Snake River Angler Fly Fishing Report for April 30th, 2012 by Boots Allen

Snake River
The Snake is currently in full runoff mode.  With this years light snowpack and the forecast for a dry spring, we expect this year's muddy water to be relatively short by Snake River standards. The Bureau of Reclamation is increasing flows out of Jackson Lake Dam.  Currently they stand at 750 cfs.  As they go up with the runoff and the diminishing capacity of the the reservoir, we should see these flows go up fast in the coming weeks.  This should open up the tailwater section of the Snake from the Dam down to Pacific Creek to some really good fishing while the rest of the river is still off color.  Stay tuned for future developments.
South Fork
Flows from the Palisades Reservoir have increase steadily over the past week by about 1,000 cfs every day or other day.  Releases currently stand at 10,000 cfs.  This has negated the surface action we were getting into last week but subsurface action is steady.  The upper reach in Swan Valley is crystal clear and fishing well with egg and shrimp patterns (silver, white, or gold and size 14 to 18) on long leaders - 10 to 12 ft - and added split shot.
Downstream of the dam in the vicinity of Husky boat launch, these same patterns will produce but a better bet is to go with a standard stonefly nymph and San Juan Worm in red or pink.  These flies will produce on downstream until Rainey Creek.  Fish these nymph rigs on deep seams, through riffles, and along banks for the best results.

Streamers are producing on both the upper river in Swan Valley and the Canyon reach, the latter of which is slightly off color from runoff produced by Palisades, Rainey, and Pine creeks.  Baitfish imitations like Silvey Sculpins (black, gray, and green), Butt Monkeys (rust or olive), Booty's Quad Bunny (black, white or olive), Stacked Blondes, J.J. Specials, Clouser Minnows, and Kiwi Muddlers (black, olive, white, or rust) are producing on banks, submerged structure, and the tailouts of seams.  We are fishing these on intermediate and Type III sink tips.

Green River
The Green River has come up significantly over the past week and is noticeably more off-color.  We are still catching trout on nymphs and streamers.  Double Nymph Rigs composed of Pat's Rubber Legs (size 8 to 10) or RP Muskrats (size 8 to 10) with San Juan Worm, Lightening Bugs (size 10 to 14), Prince Nymphs (size 12 to 16), and red, olive, or black Copper Johns (size 12 to 16) as trailers are producing along submerged structure, banks, and riffles.  Streamers like Bow River Buggers (black, olive, or rust), SRA Bunnies (olive, black, or gray), Quad Bunnies (black or olive) and Zoo Cougars (olive or black) are also producing in the same water.

Snake River Angler Fly Fishing Report for April 22nd, 2012 by Boots Allen

Snake River

Continued warm air temperatures are leading to continued dyr fly action on the Snake River. Runoff is yet to start and the Snake is still crystal clear for the most part. However, the forecast for temperatures in mid-70s over the next several days might put the river into runoff soon.  Get out and fish it while you can.
Hatches have been heavily dependent on the weather we have in the area on a given day.  Midges, minute caddis, and blue-winged olives are the dominant hatches on those days when we have cloudy weather with precipitation.  Riffles, flats, and shallow banks with moderate current are fishing very well in the afternoon until dusk. Pheasant Tail Emergers (size 18), Furimsky BDEs (size 18), Quigley Cripples (size 16), and Booty's BWO Emerger (size 16 to 18) have been most productive in these water types. Larger attractors like Stimulators (size 10 to 12) and Will's Winged Chernobyls (size 10 to 12) are working well along banks and structure.
On warm, sunny days (which we have had a lot of), Skwalas and large caddis (Brachycentrus and Hydropsyche primarily) have been emerging with a lot of consistency to the point that dry flies can be fished all day.  Kasey's Creature (size 10), Will's Winged Chernobyls (size 10 to 12), PMXs (size 10 to 12), and Stimulator Xs (size 10), can be fished along banks, structure, and in eddies with success.  These flies are bringing up some pretty gerthy cutthroats.
Nymphing is productive throughout the day in most types of holding water. Liver Nymphs (size 14), Hickey's Auto Nymphs (size 16 to 18), Lightening Bugs (size 14 to 16), and Prince Nymphs (size 16 to 18) do well when fished in tandem with larger attractor nymphs.

