South Fork 12/15

Flows have dropped to 3,000 cfs. The river is in really good shape and fishing should be good this winter. Flows are a little high for being able to get around wade fishing like you might have experienced in the past few years. However there are plenty of spots to wade fish and the river is extremely accessible through wade fishing.

Picking the right day is crucial this time of year for finding success and keeping your sanity in regards to guides freezing up. Watch weather reports pick cloudy and warm days that reach temperatures above freezing. Also keep in mind that fishing during the warmest part of the day will be the most effective. Midges will hatch  on the surface but finding fish eating on the surface will be hit and miss. Nymphing with smaller rubberlegs and tungsten bead head nymphs will allow you to get down and in front of the fish’s face. The fish are not that picky when it comes to nymphs most small bead heads will work. Zebra Midges, pheasant tails and lighting bugs are very effective. Streamer fishing also takes a big slow down this time of year. I prefer to swing them with a small twitch or a extremely slow retrieve.

As I have mentioned before floating the river will become hard to do as we continue to get more snow and the boat ramps will not be maintained in regards to snow removal. However we have not had much snow yet this winter so the majority of the ramps are still open. The road to Cottonwood boat ramp is supposed to be closed as of Dec. 1st. and will reopen in May sometime. If you do float, short floats will take all day with the decreased flows on the river.

As always feel free to come visit or call the shop and we can answer any questions and try to help you catch some fish this winter.