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.