South Fork
Releases from Palisades Reservoir have been dropping fast.  We have gone from 10,000 cfs early last week to 6,000 cfs as of last night.  The good news on the South Fork is that dry fly fishing has been getting better and better with each day in the Canyon reach and the upper in Swan Valley.  Much of this is due to the strong caddis emergences that have been evident over the past couple of days.  Chironomids have also been appearing throughout the watershed.  Riffles, flats, seams and eddies are good water types for fishing dry flies currently.  Olive or tan U-Con Caddis (size 14), olive, tan, or black CDC Elk Hair Caddis (size 10 to 16), olive Stimulators (size 12 to 14), and CDC Wing Caddis (size 14 to 16) have been very productive.  In fact, caddis imitations are about all you need on the suface currently.  In addition, Booty's BWO Emerger (size 16), black Parachute Tricos (size 18), Halo Emergers (size 16) and Pheasant Tail Emergers (size 18) have been working when fished in tandem with larger mayfly and caddis imitations.

Nymph fishing continues to be productive in riffles, eddies, and seams.  Czech Mate Nymphs (size 14 to 18), Booty's Day-2 Midge Pupa (size 18), Flashback Pheasant Tails (size 14 to 16), Lightening Bugs (size 14 to 18), Mercer's Z-Wing Caddis (size 16), Dorsey's Mercury Caddis (size 14 to 16), Booty's Quick Decent Caddis (size 14 to 16) and Batmen (size 16) are performing best of all.

 

Snake River Angler Fly Fishing Report for April 15th, 2012 by Boots Allen

Snake River

The Snake continues to fish very well with dry flies on the lower and middle reaches from Moose Bridge down to West Table. Riffles, seams, eddies, and flats are alive with rising cutthroat throughout most of the day. Midges are the dominant emergence with a smattering of blue-winged olives and Capnia stoneflies about as well as a few October caddis. Pheasant Tail Emergers (size 18)Griffith's Gnats (size 18), Parachute LBSs (size 18), and Booty's Mahogany Emergers (size 16 to 18) being the best patterns in these water types. Although there are only a few Skwalas being seen throughout the day, but larger patterns like Stimulator Xs (size 12) and Will's Winged Chernobyls (size 10 to 12) are bringing up large cutthroat at the head of riffles and along shallow banks.

Nymphs are producing good size and number in a variety of holding water types, but particularly along banks and structure and along the entire length of seams. Booty's Day-2 Midge Pupa (size 18), Batmen (size 16 to 18), Prince Nymphs (size 16), and Elk Liver Nymphs (size 16) are working well when fished with double nymphs rigs.

Streamers are also working well along banks and structure and in seams. Egg Laying Zonkers, Clouser Minnows, Silvey Sculpins, and small Zoo Cougars have been doing the trick through most days and in most weather conditions.

South Fork

The Bureau of Reclamation has held flows from Palisades Dam steady at 10,000 cfs and this has allowed the river to to stabilized from a fishing standpoint. Dry fly action is almost nil, but nymphing has been productive in riffles, seams, and eddies. Double nymph rigs consisting of Pat's Rubber Legs (size 8 to 10) and Kaufmann Stone Nymphs (size 8 to 10) fished with Lightening Bugs (size 12 to 18), Supermen (size 14 to 16), and Copper Johns (size 14 to 18) in black or olive are catching rainbows and cutthroat in most water types and on most reaches of the river.

A lot of anglers are having success on streamers on the low reach of the South Fork from Wolf Eddy down to Menan Buttes. Flash Fries, Bow River Buggers in rust, olive, or black, Booty's Quad Bunny, and Marabou Muddlers in olive or brown have been productive, especially along banks, structure, and when trolled at the head of seams.

