The weather change we’ve all been wishing for looks to arrive this weekend with rain and snow in the forecast. If you’re on the river today and tomorrow the fish have been holding fairly deep and we’ve had good success with small nymphs under an indicator. Euro-style nymphs in sizes 18 and even 20 along with more traditional soft hackles, Baetis, and Midge-style nymphs have been producing this week.
As the weather rolls in streamer fishing is sure to pick up and if the wind keeps down we should see an excellent hatch of Blue Winged Olives and Mahogany Duns. These Mayflies typically hatch in the afternoon so plan your day accordingly.
The flow out of Palisades is currently 3,000 CFS this opens up a lot of opportunities for walk and wade fishing and remember if you’re floating it’s going to take a lot longer to cover ground. Shorter floats like Spring Creek to Conant, Dam to Husky, or Wolf to Byington are good choices. The drop in flows this week also cleared up the water on the upper section a lot and I’d say we have excellent clarity again.
Our Swan Valley fly shop has a great sale going on right now as well as all the fishing gear, tips and tricks you might need for a great day on the water. Stop by and say “Hello”. Stay warm and catch a big one this weekend.