Wednesday, April 4, 2012

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.

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