Jackson Hole fly fishing – guide report 3.15.13

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Fly fishing season is officially here!!  We’ve had a warm spell this week with temperatures reaching the mid-50’s.  Alot of snow has melted out on the valley floor and new boat access is opening up daily. We’ve run a handful of guided fishing trips on the Snake River with great success. Our Cutthroat are still looking for Midges mostly, especially when they are feeding on the surface. This week was the first time I’ve seen adult Little Black Stoneflies (Capnia) crawling on the snowbanks.  Water temperatures are getting into the low 40’s which is good for BWO’s to hatch as well. Look for these bugs where spring creeks join the Snake….

There are brown trout in the Snake River, and March is a good time to catch them on streamers

Bill Waterman with a nice Cutthroat that ate an adult Midge pattern off the surface

Jackson Hole fly fishing – guide report 3.10.13

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It’s warming up in Jackson Hole!  We are in the mid-30’s daily and air temps are forecasted to reach close to 50 degrees by the end of the week!! This has our Cutthroat feeding like mad on Midge and Little Black Stonefly nymphs.  Nymphing has been the name of the game for awhile now, but we’ve had a couple of days with solid dry fly and streamer action.  Our guided fishing trips on the Snake River this past week had great success with some beautiful trout caught. Look for this to improve daily as the month of March moves on…

Gorgeous March weather!

March fly fishing Jackson Hole

Kevin Kavanagh holds an 18" Cutthroat caught on a streamer recently

Jackson Hole fly fishing – guide report 2.25.13

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Midges!!  The Midge hatch on the Snake River here in Jackson Hole is in full swing, especially on warm, sunny days.  The best action remains in the afternoons, but on the warmest days can get going by 11am.  We are seeing Cutthroat coming to the surface, typically in shallower, slow moving water where they don’t have to expend alot of energy to feed.  More fish that are holding in some of the deeper holes still are getting more active and will eat nymphs fished 6-7 feet deep. We have had a few fish eat some Little Black Stonefly (Capnia) nymphs and this hatch will nly continue to improve as we move into March.  Sunshine and temperatures close to 40 degrees returns this weekend!!

February fly fishing on the Snake River Jackson Hole, WY

Jackson Hole fly fishing – guide report 2.17.13

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It’s starting to feel a bit like Spring around here!  This is a little early and could change at a moments notice, but for now we’ll take it.  We’ve had some storms come through intermingled with warm days and air temperatures reaching 40 degrees. This has made for some good fly fishing! Midge nymphs are still the best bet, but some of our larger Stonefly nymphs are getting active too.  Combine this with the Little Black Stoneflies that getting ready to emerge in the next couple of weeks and our Cutthroat have options!! Our raft is ready and waiting to be used, so if you’re coming for a ski trip, give us a call if your legs need a break. Jackson Hole winter fly fishing is a possibility! At the moment, the Snake River basin is at 91% of average water content in our snowpack.  This isn’t too bad considering that March, April, and May are the wettest months of the year and typically determine how late runoff lasts. Currently, long range forecasts give us an equal chance for above or below average precipitation for these months. If the weather shows, expect the summer season on the Snake to begin in July.  Otherwise, we’ll be out there in June!

Fly fishing report Jackson Hole 1.28.13

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I’ve heard a few solid fishing reports from anglers fishing the Snake River this past weekend.  High temperatures were in the mid 30’s on Friday and reached 40 degrees on Saturday.  Since these temps remained steady and did not drop overnight, our Cutthroat trout were active! Both nymphing and swinging streamers were productive in slower moving water.  There were a few rises seen, but not enough consistency to switch tactics. More snow on the way this week, with temperatures expected to be in the high 20’s….

Fly fishing report Jackson Hole 1.25.13

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It’s crazy how warm 35 degrees feels after it’s been -20 for weeks!  We’ve got a front in from the Southwest and it’s bringing a little bit of snow and warmer temperatures.  There is no ice in the Snake River and the Cutthroat are happy!  Nymphing Midge patterns is the way to go  – Zebra Midge, Muskrat Midge, Black Beauty, Disco Midge.  You get my drift?

Jackson Hole Fly fishing report -1.18.13

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There has been alot of ice in the Snake River the past week, due to our below freezing temperatures.  I’ve been waking up to -20 degrees and we’ve been lucky if the highs make 10 degrees or so in the afternoons. This isn’t making for good fishing currently, but will improve over the weekend and into next week… We received a few inches of light density snow on Tuesday that made for some decent skiing, but we’re now into our temperature inversions.  Cold air is trapped in the valley and it is 30+ degrees above 10,000 feet. It is warming up enough in the afternoons that it will be worth getting out and doing a little nymphing with different Midge patterns. We’ve dropped to 96% of water equivalency in our snowpack from around 130% at Christmas.  Despite high pressure dominating for the next week, we are still in good shape for the summer, as April and May are typically our wettest months of the year.  Snow returns next Thursday….

Jackson Hole Fly Fishing – Guide report 1.10.13

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Winter fly fishing in Jackson Hole? You bet! It can be brutally cold during December and January in Jackson Hole, but when fronts move in and start dropping snow, the temperatures rise often to right around freezing or just above.  A regular heat wave!  This gets the bugs and fish active, especially in the afternoons. Midge hatches are the name of the game, and typically nymphing is the way to go this time of year.  We like to use a #12-14 Black Stonefly or Pheasant Tail as the point fly and drop a #18 Black or Red Zebra Midge 18″ behind it.  Total depth of about 6-7 feet should do the trick.  Swinging small Black leech patterns can also be effective.  Look for slack water just below the riffles or at the ends of long runs….

Winter fly fishing in Jackson Hole, WY

Jackson Hole Fly Fishing report 12.22.12

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A few of our fishing guides have been out hunting ducks on the Snake the past few weeks, and have brought back reports of rising trout in the afternoons.  The best spot has been at the very end of the back eddy where it rejoins the main current. Midges are the main fare on the menu as water temperatures are too cold for BWO’s at this point. The warmest part of the day, 1-3pm is the best time to be there… This past week brought the valley temperatures that we typically associate with late December.  Morning lows were reaching -10 degrees and highs only reaching 10 degrees above zero! Snow is predicted for the next few days and this brings with it warmer temperatures closer to 30 degrees.  Should make for a white Christmas and great skiing!

Jackson Hole fishing report – Snake River 12.10.12

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Bam! Winter showed up this past week, with overnight temperatures dropping below zero on Saturday night.  Along with it came great snow and good powder skiing with all the snow we received. Snow pack water content is at 121% of average currently.  What a change from the long, dry summer we experienced.  This is welcome news as it will bode well for the trout next summer! The fishing has slowed a bit, especially the dry fly bite that extended into December this year. Nymphing is the name of the game for awhile, with riffles being a good choice.  Try #18-20 Black/Red/Brown Zebra Midges, #18-20 Rainbow Warriors, #20 Muskrat Midges, or small PT’s. Look for the warmest part of the day for the most activity…