April 21st Update - The Snake and the South Fork.

The Snake
The region is experiencing an extended system of high pressure that has brought warm, sunny days with water temps getting into the mid-40s. This is sparking a bit more by way of hatches. There are blue-winged olives sporadically, but we are seeing midges throughout the day and more and more skwalas and little green stones. This is creating terrific dry fly action with Lime Trudes (size 12), olive Snake River Water Walkers (size 12), Bear Back Riders (size 10-12), Parachute Adams (size 16-18), and Furimsky's BDE Black (size 18). As for holding water, riffles, seam lines, and low gradient confluence points are producing the best. Dry fly activity is best from approximately 12pm until the early evening hours of 5pm to 6pm. During the earlier hours of the day trout are being taken on Rainbow Warriors (size 16-18), Lightening Bugs (size 16-18), red Copper Johns (size 16), and black Copper Johns (size 14-18). But there are a lot of whitefish being caught below the surface, too.

Two factors might be throwing a kink into the good fishing we are experiencing on the Snake - first, the gauges on the tributaries are showing increased flows, some by almost 300%. So we may see an early runoff. Secondly, a new low pressure system is scheduled to move in late this week, which will drop air temps and, as a result, water temps. This may significantly slow the hatch activity and the fishing as well.

The South Fork
The South Fork continues to fish well from Spring Creek Bridge down through the Canyon. The nymphing has been top-notch on Prince Nymphs (size 16-18), Zug Bugs (size 16-18), Morrish Hare's Ear Nymphs (size 16), black Copper Johns (size 16-18), and black Stink Bugs (size 18). Riffles and inside seams are the pieces of holding water that are producing best. 12pm to 7pm has been the most productive part of the day. Dry fly action has been intermittent, but is happening on BWO imitations in the late afternoon hours.

The upper South Fork (from the dam down to Palisades Creek) has been hit or miss due to the cold water temps coming out of the Reservoir, but it is fishing well with nymphs - black of red Copper Johns (size 16-18), Tungsten Nymphicators (size 16-18), and olive or gray Sparkle Pupas (size 14-16). Dry fly action has been tough, but is happening in the late afternoon and early evening on Black Humpies (size 18-22) and Furimsky's BDE Black (size 18), particularly down stream towards Palisades Creek.

The low pressure system the is suppose to move in later this week may change the action a bit. Stay tuned for coming reports.