Wow—it’s already the last day of July, and summer is cruising by! Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to wet a line on the South Fork, but if not, there’s still plenty of incredible fishing ahead.
Flows out of Palisades Dam remain steady at 12,100 cfs, with excellent clarity and perfect water temps. We’re still finding success on big foam dries trailed with droppers. With the Salmon Flies wrapping up their annual party, it’s time to turn your focus to Golden Stones and Hoppers for your topwater patterns.
Caddis are active in the mornings and evenings, and PMDs continue to hatch daily—especially on cooler or overcast days. Riffle fishing has gotten trickier; not every riffle has feeding fish or hatches, so slow down and observe carefully. Many fish are keying in on emergers or nymphs and won’t be breaking the surface. A good selection of emergers is essential right now—stop by the shop to see our current favorites.
Expect a midday slowdown during the hotter days. When that happens, switch things up with a double nymph rig—a rubber legs trailed with your favorite dropper (or even two small ones) can be just the ticket. This week I experimented with nymphing in riffles, foam lines, and deeper drop-offs where fish weren’t visibly rising, and we found success with patterns like CDC Pheasant Tails, Lightning Bugs, Duracells, and Perdigons in sizes 16–18.
Save the Date: August 22 – South Fork Gala
Join us for a night of fun and giving back to the river we love. The South Fork Gala supports the South Fork Initiative in partnership with the Henry’s Fork Foundation. Learn more and get involved here.
See you on the river!
If you would like our weekly fishing report delivered right to your email inbox every Thursday afternoon from May – October. Sign up HERE.