The flow out of Palisades Dam has been rising this week from 1,200 cfs last week to 3,500 cfs as of this writing. We will see flows steadily increase through May as runoff begins but we don’t expect things to get too high as the B.O.R. will be “catching” a lot of the runoff in Palisades Reservoir.
The increase in flows is helpful for fishing as it increases the food and habitat available for the fish. The guides on the water this week reported good “worming” and “rubberlegging”. If one thing is constant it’s that when the flows come up the fish eat worms…enough said. A size 4-6 back or brown stonefly nymph aka rubberleg trailed by your favorite San Juan Worm imitation is probably the best setup to start with. Midges and some Blue Winged Olives are also on the menu mostly in nymph/emerger form but I never rule out the opportunity to fish dry flies on the South Fork. The same applies for streamers, a determined streamer angler will never go without some action whether it’s June or January.
The weather is looking absolutely fantastic this weekend have fun and be safe.
If you need to stock up your fly box our Fly Shop is having a great sale and you can shop online or in the store.
If you’re looking for more tips for fishing the South Fork in May, take a look at the article Orvis published this week.
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