South Fork

South Fork 4-9

Fishing on the South Fork remains steady as far as catching goes. Not much has changed here but we feel the need to update the report. Mostly because people are getting out and fishing on the weekends and we want to provide you with as much info as we can.

Nymphing is your best tactic for catching fish. Rubberlegs with Zebra Midges, small bead head nymphs, San Juan worms and trout beads as a dropper. Midges have been hatching moderately, fish can be found rising to them in the afternoon hours. Streamer fishing is tough going because the water is really cold. If you see the water temp get above 40 degrees swing streamers through big holes and strip them really really slow.

If you don’t like catching whitefish and you find yourself in a whitefish hole, just move. The trout and whitefish are not mixed this time of year and the trout are not as active as the whitties. I have been hearing a lot of customers tell me that people are killing whitties by throwing them up on the bank. Jimmy’s All Seasons Anlger does not encourage this type of behavior! Whitefish have just as much right to be in the river as Cutthroat because they are native fish. Whitties are not competitive with trout, they just happen to eat the same food and are actually considered a part of the trout family.  You will be ticketed and fined if you are caught by Fish and Game doing this. I can’t imagine any of our customers would think of doing this but we have had enough coustomers come in and talk about it I felt I needed to talk about it.

Short floats are you best option, when drifting. Dam to Huskies, Irwin to Conant(this is a long day), and Wolf to Byington, are the best floats for a day of  fishing. Wading fishing is the most effective way to find fish this time of year. The river is still low and you can access most of the river by foot.

South Fork 3/29

Fishing on the South Fork has really picked up. Many people are having really good success on nymphs and dry flies. With the majority of our days reaching into the 40’s the fish are getting fairly active for a few hours during the day. The streamer activity is starting to pick up as well. Swinging streamers through big deep holes is your best option for hooking into trout. Flows are still really low and we only recommend floating 3-4 miles, that will take you a full day if you stop and fish. Wolf to Byington, Palisades Dam to Huskies, and Irwin to Conant are your best options for floating. With the river this low it is really easy to get out and wade fish the whole river is open. Call the shop for any questions.

South Fork 3-22

The South Fork is fishing well. Flows are really low and floating long floats is not recommended. Floats that you would want to do is Dam to Huskies, Wolf to Byington, and Lorenzo to Menan. These stretches are very floatable for a day trip. Floats much over 5 miles is not recommended because it takes so long to with the low flows.

Fishing is basically nymphing with rubberlegs, bead head nymphs, Zebra Midges, Glo bugs, San Juan worms, and Trout Beads. If you get into a whitefish hole just move and find another deep slow moving hole with trout holding deep. Also later in the day you will find whitefish and Trout sipping midges on the surface. No Blue Wing Olives yet, I would expect them later in April. Call the shop if you have any more questions.

South Fork 3-9

Flows on the South Fork have dropped again to 1000 cfs at the Dam. With the decreased snow fall in the mountains this year the Bureau of Reclamation is trying to store as much water as they can. This will not directly effect the fishing this time of year. However remember that floating the river takes more time with the decreased flows. If you are going to float we recommend short 3 mile floats, these will take you the majority of the day. However we suggest you wade fish.

Dead drift nymphs 7-8 feet below an indicator. Use a #6 or #8  Rubber leg stonefly nymph, bead head nymphs size 16-18, also Glo bugs and San Juan worms. There has also been success with Super-X’s dead drifted below a indicator and being swung through deep pools. Midges are still hatching but are very inconsistent, look for fish eating them in the foam lines.

South Fork 3-5

We have many customers calling and coming to talk to us about fishing on the South Fork today. While fishing on the South Fork is good right now, floating the river is not your best option. Right now the flows are lower than they have been all winter. Flows out of the Dam are around 1200 cfs. This means that a 3 mile float is going to take you all day to float. Snow removal is not maintained on the boat ramps during the winter. All of the Swan Valley boat ramps are snowed in and not accessible with a truck and trailer. The only boat ramps that are open on the river is Wolf and Byington. Byington however is iced over and requires chains, and 4×4 drive to get your truck out of the ramp.

With the flows being this low walk in access is very good. We suggest Heise Bridge, Wolf Flats, Kelley Island, Spring Creek Bridge, and Fall Creek. Access to the Canyon road is closed above Wolf Flats but the fishing is accesable along this road up to that point. From the road closure you can walk in but no vehicles are allowed to protect wintering wildlife. Catching fish has been productive with Rubberleg Nymphs , Beadhead nymphs and midges on top. There has been some productivity on Streamers but you must present them extremely slow because the fish are not that active. Concentrate your fishing during the warmest part of the day and you should find some success during this spell of warm weather. For any more information or questions call us here at the shop.

South Fork 2-27

South Fork is starting to pick up. This warmer weather is providing some good days on the river.  March is one of Jimmy’s favorite time of the year to fish the South Fork. Nymphing is really the ticket for catching fish right now. Streamers are working but you need to slow down your presentation to almost a dead drift. The Midges are hatching but it’s not consistent and fish are not always up feeding on them. A brown rubberleg, with a black zebra midge, or a size 16-18 pheasant tail is working really well.

Picking you day is still the key for catching fish. Take advantage of this warm weather and have some fun out there.

South Fork 2-17-10

We are consistently getting good reports from the South Fork. The fishing is starting to pick up with the increase of the warmer weather. Dry Fly Midges have been hatching but it has been inconsistent.  Nymphing is still the best approach to catching fish day in and day out. Rubberlegs and Zebra Midges. I know that it sounds redundant and repetitive but it works! Fish are also being caught on small pheasant tails and bead head nymphs. If you see fish rising and can not seem to catch them try swinging a Pulsating Midge through them. (they are available at the shop)

South Fork 2-03

We wanted to give you a heads up on the flow situation for the South Fork. Flows at the dam have dropped to 1600 cfs. With decreased amount of snow fall the Bureau of Reclamation wants to make sure there is enough water in the spring to fill the reservoir.  This will not effect the fishing on the South Fork. Fishing has been good on the warm days. Nymphing has been the most productive. The key is fishing during the warm part of the day and hitting it on a day when the temperature is over 32 degrees.

South Fork 12-21-09

We have had good reports of fish eating midges on the surface on the warmer days. Today and tomorrow will be nice enough to go fishing but the weather is reporting some cooler temperatures by the end of the week. During this time of year the weather is a huge indicator on how the fishing will be. Don’t wait for a good fishing report on our website to go fishing, instead listen for a good weather report. If you wait for us to report good fishing in the winter you chance might be gone. Reports of Rubberlegs and small beadhead nymphs have been successful this last week with the warm weather. Come talk to us and we will direct you to some good holes if you plan on going out.

South Fork 11-27-09

The South Fork remains open to year round fishing, so we will have occasional reports on how it is fishing.  Right now flows out of Palisades Dam have been stable for weeks at 1800 cfs.  Rely on streamers, small nymphs, rubber legs patterns and dry/emerger midge patterns for best chances of success.  When we hear of actions that impact South Fork fishing, we will pass them on here.