The Finest Fly Fishing in North America
Spring fly fishing on the South Fork of the Snake River is all about keeping your eyes on the weather and the water flows. There is a magic window in the Spring where the weather warms up, but the snow melt has not caused the river to rise or get muddy. This window benefits the early bird and can last just a week or up to a month. Our guides try to hit the river on the warmer days and afternoons when the sun's bounty raises the surface temperature a few degrees. Deep nymphing is the key as fish are slowly but surely becoming more active and Rainbow Trout begin their predicted spawn.
Due to the recent policies on the South Fork pertaining to management of Rainbow Trout, targeting the spawning rainbows provides some exciting, hard-hitting angling that is an absolute favorite of many guides. Stonefly nymphs, Egg patterns, various worm patterns and Beadheads are all staples for this time of year. Rainbows are the bulldogs of the river and jaw-dropping runs and leaps are in store.
Summertime flows on the South Fork are dictated by irrigation demand and can range from 12000-15,000 c.f.s. As water demand subsides, gravel bars and riffles emerge and insect hatching beckons fish to focus on these areas. Summer is what makes the South Fork famous! We have a wide variety of large hatches beginning early June which include: Salmon Flies and Golden Stones. Pale Morning Duns, Caddis, as well as terrestrials such as Grasshoppers, Beetles, and Ants become more prevalent in mid-July through September. While this is our busiest season on the river there is plenty of water and trout for everyone and most crowds can easily be avoided by putting in or taking out at one of our private access points. Floating early in the morning and/or staying out a little later can often provide a more relaxing day with fewer crowds and more opportunity.
The famous Yellowstone Cutthroat and Fine Spotted Cutthroat are the native fish on the South Fork and they love to eat dry flies, and often, the bigger the better. Some of our favorite patterns are The Chubby Chernobyl's, Parachute Hoppers and a variety of foam stonefly imitations. As the season progresses, fish key in on Pale Morning Dun mayflies and caddis patterns in riffles and drop-offs. Guides will have a box chock full of sparkle duns, X-caddis and PMD emergers ready to entice big fish rising to these abundant hatches. Dry flies are the rule in the summer. Nowhere else on earth can an angler sneak up to a gentle riffle and marvel at literally hundreds of fish eating with reckless abandon. If you have not experienced it, its a must. If you have, you will be back!
Fall on the South Fork of the Snake is one of the best kept secrets in trout fishing. Green gives way to orange and yellow. Frenzied anglers thin and your favorite run has only osprey with which to compete. Water flows are approaching their winter's meandering pace. Best of all, trout succomb to nature's demand to fatten up for the long months ahead. PMD hatches wane and chilly days trigger Blue Winged Olive hatches to carpet the river. Although waders may be the norm, the dry fly fishing is extra-ordinary. Fish forego their inhibitions and spend lazy days gorging in foam pools, eddies and along still banks.
The fall is also time to find big Brown Trout as they gear up for their spawning call of duty. Guides get restless at night thinking of dark days and big streamers. The voracious appetite of the brown trout coupled with aggression of the impending spawn forces an angler to watch every strip for that rod-shattering strike. Some of our favorite streamer patterns include Muddlers, Zonkers and weighted marabou flies in white and olive, brown and yellow and of course, black. Ask any angler intimate with the South Fork of the Snake and they will say Fall is unbeatable!
Winter can provide an exciting day on the river when that itch to cast a flyrod hits. Flows are very low, typically 900-1,200 c.f.s. and an angler can gain access to most of the river by wading. Being careful is crucial though as the water is still moving and can dip to 38 degrees.
Trout do not hibernate in the winter, but their metabolism does slow way down and their eating habits drastically diminish. The same is not true for the Mountain Whitefish which will make up the majority of your winter catch, especially if you are fishing nymphs. If you are looking for a tug between powder days, a Whitefish can be an exciting and willing participant.
Stonefly nymphs, San Juan Worms, Midge patterns, Bead Heads and Streamers fished slow and deep are the norm. Focus on slow moving deep runs and on that bright sunny day an angler can be in the midst of trout and whitefish sipping midges on the surface.
