Tying and Fly Fishing Expo, Western Idaho’s Tying Expo, Washington State’s The Fly Fishing Show, The Northwest Fly Tyer and Fly Fishing Expo, Western Colorado’s Conclave as well as other numerous FFI Conclaves, and has been a featured tier in Ireland. Now associated with LOOP Tackle and Semperfli. Gary is also part of the Daiichi and Semperfli pro staffs. Some of Gary’s patterns can be found in various fly fishing books (Modern Terrestrials, Trout Country Flies, Flies for the Greater Yellowstone Area and various magazine articles). His focus on tying ranges from trout nymphs and dries, meaty streamers, steelhead flies, as well as saltwater patterns. He prides himself in classic Atlantic Salmon flies dressed with traditional materials and even forges and makes his own hooks
Chris Williams, is a retired teacher who has been a fly tier and fisherman for over 50 years. Through his numerous regional fly fishing excursions he has created many different and effective fly patterns. Largely self taught, he ties all manners of trout flies, but specializes in dries and emergers for spring creeks, tail waters, and still waters.Chris is a long time Pro Team member of Whiting Farms and a member of Moonlit Fly Fishing’s Pro Staff. He has written articles for Fly Fusion Magazine, contributed flies to a number of books, and writes a quarterly column for the Whiting Farms Newsletter. Chris also has demonstrated and taught fly tying and classes at expos throughout the northwest for many years. Amongst these are the Eastern Idaho Fly Fishing Expo in Idaho Falls and the Western Oregon Fly Fishing Expo in Albany, Oregon. In addition, he markets a line of flies which are distributed and sold commercially. This will be Chris’s third tying demo at Jimmy’s, and he is looking forward to renewing old friendships, making some new ones, and sharing some of the flies and fly tying techniques he’s learned
In 1997 at the age of 10, Ben Swaner moved to Idaho and quickly became interested in fly fishing while his family established roots in area. He vividly remembers catching his first large trout in the Coffee Pot rapids section of Henry’s Fork and meeting Pat Bennett (creator of the Pat’s Rubberlegs) through a family friend one summer while visiting Island Park. While attending College at Utah State University, Ben took his first fly tying class using a kit his grandfather had gifted him several years earlier. Fly tying quickly became the perfect fusion of artistic expression and utility for him. He has been fortunate to live in and travel to locations with exceptional fishing opportunities across the west including Alaska.
Ben recently moved back to Idaho Falls with his family and has enjoyed reconnecting with all of the fisheries he visited as a youth. Most recently Ben’s fishing and fly tying inspiration has been focused on European style nymphing. He has gravitated to this approach because of its simplicity and effectiveness in catching fish. His demo will feature nymph patterns that he has found to be effective in targeting trout in our local and regional waters.
Springfield Reservoir offers the most convenient still water fishing around. It has been stocked with hatchery catchable rainbows ranging to around 18″ and has a population of holdover rainbows running to larger sizes. Midge pupa patterns under an indicator, small black or purple leeches, and fly rod jigs seem to offer the best way to encounter these.
Looks like flow we now have coming out of Palisades Dam will be with us through the winter. Some good walk-in areas for pitching streamers are just below Palisades Dam, channels above Squaw Creek dugway, locations along the river road above Heise, and near Twin Bridges. Evenings and early AMs have best potential for success.
Lower river offers good streamer fishing for browns late and early in the day, but some ‘bows and browns are taking midge and BWO life cycle patterns. You may have to search river locations to find just where such activity is going on.
Flow is a bit below seasonal normal throughout the river, and brown trout are chasing streamers from Menan to American Falls Reservoir. Evenings and early mornings are best time to encounter these browns. The river below American Falls Dam is flowing a measly 400 cfs. That concentrates fish, and presenting streamers can be productive. Beware of weekend crowds.
Flow below Mackay Dam is 108 cfs. That makes wading easy. BWO and midge activity bring trout to the surface, but nymphing might bring better action during these nice days.