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South Fork of the Snake River Fishing Report 5/17/2018

South Fork Guide Josh Heileson

Welcome to this week’s South Fork of the Snake River Fishing report.  I think a good title for this week’s report would be “Better day by day” or “Excitement is building”.  We’ve had several boats out on the water every day this week and both guests and guides have been getting more and more excited each day.

The water coming out of Palisades Reservoir is slowly clearing but most noticeably the tributary streams; Palisades Creek, Rainey Creek, etc are no longer muddy and are noticeably clearer each day.  Clearing water plus steady flows mean the fishing just keeps getting better.

Justin Hays, our lodge manager, recently attended a meeting with the Bureau of Reclamation and there really was only good news.  Runoff and snowmelt are happening faster than expected and everything is on track for a near perfect season for flood management, irrigation, and fishing!

As in the past couple weeks, nymphing has been the most productive method to catch fish.  Two fly setups with Rubberlegs and your favorite dropper have been most effective.  Keep the Rubberlegs on and rotate the dropper until you find what the fish want.  Popular droppers are San Juan worms, egg patterns, and a variety of bead heads.  Stop by the shop if you need help picking some winners.  Don’t be afraid to throw streamers while moving from spot to spot.  Focusing on slower moving water will yield the most opportunity as the fish are still “hiding” from the faster-moving water.

Our restaurant is now open by reservation.  Give us a call!  208.483.2222