Henry's Fork

The Henry's Fork remains somewhat off-color but some clearing has occurred with the cooler weather over the past couple of days. The reach below Vernon Bridge and below Chester Dam are fishing OK with nymphs in riffles and along banks and submerged structure. Lighten Bugs (size 14 to 18), Hickey's Auto Nymph (size 16 to 18), Czech Mate Nymphs (size 14 to 18), Day-2 Midge Pupa (size 18 to 20), and R.W. Chamois Caddis (size 14 to 18) are producing well when fished in tandem with larger stonefly patterns.

Streamers are also bringing in trout on these same reaches of river when fished along banks and structure. Dark colored patterns seem to be working best, most likely due to the off-color water and recent cloudy weather. Among the more productive baitfish imitations are Beadhead Zonkers in olive, black, or purple, and Kiwi Muddlers in black or olive.

Snake River Angler Fly Fishing Report for April 8th, 2012 by Boots Allebn

Snake River

The Snake continues to be one of the better streams in the area to fish just about anything, from dry flies to nymphs to streamers. Chironomids remain the dominant aquatic insect emergence with very sporadic hatches of blue-winged olives and Capnia stoneflies intermixed. There are also a few October caddis and mahogany duns about. These are sparse hatches of autumn insects that will appear every now and then in the spring. Riffle have been active with surface feeding trout on black Furimsky BDEs (size 18), Pheasant Tail Emergers (size 16 to 18), Krystal Midge Emergers (size 18), black Parachute Tricos (size 18 to 20), and Parachute Extended Body Midges and BWOs (size 18 to 20). These patterns are also bringing up cutthroat on seams and on shallow banks. What is impressive this past week is the size of cutthroat on banks with slow currents in depths of less than one foot. Seeing 18" to 20" cutties rise slowly to these small patterns is as classic as it gets during early season.

Nymphing is a good way to go when not targeting rising trout. Double nymph rigs consisting or PR Muskrats (size 8 to 10) and Pat's Rubber Leg (size 8 to 10) fished in tandem with Booty's Day-2 Midge Pupa (size 18) black, olive, or red Copper Johns (size 14 to 18), Batmen (size 16), Prince Nymphs (size 14 to 18) are working well along banks and seams.

Cutthroats are in full eat-and-chase mode on streamers along seams and banks, and are the only pattern bringing trout off of their lies along structure. Silvey's Sculpins in gray, white, or black, McCune Sculpins in gray or white, black or white Booty's Quad Bunny, and J.J. Specials are among the most consistent streamers.

South Fork

Flows from Palisades have increased this past week from 4,500 cfs to 10,000 cfs to move water down to American Falls Reservoir and to increase capacity in Palisades Reservoir in preparation for the coming runoff. Bureau of Reclamation might be continuing their increase to 12,000 or 14,000 cfs. Once flows stabilize, or begin to ramp down, we expect the river to start fishing well again, although it is hard to tell with flows at that level this early in the season. Stay tuned for future reports.

Henry's Fork

The Henry's Fork is still fishing in a temperamental fashion. There is off-color water on most sections that are currently open to fishing. Caddis and chironomids are hatching intermittently throughout the watershed. Riffles are fishing OK with Hickey's Auto Nymph (size 16 to 18), 20-Inchers (size 10), and Lightening Bugs (size 12 to 14).

The Warm River reach of the Henry's Fork is a bit chalky but fishing decent with nymphs and streamers. Flash Fries in olive-over-white, J.J. Specials, Tequilley's, and Bow River Buggers in rust, olive, and black are fishing well along banks and submerged structure, particularly on the upper reach.

Lake Ice-Out Update

Ice is beginning to melt and break-up on Palisades Reservoir as thanks to warming temperatures and decreasing lake levels. We are also seeing blue ice on Jackson Lake, indications of a pending early ice-out. We hope to be putting boats on these stillwater bodies some and bring a report on how early season fishing is going.