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My fishing report and ramblings about fly fishing in the Jackson Hole area and beyond...
2/1/12 Winter's been fairly mild around these parts. The fishing is still slow, but on warmer days (when ice isn't floating in the water) it's possible to hook a few fish on nymphs and midges (if you're lucky). Standard size 12-18 copper johns, princes, hare's ears, etc will work well if you can locate a fishy looking piece of water. Make sure you use plenty of weight to get your flies down to where the fish are. If the sun peaks out and warms things up, keep your eyes open. You might just see some trout sipping midges along the banks! Hope everyone's staying warm.
1/3/12 Happy New Year! Around here, the begining of 2012 looks to be cold and dry. Winter fishing is possible on the Snake though. I had a client out two days and we managed to hook a few end of the year fish on nymphs. I'd spend time looking for and locating deep channels, as this is where most fish will be holding. Make sure you use ample split-shot to get your nymphs down. In cold water, fish aren't going to move much to take your fly. Stick to the classics- prince nymphs, copper johns, red brassies, hare's ears, etc. and make sure you take a thermos of coffee.
12/2/11 Judging by the outside temperature reading,1 degree, I'd say it's too cold to fish (at least for the foreseeable future). Before this cold spell, I got out fishing for a few hours on the Snake and hooked a few trout with midges and nymphs. Days where temperatures get into the 30s will be best, but since days are short and nights cold, I don't expect many for the next couple of weeks. Probably best to hunker down; tying flies and hanging Christmas decorations. I'll give an update if things change.
11/5/11 Well, it's November and the fishing season is all but over. Most waters here in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone have closed for the season and will reopen in April. The Snake, Salt and Hoback are still open and can offer up some fish when the weather cooperates. If you know where to go, you can still coax some fall-run browns to strike with streamers and nymphs. Otherwise, fish the Snake on warmer days, mid afternoon, with small dries and nymphs. Look for fish holding in deep, slow runs.
10/14/11 Despite the fall (read unpredictable) weather, fishing continues to be good around here. Flows on the Snake have dropped to winter levels and the fish are now found in main channels. Look for the best fishing to be from around 11- 4 with Blue wing olive patterns, hares ears and midges. The big star right now is Flat creek. Blue wing olive hatches are occurring daily and we've been hooking some truly GIANT fish. Better get out there before everything ends.
10/6/11 With snow falling here at my east Jackson home, it seemed fitting to update the fishing report. First off, flows on the Snake are being cut as we speak. This might make fishing a little slow for a few days, but I suspect we're in for some more great fishing once fish get settled into their winter holes. With weather getting colder, take your time getting on the water. Look for Blue wing olive hatches between 12-4. Try small parachute adams, hare's ears, BWO sparkle duns, griffins gnats, etc. On bright sunny days, you might be able to fool a few fish on hopper/chernobyls, but overall, I'd fish the smaller stuff.
The browns are getting active so get to your favorite piece of water and start swinging streamers and nymphs. I've heard report that some fish are showing up in our favorite fall stretches of rivers. Haven't been able to confirm it first hand though.
9/20/11 Fall has come to Jackson and with it has come mayflies. The days of fishing big flies on the Snake is coming to an end. Time to get out smaller patterns like Mahoganys, BWO, and parachute adams. Also look for big Hecubas on gray days. No need to get out early these days. Have a second cup of coffee and ease into things.
9/12/11 Fishing continues to be great around here and will continue throughout the fall. The Snake is fishing well with a variety of flies. Ants, parachute adams, rusty spinners and PMDs have been working for me, but I think at this point in the season it's wide open as far as flies go! Not into the big waters, fish smaller tributaries- Gros Ventre, Hoback, Buffalo Fork, etc. You can't go wrong!
