When we get to our secret bench blinds hidden in side channels of the river we exit for a short walk, the guide serves coffee then throws out a couple decoys. We put on at dusk, float a short distance with spot lights. Ask any angler intimate with the South Fork of the Snake and they will say fall is unbeatable!Ĭome Cast and Blast!! What could be better than loading a shotgun and a fly rod in your drift boat? The day starts early, before the sun rises. Some of our favorite streamer patterns include Muddlers, Zonkers, and weighted marabou flies in white and olive, brown and yellow, and black. 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. Guides get restless at night thinking of dark days and big streamers. The fall is also time to find big brown trout as they gear up for their spawning call of duty. Fish forego their inhibitions and spend lazy days gorging in foam pools, eddies, and along still banks. Although waders may be the norm, the dry fly fishing is extraordinary. PMD hatches wane and chilly days trigger Blue Winged Olive hatches to carpet the river. Best of all, trout succumb to nature’s demand to fatten up for the long months ahead.

Water flows are approaching their winter’s meandering pace. Frenzied anglers thin and your favorite run has only osprey with which to compete. It’s sensational and has to be witnessed.įall on the South Fork of the Snake is one of the best kept secrets in trout fishing. September brings cooler evening temps and cloudy weather causes our blue winged olives to emerge. We “skitter” flies in the morning and set on the aggressive strike. This fly has stubby wings, doesn’t fly, and hatches early morning. PMD’s, sallies and golden stones are the menu for the rest of July and August. This is followed soon by our large golden stone hatch(Size 6). It starts in the lower warmer stretches and moves about 4 miles up stream a day, roughly. The fish, after a long winter put much of their weight on during this hatch. This is difficult to predict and people from all over try to time their trip with this hatch. By early July we start to see the famous Salmon Fly hatch. We have a 3 week window of green drakes in the canyon sections. Late June brings hatches of yellow sallies, and PMD’s. Warmer water temps bring on the hatches of insects that have made the river world famous. The summer brings steady river flows for irrigation. Over the past few years we have really honed our technique and this is sure to bring a trophy to the net.

Rainbows are the bulldogs of the river and jaw-dropping runs and leaps are in store for you. Stonefly nymphs, egg patterns, various worm patterns, and bead heads are all staples for this time of year. This program has been in place for 9 years. There are no limits to size and quantity. The chip has a corresponding dollar value the angler may receive. Anglers who catch these species are encouraged to harvest the fish and turn the heads into Idaho Fish and Game. The Angler Incentive Program sponsored by Trout Unlimited, Orvis, and the Idaho Fish and Game motivates anglers by placing invisible chips in the snout of rainbows and cutbows. Deep nymphing is the key as fish are slowly but surely becoming more active and Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout begin their predicted spawn. This window benefits the early bird and can last just a week or up to a month. 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. Spring fly fishing on the South Fork of the Snake River is all about keeping your eyes on the weather and the water flows.

Fish heads san juan river lodge