Over on the South Fork in Idaho the fishing has been the Tale of Two Cities. For some the fishing has been excellent and for others it has just been OK. One report from an old time guide said it has been some of the best Salmonfly fishing he has had in years. Others have said they seen many of the big bugs, Salmonflies and Golden Stones, but not one eaten. The consensus from all reports, and my personal experience is, afternoons are better than mornings. Yes, there are still a few Salmonflies and Golden Stones still around, with good PMD’s and the South Fork PMD’s (Epeorus Albertae) hatching.
A cornucopia of Yellow Sallies and very good evening Caddis activity. Fish are stacking up again in the riffles which have brought back memories. PMD Sparkle Stackers, South Fork CDC Emergers, Goldie Hawn’s for the Sallies have all been successful in the riffles. You can’t go wrong with an old reliable Olive X-Caddis for the afternoon and evening Caddis hatches.
For those of you that are floating, we think you’ll be rewarded with Big Foam tight to the bank from 2:00 in the afternoon until early evening. You might also drop a size 14-16 heavy nymph like a Red-Bead Quill Jig off a Circus Peanut.
We haven’t done a lot of streamer fishing yet on the South Fork, that will be coming this fall, but Galloup’s Barely Legal and a gold Kreelex are always go-to’s.
The BLM has kept dam releases fairly steady on the South Fork, currently 10,000cfs, which always makes for better fishing. And it certainly is good to see fish up again in the riffles. It will be interesting to see if the consistency picks up.
Until next time, Howard Cole
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