8/29/11 Fish wherever you want, I don't really think you can go wrong. The dry fly fishing on the Snake is great right now and should remain so. Chernobyl ants, hoppers, royal wulffs, etc. are all fooling fish. The Green's still fishing well, although the water level has dropped, making floating a bit more difficult. Still, expect good dry fly fishing in the morning. Other tributaries are fishing well too with big, busy dry flies.
8/14/11 The dry fly fishing around here is getting better and better every day. The Snake is fishing pretty well and will continue to get better. Yesterday we caught a lot of smaller fish (and a few bigger ones) using chernobyl ants and royal wulffs. Flat creek is open and offers challenging fishing for some true large (and smart) cutthroat trout. I'd get out there in the morning and look for activity between 10 and 12. Otherwise, pound the banks with terrestrials and see what happens. The Green still has plenty of water in it and is fishing well with dry flies, particularly in the morning. Other local tributaries are in various states- some are clear and fishing great, others are still a bit dirty (Gros Ventre). Regardless, I think you'll be able to fool a few fish just about anywhere at this point.
8/6/11 Fishing around Jackson is pretty good. Many of the tributaries have cleared or are on the verge of clearing. Rivers like the Hoback, although still green, can certainly be fished with large attractor dry flies. The Snake is still green and a bit high, but overall it's fishable. I'd stick with nymphs and streamers for now, but it won't be too much longer before dry flies will fool fish.
I think the Green river, just south of Jackson, is the best float fishing option at the moment. Grey Drakes, Yellow Sallies, Yellow Stoneflies, etc are all hatching and dry fly fishing has been fun. We've also hooked quite a few NICE fish on nymphs (it pains me to admit it, but it's true:)
Time to get out fishing!
7/25/11 Things are really improving fast! The Snake is now green and should be fishing in another week. Other tributaries are also clearing and looking fishy. My advice is this- Fish the Green! It's really coming into own, with fish being taken on dries and nymphs. Here's what we found yesterday.
7/22/11 Well, we're making progress. i'm happy to report that local waters are slowly improving. The Snake is still off color and high, but is in better shape than I've seen it in over a month. Smaller tributaries are clearing (Pacific creek and higher alpine streams) which mean that our larger rivers won't be far behind. The Green is looking pretty good despite higher water levels. I was down there the other day and can report that it's definitely fishable and will get better each day. Look for drakes and caddis action on top.
7/12/11 I'm hesitant to write this, but I'll say it anyway- I think the worst is over. That's right folks, it can only get better from here! While waters around here are still running high and muddy, it seems, judging by the river flow graphs, that things are dropping. The Snake is coming down slowly, thanks to lower flows from Pacific creek, the Buffalo fork and the Gros Ventre. I suspect that we should see some decent fishing options around here in another week or two. I'll keep you posted.....
6/27/11 Not much new to report around here. The weather's been nice and this has made the local streams and rivers even bigger and muddier. Hopefully the runoff will peak here in the next week or so and we can get on to fishing. I'll update when I have some better news to share.
6/16/11 Fish the lakes. That's the only thing worth your time right now. Try streamers- wooly buggers, leeches, big conehead muddlers in brown, yellow. You might also take some fly ant patterns with you for some surface action. Other than that, rivers and streams are still high and muddy making fishing tough, if not impossible.
6/1/11 Still bleak around here when it comes to fishing options. The good news is that the ice is off the lakes. Bad news is that there is nothing else worth fishing right now. The snow pack still sits at unprecedented levels,(although maybe yesterday's weather is the beginning of its demise.. Who knows?). If I were you, I'd grab some streamers and sinking line and head to Jackson or Jenny lake. You might also head north to Yellowstone and fish the Firehole. Although with this new bit of warm weather, you might arrive to find it bank-full and tea stained. Still worth it though, particularly if you have streamers, nymphs and soft hackles in your fly box.
