Evenings are a great time to fish this nearby water. Presenting streamer patterns during these times will be increasingly effective as we move toward fall. Best way to do this is from a boat, but there are plenty of walk-in locations. Come to Fly Fish Food Jimmy’s, and we can suggest some good locations for you.
Give the Firehole River a few more days of cool weather. Longer nights will help bring water temperatures back to where there will be less catch and release stress on hosted salmonids. Northeast corner streams (Slough and Soda Butte Creeks, Lamar River) are at base level flows and have many visiting fly fishers. Stealth is required on these three meadow streams for any measure of fishing success. As with so many streams in the area, flying ants are now a top insect for foraging trout. These comments also apply to Fall River Basin streams except that a lot fewer fly fishers are in attendance.
Flies to fish:
Ant patterns are the way to great top water fishing just about everywhere. That includes Hebgen Lake where callibaetis and tricos are not as numerous as during a few weeks ago.
Centennial Valley streams are at base level, meaning low flows, cooler nights, and less daylight. These will tell resident cutthroat trout and grayling the time to head back to Upper and Lower Red Rock Lakes is coming. Elk Lake will continue to offer good fishing for west slope cutts for weeks to come. Concentrate your fly fishing efforts along vegetated shorelines where ants and hoppers are around.
Flies to fish:
Well Fed Main Stem ‘Bow
Time to consider the Main Stem for some good fly fishing! Water flow is almost ideal.True, there is no big stone fly activity and may fly activity is mostly limited to BWOs during the fall emergence peak, but caddis activity is plentiful. There are many locations for walk-in-wade access from the Henry’s Fork confluence on down to American Falls Reservoir. The Idaho Falls Fish and Game office and we at Fly Fish Food Jimmy’s can pinpoint some for you. In particular, streamer fishing does nothing but improve throughout the river as we advance into the fall season. Trophy sized brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout stay in the deep during daytime, but by evening they range out to forage, and a well placed streamer pattern of choice could bring you a best fish of the season.
Lower Teton River
The Teton River rates as our best small stream for fishing from a boat or a flotation device. The river in the basin comes to mind first for hard sided boats and flotation devices, but it can be “loved to death.” .Flotation devices, large and small, are best for float fishing through the canyon, but on leaving the canyon, hard sided boats revive as a good choice These can be launched from a number of locations from Spring Hollow, the Teton Dam site and the Hog Hollow bridge site on down. With the fall mayfly emergence peak coming (BWO, mahogany dun, speckled dun, remaining tricos) and great bank side terrestrial insect populations and much fewer anglers than the larger rivers, the Teton River is a local fly fishing treasure.
Flying ants
Cooler nights and less daylight will help bring the lower river around to water temperatures more suitable for lower river trout to survive the rigor of catch and release. September is perhaps the most pleasant month to fish anywhere on the river. Fewer anglers are present.The fall mayfly emergence peak, PM caddis activity, and terrestrial insect (especially flying ants!) population make top water fishing wonderful. Presenting streamer patterns during low light conditions on the lower river, Box Canyon or the Tubs will become increasingly effective the further we move into autumn.
After this weekend, look for reduced boat traffic on the river as folks return to school or wrap up vacations. But look for an increase in mahogany dun and BWO activity and a sustaining bank side terrestrial insect population.. The river has a lot to offer this time of the year besides good fishing. There is increased tranquillity, better chances for solitude and usually fine weather. Even though Palisades Reservoir is about two-thirds full, water conditions on the river could not be better.
The Big Hole River will be closed to fishing in its entirety starting today because of low flows and an expected spike in daily high temperatures.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) said persistent low river flows, high water temperatures and an “unseasonably warm and dry forecast” led to the full closure decision. FWP implements hoot-owl restrictions and fishing closures when rivers reach certain temperature thresholds that can be harmful to cold-water fish like trout.
During the past week and a half, FWP has lifted hoot-owl restrictions on the Beaverhead, Ruby, Smith, Jefferson, Bitterroot, Clark Fork, and portions of the Madison rivers as cooler temperatures and some rain moved through Montana. A hoot owl restriction remains on the Madison River from Hebgen Lake upstream to the Yellowstone Park boundary.
Fall season is just around the corner. For the Madison River the very beginning of brown and rainbow trout out of Hebgen Lake into the Park drainage is arriving. The Firehole River will cool to the point that water temperatures will drop from the dangerous range for salmonids to that suitable for surviving the rigors of catch and release. Top water fishing on all streams will continue thanks to the fall may fly activity emergence peak and the presence of terrestrial insects. Most insect pests have gone, and soon the same happens with the numerous visitors. So perhaps the best time to fish in the Park is just ahead.
If you do not mind walking a couple of miles, Beula Lake still offers the best still water fishing in the Park
Flies to fish:
Watch crowds of fly fishers diminish on the upper river after Labor Day. Back to school and the end of vacations along with fewer insect pests make September the most pleasant month to fish this part of the river. The Fall mayfly peak will be in progress with trico, tiny BWOs and mahoganies. Gone are the concerns of low dissolved oxygen, and the days of dense aquatic vegetation are numbered.
Flies to fish: