Fly Fishing Report for September 23rd, 2010

Snake River

The Snake continues to fish well as we get further into autumn. All of the bugs we associate with this time of year - September stoneflies, mahogany duns, hecubas, and October caddis - are on the water, as are PMDs and some remaining grasshoppers. This is the best fishing of the year and the Snake is living up to the hype it usually gets. While the upper reaches in Grand Teton National Park are producing good results, it is the lower reaches from Wilson Bridge down through the Canyon in Bridger Teton National Forest that are fishing best of all. Riffles are producing with small mayfly imitations like Pheasant Tail Emergers (size 14), Quigley Cripples (size 12 to 14), Copper Hazes (size 12 to 14), Parachute Hare's Ear (size 10 to 12), and Furimsky BDEs (size 12 to 14) in rust and olive. Banks and structure are also producing with yellow or orange Stimulators (size 10), SRA Chernobyls (size 10) in rust or peach, Tara Xs (size 8 to 10)and Chubby Chernobyls (size 8 to 10). These patterns have been very effective in the morning hours - roughly 8 am to 11 am - when surface action is limited. No doubt these flies are being taken as Claassenia stoneflies, which have really come on strong over the past week or so.

South Fork

Fishing has become a bit more difficult on the South Fork over the past week and a half but it is still worth fishing but to the big cutthroats and browns that can be taken at the moment. Mornings have been slow with action picking up in the afternoon generally, but don't be surprised if the morning produces better than afternoons on some days. Mornings have been productive with large stonefly and hopper imitations such as Chubby Chernobyls (size 8 to 10) with trimmed wings, Rubber Legged Double Humpies (size 8), Fat Alberts (size 10) and Kasey's Creature (size 8 to 10). We are fishing these primarily along banks and in the skinny water extending off of banks. In the afternoons, we are targeting the same water with the same flies but fished as a tandem rig with small mayfly or caddis imitations. These flies, as well as emergers such as Q's Loop Wing Cripple (size 12 to 14), Quigley Cripples (size 12), and Bootie's Mahogany Emerger (size 12 to 14) are fishing well in riffles and eddies throughout the afternoon. Takes have been subtle even amongst the brown trout, so be on your toes with your hook sets.