5/20/11 It's a tough time to be a fly fisher in Jackson Hole. As of today, I don't know of any water worth fishing (well, major waters anyway). I've heard whispers of a piece or two that may or may not be in good shape, but I'm not mentioning them here- you'll have to sniff out that kind of info yourself. The main players in the area, the Snake, Green, Hoback, Gros Ventre, Buffalo Fork, etc. all are high and muddy. The cool, wet weather continues too, meaning that the area lakes are all still frozen over. If this cool weather continues, the Green might drop down to nymph/streamer fishing levels...I'll keep you posted.
Yellowstone opens for fishing next Saturday. Word is though that the Gibbon, Firehole and Madison are all close to hitting record flows. This doesn't bode well for the opener. Sorry to have such a depressing report, just telling it like it is. Here's to hoping for some sunshine!
5/12/11 Having just returned from a visit to the Green river, I thought I'd give a brief report. The Green is off color and running just under 500cfs. While it's clarity is far from ideal, it's probably the best game in town at the moment. Although, I would suspect that if we keep getting days like today (sunshine, relatively warm) the water will continue to rise and turn to mud. We caught a few brown trout on nymphs in the slower, deeper runs. Only could get as far campground one due to snow in the road. The Snake continues to rise each day and while I did see some boat trailers at the bridge, I don't think there's much fishing to be done on it right now.
5/9/11 It might be best to put your fly rod down and tie some flies, at least for the next few weeks. The Snake is running high and fast as water managers continue to let more and more water out of Jackson Lake in anticipation of a runoff that has yet to start. Snow pack is at 169% of normal, so brace yourselves for some big water once (if) the sun comes out and we start getting some warmer temperatures. You could still give the Snake a try, but be aware that you'll need some nymphs, streamers and split shot. There are a few tributaries that are still relatively clear (as of Sunday), but I suspect all the rain/wet snow we've been getting over the past 48 hours could change that. Ice is covering all the area lakes, but once it melts, fishing should be pretty good on them. Yellowstone's opening weekend is a few weeks away; you might consider tying up some flies for up that- soft hackles, BWO's, caddis, wooly buggers, etc. Sorry I couldn't paint a rosier picture...
5/3/11 Currently, the Snake is flowing higher than usual thanks to lots of water coming out of Jackson Lake. While the river isn't muddy, it is cold and green, forcing folks to fish primarily with large streamers and nymphs. The weather around here continues to be cold and wet, delaying the spring runoff. We have a tremendous amount of snow in the mountains. Once things warm up and start melting, area rivers and streams will be out of commission for a while.
4/11/11 I was hoping I could write a glowing April fishing report. Unfortunately, things around here have remained cold and wintery. Fish are being caught on midges, but most of the action has been with nymphs and streamers. While April usually offers some great dry fly fishing on the Snake, I don't think it's going to happen this year (sorry for the gloom- I could be wrong). The Beau of Rec has already begun releasing water from Jackson Lake in anticipation of a big spring runoff (snow pack is currently holding at 130% of normal). Water levels are suppose to hit 5,000 cfs here shortly (4,000 cfs more than usual for April). There are still fish to be caught, so get out there and hook a few before the rivers flood.
I'll be away the next few weeks and will try to get a report up as soon as I get back the first week in May.
3/26/11 Not too much new information to report. March has been offering up some decent fishing on the Snake and I've seen more and more folks out every week taking advantage of it. Because the weather's been pretty lousy, most of the fish being caught are falling for midges, nymphs and streamers. As we get into April and hopefully see some warmer days, look for large stoneflies along the banks. Try twitching a dark chernobyl ant or stonefly pattern in fishy looking places to imitate these bugs. You might be surprised how hungry some of the bigger cutthroat are!
3/10/11 We're into March and it seems like spring is on the horizon. The days are getting noticeably longer and the temperatures seem to be warming. This means that the local fishing is picking up on the Snake! We found a lot of fish rising to midges yesterday. Seemed like the action is earlier in the day (11-2). Additionally, friends have also reported picking fish up on streamers and nymphs (both being dead drifted and stripped at various speeds). I'd look for rising fish and target them with midge emerger patterns that float right in the film and just under the surface. You might fish an additional proper dry fly and see what happens.
