My son asked me when the dry fly fishing would be good on the South Fork and I said “When we get back from our trip I bet it will be excellent.” Sure enough, we had the opportunity to fish on the 4th and were rewarded with great afternoon hatches and willing trout. Now his only question is “Can we go again tomorrow?”
The South Fork of the Snake earned its reputation because of the fishing we are having right now and will have for the coming weeks. The famous Salmon Fly Hatch is working its way upriver with adult Salmon Flies spotted as far up as the lower Canyon. Along with the Salmon Flies there are afternoon hatches of Little Yellow Sallies, Pale Morning Duns and Green Drakes.
The fishing is slower in the morning as the fish bide their time for the afternoon hatches but fish can still be caught by fishing Salmon Flies tight to the bank or nymphing with Rubberlegs and various droppers to imitate Sallies, Drakes, etc. In the afternoon keep your eyes out in riffles and foam lines for the above-mentioned hatches.
The water is still cold on the upper river so the hatches have been limited there but with warm weather in the forecast, it’s likely that the upper will start fishing well in the coming days if you’re not seeing any bugs on the surface you can rest assured that fish are eating nymphs and probably gorging on the Salmon Flies as they prepare to emerge.
Now is the time to grab your rod, a friend, or some family and head to the river. Be safe, be kind to the fish and fellow anglers, and enjoy these summer days. We have limited availability for lodging guests and day trips. If you’re interested in lodging dates you can view availability here. If you’d like to book a guide for the day you can call us at 208.483.2222
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