Fishing Update for May 29th, 2010

South Fork

Flows from Palisades Dam have stabilized at approximately 9,500 cfs and the fishing continues to get better by the day. The upper reach in Swan Valley is fishing well with double nymph rigs (Prince Nymphs in sizes 12-14, red Copper Johns in sizes 12-16, and San Juan Worms) in large riffles and seams along eddy pools. Light streamers - either tan or white - are working along banks and structure. Stacked Blondes (size 6-8), tan articulated Zoo Cougars (size 2-4), and white Bow River Buggers (size 4) are working best.

But it is the Canyon reach of the South Fork that has been fishing best of all. There have been solid hatches of BWOs and caddis. Gray Parawulffs (size 16), Ausable Wulffs (size 16) and peacock Elk Hair Caddis (size 12-14) are matching these bugs on the surface and producing decent sized cutthroat and browns up to 16 inches. The streamer fishing, however, is incredible in the Canyon right now. White streamers - Clouser Minnows (size 6), Doll Hair Thunder Minnows (size 4-6), and trimmed down articulated Sex Dungeons - are producing in skinny water flats, along banks, and along structure. We have been fishing these with floating lines and intermediate sink tips. Big browns and cutthroats up to 20 inches are slamming into these baitfish imitations throughout the day. There is almost no consistency in terms of activity with the type of retrieve.

The South Fork is THE place to be at the moment.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is OPEN!!! Guides and anglers on the Firehole report water conditions to be decent but flows did rise a bit on opening day. Blue-winged olives were on the water as were a smattering of caddis despite cool temps and wet weather. Browns and rainbows are taking dead drifted Prince Nymphs and Zug Bugs and olive Copper Johns (all in sizes 16-18) in riffles and along undercut banks. Trout are also taking olive or yellow soft hackles swung through the tail end of riffles.

Ice is off about 30 percent of Lewis Lake and the fishing here was very good on Opening Day, although the put in is still really hard to deal with (lots of ice still in this area). Points, flats and melting ice edges are fishing well with olive or gray Mohair Leeches (size 8), blue-over white or gray-over-white Clousers (size 4-6), and gray Bow River Buggers. Sink tips in the range between Type 3 and Type 8 are getting these flies into the feeding zone and picking up brown trout and lake trout from 16 to 20 inches. These fish have a healthy girth to them and appear to have wintered well. We expect more good things to come from Lewis Lake in the coming weeks as the ice begins to melt and serious accessability by boat becomes more likely..

Snake River

The Snake cleared up significantly with the recent cool weather in the area, but with the warmer temps and drier weather it is now into runoff and should be for several weeks. Don’t expect much to happen until late, except for the tailwater section from Jackson Lake Dam down to Pacific Creek, of course. Flows from Jackson Lake Dam are scheduled to go up on June 6^th and that section should start fishing well when it hits 2,500 cfs. We will report on that section as soon as we get a boat on it.

Green and New Fork rivers

Both rivers are relatively low but are in runoff and off color with about three feet of visibility. Under these conditions it is fishing well with nymphs and streamers. Red or black Copper Johns (size 12), Bloody Marys (size 12-14), red or olive San Juan Worms, olive Bow River Buggers (size 2-4), olive or black Beldar Buggers (size 4), and black Krystal Buggers have been the best producing flies when fished along submerged structure.