2/28/11 It is an interesting (and challenging) time of year right now on the water. The fishing is beginning to pick up, but a lot depends on the weather and temperatures. On warmer days, midges will emerge and fish will become more aggressive. Conversely, cold days (which outnumber the warm ones) will slow things down and make fishing tougher. Lately, I've been focusing my attention on streamer and nymph fishing. I've caught some nice fish on large yellow/tan baitfish style streamers (think double bunny variations, muddler minnows, etc.) When those aren't working, I've been fishing a double nymph setup- a large fly (size 10 prince) with a small trailing fly, or when fish are active under the surface, a tiny copper john with a trailing red brassie. Hopefully as we get into March, things will start to slowly warm up around here at Teton Fly Fishing headquarters.
2/12/11 As I noted in my blog post, Valentine's Day seems to be when the local cutthroat become more active. It's still winter out there, but on warmer days I would expect to see some trout feeding. And, as each week goes by, expect the midge fishing to get better and better. Right now look for feeding fish in deep, slower water. I'd use size 18,20,22 parachute adams, griffins gnats or any other midge pattern that you like. Nymphing can also produce in deeper runs and I'd start working the streamer too. Another few weeks and I think we'll start seeing some good spring fishing.
1/22/11 Not much new to report. It's been cold and snowy around here, but it's possible to get out and catch a few whitefish (cutthroat too if you're lucky). I've been having luck with larger attractor style nymphs, fished deep. Some days, weather dependent, there is a midge hatch that brings the cutthroat up feeding on the surface. The good news is that the feeding is fast and furious, with a size 20 parachute adams or griffins gnat getting the job done. The bad news is that this frenzy only lasts about 15 minutes!
1/8/11 Things are cold here in valley, but there are some whitefish and cutthroat trout that still will take a fly. Both were caught using a variety of flies. Most fish came from deep seams and were fooled with both large and small nymphs. Look to to use standard prince nymphs, copper johns, brassies and zebra midges. If you get lucky and see some risers like we did yesterday, try a small griffins gnat, a light colored BWO emerger or a tiny parachute adams. I'd fish these flies in a size 20. Even though the fish are rising to particular midges, it seems that these generic patterns often fool them.
12/29/10 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. Hope the holidays are treating you well. Got out fishing on the Snake yesterday for a few hours, and despite the cold and wind, managed a few fish (whitefish and cutthroat) All fish were caught nymphing slow, deep seams, using a larger attractor style nymph with a trailing tiny zebra midge. Fish took both flies. While Jackson isn't known (nor should it be) for winter fly fishing, it's nice to know that it is possible to hook a few fish in late December! Better get back to the fly tying...
12/8/10 Christmas came early yesterday. With fresh snow on the ground and temperatures in the 30s, my friend Matt and I thought it was best to go fishing on the Snake. We were rewarded with fish rising in the slow, deep water along the banks to midges. Cutthroat were fooled with tiny parachute adams, copper johns and a nymph we deemed "the kodiak". The activity lasted from around 12:15-1:45. You can check out a few pictures on the Teton Fly Fishing facebook page.
11/30/10 Brrrrrrrr. It's cold and wintery here in Jackson. We've been receiving a lot of snow lately to go along with the single digit temperatures. As you can image, not much fly fishing is happening. If we get a few days in the upper 30's, I might sneak out for an hour or two on the Snake river, but for now, the best place to be is in front of the stove!
11/15/10 Adios 2010 fishing season! It's safe to say that there's not much fishing being done around Jackson these days. The fall treated those of us here in the West, fantastic. Now that we're well into November, most area waters are closed with the exception being the Snake, Salt and Hoback (i believe). I'll probably sneak out a few more times before winter really sets in, but all in all the fishing's slow. When I venture to the Snake, I'll focus my attention on deep, slow runs. If the temperature warms up enough, there might be a few fish feeding on midges right under the surface. Most days however will be best spent tying flies in anticipation of next season. I'll still be updating the reports every few weeks, so check keep checking in. Also, I'm hoping to get a blog going on here (seems like the thing to do these days) to help pass the time this winter.
