Idaho Fish Report

Weekly Conditions and Tips

Pictured Above: Ella Abraham with a nice Madison River Brown
Photo courtesy of Kelly and Kirk Abraham

Report By Craig Mathews

The Madison River continues to fish well during late day mayfly and caddis activity. While there is early morning midge and caddis egg-laying activity in a few selected spots bringing trout to the surface, it is evening hours when you want to be on the river for sure, if you enjoy dry-fly fishing like I do. All day nymphing has been superb while streamer fishing can be counted on during early morning and late evening hours. The Spruce moths are starting to crank up and the guides have been taking a few fish on these patterns. Look for the moths to become stronger this coming week. The best areas I've found for dry-fly fishing have been near the West Fork and downstream to Ruby Creek. Big-time spinner falls like we discussed above are the rule each evening and trout come up for them.

Flies needed? Have #14 Hi Vis Spinners, #16 Epeorus Sparkle Duns and spinners as well as Tan Iris and X2 Caddis. A Micro Madison PMD nymph along with Krystal and original $3 Dips are important nymphs as are Crack-Backs and PT's. It would help to have some Tiger and Longhorn Beetles along too for searching water during the afternoon hours.

The Gallatin continues to surprise us with its big brown trout and numbers of fat rainbow coming up for dry flies from The Golden Gate Bridge to the upper reaches near Bacon Rind. The same spinners listed above for the Madison are needed every evening along with pink lady duns during the daytime. A beetle and flying ant are great to try during afternoon hours. Red and Krystal Dips will bring some very nice fish to hand for nymphing anglers too. Most complain when we suggest this fine river for them to fish that, "I've only taken small rainbows on the Gallatin". Not the case in 2013, give the river a try for sure!

The Yellowstone River downstream of Nez Perce Ford can give up some fine cutthroat during late evening caddis and mayfly spinner times. Gray drakes might come off in early morning along with a few Flavs. The fish are there if you are willing to search for them. The Black Canyon of the Yellowstone rewards anglers with a fine hike and wonderful fishing. Try the Blacktail Deer Trail or hike into Hellroaring Creek for some incredible fishing. Make sure you have a few large hopper and cricket patterns as well as a Longhorn Beetle, these fish can't refuse foam flies!

The Gardner River fishes well on the upper and middle reaches with most attractor patterns like Royal Wulff and Trude Cripples, yellow humpies and the like. If you have a beginner along make sure you try the upper reaches near Panther and Indian Creek. Try Straight Creek, sleeper bet for sure, when in the area.

Same can be said for the upper Gibbon River near Norris and Virginia Cascades, great places to bring beginning anglers who will take some gorgeous brook and brown trout.

The Lamar fishes well in its meadow and the hike into the Cache Creek junction area has been great too. Have terrestrials and a can of bear spray when fishing the upper reaches. In the meadow be ready with gray drake spinners and PMD's #18, both duns and spinners in addition to terrestrials like beetles, bees and crickets.

Slough Creeks big trout in her lower meadows are very difficult to fool now but if you hike into the upper meadows you'll be rewarded. I like walking and stalking and presenting a gray drake sparkle dun or #18 PMD Sparkle Dun or spinner to cruising cutthroats in the early mornings. Later on, say 11am to mid-afternoon try your Longhorn and Tiger Beetles along with a Jiminy Cricket to patrolling fish. I will try and stay into the evenings when the big fish rise to #22 Zelon Midges and #19 Iris Caddis in olive and tan or #18-20 tan X Caddis. You will find evenings most incredible now through mid-August.

Soda Butte has fished well as has Pebble Creek. Both can be fished with Purple Haze, PMX's and Missing Links.

Hebgen's gulpers have been inconsistent as C Baetis and Trico mayflies begin to emerge in force. This lake along with Earthquake and Hidden, Wade and Cliff will get better as we move into August. Byron had one day this week when he hooked 14 and landed 11 only to follow up the next day with 2 hook-ups and 1 landed. You must be ready to fish nymphs and emergers as well as duns and spinners.

In the Park great fishing can be expected on Grebe and Cascade as well as Wolf, Ribbon and Joffe. Check out Trout now too and watch the otters while searching for big cutts and rainbows.

The Henry's Fork has slowed to a crawl as irrigation needs downstream call for increased flows making the dry fly fishing very tough.

Smaller waters fun to fish and explore would include Fan, Bacon Rind, Grayling and Specimen along with Indian, Glen, Lava and others. Stop in and talk with Aaron or Peter, both of our small stream experts who love to hike and explore new waters.

Stop in too and check out our new TFO "Cutthroat" Tenkara rod and see for yourself why this simple form of fly-fishing is taking Yellowstone country and beyond by a storm! You will not find a more effective, simple and efficient way to take trout!

See you next week and give us a call!