Fly Fishing Report for June 1st, 2011

Snake River

The Snake is well into runoff and will be for quite some time with a snowpack well over 230% still in the watershed. The one fishable reach is the tailwater section running from Jackson Lake Dam down to Pacific Creek. Here the water is high (5,800 cfs) but is crystal clear and dropping by the day and water temps are getting up into the low 40s by late afternoon. There is little surface action, but trout are being taken on double nymph rigs with Prince Nymphs (size 14), Lightening Bugs (size 12 to 14), and red or olive Copper Johns (size 12 to 14). The fishing on this piece of the Snake is by no means "off the charts", but there is enough activity to keep an angler happy until more water opens up.

South Fork

The South Fork is running at 23,000 cfs and is very much off color from upstream runoff above Palisades Reservoir. We don't anticipate the South Fork to be fishable until the reservoir fills enough to allow sediment to settle. This might be a couple of weeks.

Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone opened to fishing on Memorial Day weekend and it is offering some of the best action in the region. Lewis Lake still has plenty of ice on it, but the Firehole River and Crayfish Creek are almost in ideal shape right now. Olive, cream, and white Soft Hackles (size 12 to 16) are working very well when swung through riffles and along seams and undercut banks. These same waters are producing with black or olive Copper Johns (size 14 to 16), Flashback Pheasant Tails (size 14), Rainbow Warriors (size 16 to 18), And Bubbleback Pheasant Tails (size 14 to 16). Blue-winged olives are emerging around mid-day, giving the best opportunity for dry fly fishing right now with bwo imitations - BWO Comparaduns (size 16 to 18) and olive Furimsky BDEs (size 16 to 18) are particularly effective. These are some of the best streams an angler can be on right now.

Henry's Fork

With the cooler temps that came into the region last week, Henry's Fork tributaries have receded and allowed for a clearer river and some better fishing. Oro Bridge to Chester is fishing best of all. It is not in top-notch shape for this time of year but is offering fair fishing in comparison to most waters in the area. Riffles and inside turns are fishing well with red or pink San Juan Worms, Tungsten BH Prince Nymphs (size 14 to 16), and Glasshouse Caddis (size 14 to 16). The big news is that the salmon flies are beginning to pop in pockets from Chester up to Warm River. If this emergence begins to get going in earnest, the Henry's Fork could be a very good place to be.