Small Streams

Small Streams, October 17th, 2020

The Blackfoot River below the reservoir is fishing well. Low flows mean that fish are concentrated in deep holes and runs. You will have a good chance for fishing success by presenting streamer patterns anywhere you can find deep water.  If you are a top water enthusiast, the Warm River offers good BWO and midge activity from the spring on downstream.  The Teton River also offers some top water fishing with BWOs and midges being active anywhere you approach it.  Where it flows on the Snake River Plain grasshopper populations have diminished, so streamer fishing might be the best way to encounter larger fish.

Small Streams, October 3rd, 2020

We are yet to have a killing frost, so grasshoppers are abundant in the valley. The lower Teton River offers good hopper fishing as well as active BWO and caddis. Hoppers also remain in higher elevation meadows on the Teton and Blackfoot Rivers, and will be present until a killing frost wipes them out.  Warm River, just below its spring, is not visited much this time of year, so offers solitude as well as AM tricos, BWO and caddis activity with a few hoppers and other terrestrial insects thrown in for resident brook, brown and rainbow trout.

Small Streams, September 29th, 2020

Reservoir administrators are capturing water for the next irrigation season.  This means downstream flows will decrease thus driving resident salmonids to deeper water where they find more overhead cover.  Several of our smaller streams with reservoirs are effective by these water collection actions. For the fly-fisher this means concentrating on deeper water. Streamer, weighted nymph, and woolly bugger patterns should be in the fly box.  Such as stripping these through the deep water or suspending such patterns underneath an indicator to drift through that water are effective presentation techniques.

Small Streams, September 12th, 2020

Smaller streams without significant spring inflow or lakes in their drainage are at base level which reduces overhead cover and increases the tendency to warm during daytime.  Larger fish in such streams will move to deeper water where available. Larger streams seem to escape these situations and will offer good fishing until freeze-up. Consider Teton and Warm Rivers throughout their reaches, Big Elk, Birch Creek (above Lone Pine), Palisades, lower Robinson, and Sawmill Creeks as best destinations this time of the season. We at the shop can suggest the best area small waters to try this time of the season.  Get in touch with us to help choose a stream to target.

Small Streams, September 5th, 2020

Teton River in the basin and below the canyon can provide some of the best small stream fishing in the area now. Same story: AM trico activity and PM terrestrial insect activity.   Same for Warm River.  Water in the upper Blackfoot River is low enough for temperatures dangerous to released trout.  Palisades Reservoir tribs, Palisades, Birch (family area) and Bitch Creeks are good places to try. Use caddis life cycle, traditional attractor and terrestrial insect patterns.

Small Streams, August 29th, 2020

Again, not much change since our last report. Streamside terrestrial insect population is at its peak nearly everywhere. Here’s a tip if you enjoy presenting hopper patterns. If a grain cutting operation is ongoing and nearby to a stream, hoppers will be on the move away from it. This means more of them end up on the water. Fish being in the water “24/7,” are aware of this and take notice. Enough said; bring hopper patterns if such activity is ongoing. Better yet, bring these patterns anywhere you try the water.

Here are a few streams to consider avoiding because of low water and hot weather (less cover and higher water temps): Blackfoot River above the reservoir, Salt river tribs coming out of Idaho, lower sections of sinks streams ( Beaver, Medicine Lodge, Camas, Little Lost). Some of the best to try these days: Teton River in the basin and below the canyon ( rattlesnakes still active in the canyon), Warm River, all Palisades Reservoir tribs, Birch Creek (in family area above Lone Pine), Bitch Creek, and Palisades Creek.

Small Streams, August 24th, 2020

Fishing is slowing down on some streams because of the extended hot, dry weather. That’s the case on upper Blackfoot River where low flow has warmed water to the point of making it somewhat lethal to play a fish for a long time.  Below the reservoir conditions are very different with around 600 cfs coming down the river to satisfy irrigation demands and making wet fly fishing the best way to go. Our weather should begin cooling next month, and irrigation demands will diminish, so better days are ahead.

Small Streams, August 22nd, 2020

Our extended hot dry, weather is  making fishing tough on many of our smaller streams. Some, like the Salt river tribs coming out of Idaho, are at base level flows already and warming to high water temps during daytime. Larger and spring-fed streams are still in good shape. Count Bear, Big Elk, Bitch, and Palisades Creek among these. Teton and Warm Rivers are in good shape.  Flow out of Blackfoot Reservoir into the river is up enough (600cfs ) to make for tough fishing unless you stick to the bottom. You will need a Wyoming fishing license for Greys River, but it is offering some really good fishing now with caddis and some PMDs remaining, and terrestrial insects making for action.  For up to date conditions on the Greys River, Greys River Sports , 106 Greys River Road provides the best info. On the east edge of Alpine, They offer fly fishing gear along with a variety of outdoor gear. Call them at 307-654-3474 or look their web site: www.greysriversports.com.

Small Streams, August 15th, 2020

Thanks to grasshoppers it does not matter where you go from the Teton River to smaller streams such as Little Warm River dry fly fishing will be good. To supplement the effectiveness of hopper patterns these days, be sure to have caddis life cycle, traditional attractor, ant, and beetle patterns.   In a few streams small PMDs are still around, and tricos will be soon showing up.  Kokanee are beginning to show in lower Big Elk Creek and western green drakes (flavs) should show up in significant numbers any day now.

Small Streams, August 8th, 2020

We cannot promote these enough. Almost any small stream in the area will produce now until dropping to base level and cold weather arrives. In some of these, fish will move downstream where overhead cover ( Beaver, Jackknife, Robinson Creeks) may be more abundant. Others with a good inflow from springs, tributaries, or lakes (Bear, Bitch, Big Elk, Palisades Creeks, Warm River) fish will hold their location until cold weather arrives. On all these terrestrial insects, especially grass hopper patterns and caddis life cycle patterns will be effective for weeks to come unless a major mayfly emergence (western green drake, trico) happens.  In these warm dog days wading wet on the Teton River from some of its access locations in the valley can be comfortable and rewarding (candidate fly: grasshopper patterns). The Rainey access is a good candidate for doing so. Get in touch with us for fishing condition details on any small stream.