Fly Fishing Report for July 25th, 2010

South Fork
The South Fork continues to offer some of the best fishing in the region. Yes, the salmon fly hatch is a bust for the most part, but there are strong emergences of yellow sallies and PMDs. The lower section of the Canyon of the South Fork and the lower South Fork from Byington down to Lorenzo is as good as it gets with dry flies. Big attractors - Chubby Chernobyls (size 8 to 10), South Fork Chernobyls (size 8 to 10), and gold or olive Will's Winged Chernobyls (size 8) - are bringing up large trout along undercut banks and partially submerged structure. Patterns imitating PMDs and yellow sallies are working in riffles, eddies and on seam lines and confluence points. The most successful patterns have been Pheasant Tail Emergers (size 14), ILRs (size 12 to 14), Quigley Cripples (size 12-16), Parachute Cahills (size 12-14), Tailwater Humpies (size 12), Red Butt Sallies (size 10- to 12), and yellow Stimulators (size 10 to 12).


On the upper portion of the South Fork below Palisades Reservoir, big trout are being caught on double nymph rigs consisting of Pat's Rubber Legs trailing Rainbow Warriors (size 16), Prince Nymphs (size 12 to 14), and black or green Copper Johns (size 10 to 12). However, dry fly activity is picking up significantly with small flies imitating PMDs, prairie caddis, and yellow sallies - Pheasant Tail Emergers (size 12-14), CDC Caddis Emergers (size 12), Pink Sulfur Emergers (size 14-16), and Red Butt Sallies (size 12). Target these flies in the heads and tail end of riffles, in deep troughs and along shallow seams and eddy lines.



Green and New Fork Rivers
Both the Green and the New Fork are holding steady at around 600 cfs. Dry fly fishing is solid on each with yellow Stimulators (size 10 to 12) and Quad Quill Drakes (size 10) to match the impressive hatches of yellow sallies, gray drakes, and inermis PMDs. But the best action has been on big attractors fished close to banks and structure. Patterns such as the Melon Belly (size 8 to 10), red or purple Rubber Legged Double Humpies (size size 8), and gold or salmon colored Snake River Water Walkers (size 8 to 10) are producing browns clearing 20 inches when fished tight to banks and structure. The catch is that the windows of surface activity have tightened up considerably, somewhere between 2 and 3 hours in generally ending sometime by early afternoon.

If the trout on the Green and the New Fork are getting finicky, try fishing a Quigley Cripple (size 10 to 12) or a Halo Emerger (size 12) in slow riffles and along slow banks.



Snake River
The Snake is getting better by the day with large fish coming to the surface on every section. Large dries are doing well with Circus Peanuts (size 8 to 10) and Tara Xs (size 8 to 10)bringing trout to the surface along banks and on the downstream ends of structure. Yellow sallies and caddis dominate as hatches currently and are being matched with yellow Stimulators (size 10) and Elk Hair Caddis (size 10 to 12). These flies are bringing up bigger trout in riffles and along seams and confluence lines. Its a great start to a river that will no doubt take off in August and into September.