10/30/10 Despite low river flows and colder temperatures, fishing continues to be pretty good around the valley. I'd focus on fishing between 1-4 in the afternoon. Look for fish to be holding in deeper, slow water, both in the main channels and in large back eddies. Try fishing midge patterns, BWOs and BWO emergers. If the fish are feeding under the surface, try tiny pheasant tail nymphs, etc. stripped slowly. If all else fails, put on a big streamer and see what lurks deep down in the shadows... Happy Halloween!
10/21/10 Things are winding down here in Jackson, and the days left to get out fishing are numbered. Fishing has continued to be good the past few weeks thanks to the great weather we've been having. Flows on the Snake have dropped to winter levels, meaning fish are now found primarily in the deeper runs in the main channel. If you're out on the Snake, try using small dries (size 20 BWOs, adams, etc.) You also might try using a big orange caddis fly. When the weather changes, I think you'll do best to fish the small dry flies or put on a nymph or streamer. I went up to the Lewis today with a friend. Not too many fish in the river. I think we need some lousy weather to get them moving. Looks like the weather's going to change this weekend. Get out while it's still nice.
9/24/10 My apologies for not updating this recently. Spent the better part of the last few weeks on the Snake with folks. Overall, the fishing has been really good. Weather has varied from some cold, rainy days to warm sunny ones. Seems that the cloudy days have been offering up better fishing, while the sunny, blue skies make things a little more challenging. Many days have required a variety of pattern to get the fish rising. We've rotated between PMDs, small adams and mahoganies. Throw in a chernobyl ant and a griffins gnat for good measure! The best results the past two days came from fishing a PMD with a size 20 BWO off the back. Most fish seemed to prefer the BWO, and the bigger dry helped clients keep track of where things were floating. I'd expect this to continue to be the trend as the fall progresses and the weather turns colder. For the time being though, enjoy warm sunny days out there and, in addition to the small patterns, go ahead and fish a chernobyl if for nothing else, the days of hoppers and big flies are running out. Enjoy the sunshine!
9/3/10 Well, what a week of weather we've had here in Jackson. We began the week with cool temps and rain (even snow in Yellowstone and up in the Tetons). The cloudy days brought off some get hatches on the Snake. We had a lot of luck fishing parachute adams and grey drake patterns. Things have improved the past two days, and now temps are back in the 70-80s with the sun shinning. Whether you're fishing the Snake or surrounding tributaries, you can't go wrong with fishing parachute adams, beetles and smaller chernobyls. September is my favorite month to fish around here. Hope everyone's able to get out and experience fall fishing at its best!
8/23/10 Hard to believe we are getting to the end of August (and summer). It seems that the hoppers haven't really materialized much this summer. That's not to say that fish won't take a well presented pattern, but it's been my experience lately, that if it's between fishing a hopper or a small mayfly pattern, the fish prefer the mayfly. I'd stick with the old standby, a parachute adams, if I had to fish only one fly right now on the Snake and other area waters. There's good activity in the riffles from about 10-1. If you find the fish getting picky, try a rusty spinner trailing off the back of the adams.
8/8/10 With August, comes grasshoppers and we're starting to have some nice fish come up to various hopper patterns- parachute hoppers, chernobyls, etc. Keep them on the smaller side and don't forgot to twitch them, as this really seems to get the fishes attention! In addition to the hoppers, PMDs and Yellow Sallies continue to bring fish to the surface. Overall, the Snake is fishing great and will continue to well into the fall!
