Fishing Report for October 31st, 2010

Snake River
The first snows of the coming winter season have fallen. Air temps are cool as are water temps and, while the dry fly action has constricted to about four hours in late afternoon, the dry fly fishing that we are getting can been very good. Blue-winged olives, tricos, and midges are the primary bugs on the water. Mahogany duns and micro caddis will also make an appearance when there is a little bit of precipitation. October caddis can also appear intermittently. Productive surface patterns include black or olive Furimsky BDEs (size 16 to 18), olive Stacked Wing BWOs (size 14 to 16), Mahogany Parawulffs (size 12 to 16), and cream Comparaduns (size 16 to 18). Riffles and seams are the hot targets, but don't forget to hit tail-outs on large stream-bound structure and banks, as well as shallow flats extending off of cobblestone banks.


Subsurface fishing is almost the only game in town in the morning and early afternoon. Lightening Bugs (size 16), black Copper Johns (size 16 to 18), black or gray Tungsten Midge Pupa (size 18 to 20), and long hackled Tungsten Hare's Ears (size 14) are working very well in moderate to deep riffles, along seams, and in confluence lines. You will have to weed your way through a lot of whitefish, but it is entirely possible to hook into some 17 plus inch cutthroat.


South Fork
Flows from Palisades Reservoir are down to 3,200 cfs. Fishing is tougher than it was a couple of weeks ago, but there is still some decent surface action along the entire length of the river from the Dam down to Lorenzo, especially from mid-afternoon until dusk. Blue-winged olives and tricos are the most prevalent bugs on the water, followed by mahogany duns on the wetter days. Parachute Adams (size 16 to 18), cream Furimsky BDEs (size 14 to 18), Mahogany Parawulffs (size 14 to 16), Copper Hazes (size 12 to 16), and Quigley Cripples (size 12 to 14) have been working very well during the few hours of dry fly action in shallow riffles and recirculating eddies.


Double nymph rigs have been doing very well in the morning in riffles, along banks, and in pools alongside structure. Lightening Bugs (size 12 to 16), Zug Bugs (size 14) and black or olive Copper Johns (size 12 to 16) have been very productive patterns over the past week.