South Fork

South Fork 3-25

Fishing has really improved on the South Fork. Great midge hatches over the weekend with fish feeding on the surface. Other than the increase of midge activity all other tactics for catching fish have not changed from our previous reports.

All the boat ramps are open however the river is still at 900 cfs. This means that the river is a fraction of the flow we normally see. Short 3-4 mile floats will take you the majority of the day. We don’t advise going into the canyon. Cottonwood is still closed for wintering wildlife and it would be impossible to float the entire canyon in one day. Irwin slide to Spring Creek or Spring Creek to Conant and Wolf to Byington are good floats. Heise is inaccessible right now because the water is to low. Lorenzo to Menan is also a good float this time of year.

South Fork 3-12

Well the time has come to update the South Fork fishing report. Flows are still steady at 900 cfs. Fishing is starting to pick up. Reports of Midges hatching on the warmer days and good success on nymphing deep. Streamer fishing is also been producing fish. Be sure your deep and slow with the streamer. We have been starting to see some more action on the Blue Wing Olive nymphs and that will continue to pick up as the weather gets warmer. Spring creek boat ramp is still pretty hard to get in and out of right now and you still need chains or a really long rope at Conant. Wolf to Byington is accessible if you want to float. No reason to drag the drift boat out yet though. There are still really great spot you can access through wade fishing.

South Fork 2-20

The South Fork is beginning to pick up. Right now its mostly all nymphing. Make sure you are getting deep enough and fast enough. This means you need to have split shot and a long leader. The fish are on the bottom of the deep holes and seam lines. If streamers are more your style use a full sinking line and fish the deep dead water. Midges are also hatching on the warmer days, you got to find spots where they are hatching in good numbers. Not every hole will have fish rising.

The majority of the river is accessible for wade fishing. You can drive up the canyon road till you reach the road closed sign, than you gotta hike or ski. There is plenty of great water between Wolf and Road closure to fish.

Zebra Midges, Hare’s Ear’s and Prince Nymphs worked really well last weekend, and we have had many customers report that rubberlegs have been really hot as well.

South Fork Winter Fishing Report

Flows on the South Fork are now at the bottom floor for the remainder of the winter at 900 cfs. Techniques and fishing conditions do not really change on the river for the winter time so this is a fishing report for the winter season. However we will update periodically when the conditions require an update, you just will not see regular updates like you do during the other parts of the year. As always feel free to call the shop for questions regarding fishing.

Nymphing will be your best tactic for catching fish. Rubberlegs in a size 8 or 10, Small pheasant tails, zebra midges and lighting bugs are great for droppers below the rubberleg. Midges will hatch and fish will begin to feed on the surface on the warmer days. A full sinking line with a streamer is also a good technique in the slow deep pools on the river. Choosing your day is key for winter fishing. Look for warmer days and fish during the warmest part of the day. As always safety is pretty important during the winter. Always bring an extra pair of clothes and be careful. Small incidents turn into big mistakes and can become serious very quickly during the winter.

Drift boat fishing is not necessary this time of year. The boat ramps are not maintained for snow removal and the river is so low that it takes all day to float a short 3-4 mile stretch. We recommend wade fishing in the winter. The fish tend to congregate in deep holes and don’t hold on the banks like they do in the summer. So feel free to leave the boat at home and focus on finding a good hole and fishing it hard during the prime time of the day.

If you have any questions feel free to call the shop.