It’s almost here, the weekend, and even better Memorial Day weekend! For those of us who’ve been fishing the South Fork for a long time it’s the “traditional” opener even though the South Fork has been open year round since 2004. It’s also the “traditional” start to summer even though, more often than not, it’s often snowing on Memorial Day. Finger’s crossed the forecast looks really great this year!
The fishing forecast is looking better as well. Flows out of Palisades dam have dropped once again this week to around 9,000 cfs. This makes fishing the banks and finding “fishy” water much easier. The reservoir is now at 36% capacity and as the reservoir fills we should see water clarity improve.
Fishing has improved this week with our guides reporting lots of fish eating big stonefly nymphs and guests averaging about dozen fish per day. As mentioned in previous fishing reports this month, top patterns include stonefly nymphs, large san juan worms, as well as other big attractors like large prince nymphs and eggs. With the off color water I thought this article would be worth sharing “Fly Fishing Runoff Can Mean Fish On“. This is a good article with some tactics for chasing trout in off colored water.
Good luck out there this weekend! If you need a guide, shuttle, or up to the minute fishing report swing by our fly shop or give us a call. Our shop is fully stocked with the valley’s best fly selection and our knowledgeable staff is ready to help.
208-483-2222