7/30/10 Fishing is great throughout Jackson! Clients who have been out with me floating the Snake, have been doing very well. PMD compra duns are fooling fish, particularly in riffles, while yellow stimulator and royal wulffs are bring fish up along the banks. Area rivers and tributaries are all at perfect levels for fly fishing. As we move into August, I'd start casting hopper patterns along the cut banks, as the grasshoppers are maturing and will soon be out and about. For those of you venturing out on Flat Creek (opens Aug. 1), look for subtle rises along the banks and then focus on that particular fish. Instead of walking the stream, try sitting on a bank that overlooks a nice bend, and watch the water for a while- you might be surprise at what you notice!
7/23/10 Just returned from another great day out on the Snake. The river's looking good and bigger fish are starting to come up for the dry flies. Today, one client caught a pretty 17" cutthroat on a stimulator. We also found fish rising to brown caddis patterns in the morning. In the early afternoon, there were PMDs and smaller stoneflies hatching, brings lots of fish to the surface. I expect to start fishing larger hopper patterns here shortly, as I have been hearing them along the banks lately.
7/15/10 Summer fishing is upon us here in Jackson. All rivers and streams are now clear, or just about clear, making for some great dry fly fishing. The Snake is fishing well with an assortment of flies- royal wulffs, stimulators, caddis, etc. (I'm sure the nymphing crowd could throw in a few subsurface ideas). In addition to being out on the Snake lately, I've been able to sneak in a little fishing on my own. Pacific creek is clear and has some nice fish in it that are more than willing to eat a double humpy. (remember to make noise and take some bear spray) Also, the Gros Ventre is starting to fish well on top. Below Slide lake, the water is clear and it seems that a lot of folks are taking advantage of it. Above the lake, the water is still a bit green and running fast, but definitely fishable. Look for things to continue to improve there. One word of wisdom- if you're headed out, especially for some evening fishing, apply bug spray!
7/9/10 Conditions on the Snake are improving daily. Flows have dropped and the water is fairly clear. As a result, dry fly fishing is picking up. I've been spending a lot of time with clients fishing riffles with size 14 and 16 dark caddis flies. As a result, we've been doing pretty well. Most of the fish we've been seeing have been on the small side, but we did hook a couple nice ones yesterday. The water's still moving fast along the banks and I think it will be another week or two before we start seeing a lot of bank action. Hope people are enjoying the summer and getting out fishing!
7/5/10 I hope everybody had a good 4th of July holiday. We made some BBQ and enjoyed the local fireworks. Summer has finally settled in here in Jackson, and area waters are starting to clear. The Snake is still off color, but is coming around. In the past few days, the water has gone down and is turning green. Today, we caught a lot of small fish on dry flies in shallow riffles using small (size 14 and 16) brown caddis and PMDs. The river should improve each day. I also made it up to Lewis lake in YNP last Friday for a day of fishing with a friend. We caught a few nice browns at the outlet of the lake in the morning on black wooly buggers. There was also a good PMD hatch in the morning that had some fish rising.
6/29/10 I just wanted to give a quick report on the Snake as I have been out on it the past few days. It is still running high, fast, and cloudy. Clients knew this and wanted to fish anyway. Despite the conditions, we managed to catch some fish on nymphs in slower side channels and along seams and also managed to pick up a few small fish on dries in select locations. Looks like the river flows were lower today than yesterday. I'd say we're 2-3 weeks out from it clearing, but at least we're seeing some fish take some flies!
6/24/10 Fishing is starting to pick up in and around Jackson Hole. The Snake runoff has peaked and the river is coming down and will be fishing well in a few weeks. Right now, the best fishing around is up in Yellowstone on the Firehole and Madison rivers. If you're headed up there, be sure to take some caddis flies, wet flies and PMDs. If you find yourself fishing around Jackson, use some big, dark flies- wooly buggers, big stonefly nymphs, etc. The lake fishing has cooled a bit since the first few weeks that the ice came off, but it doesn't mean fish can't be caught. Try smaller wooly buggers, size 12 hare's ear soft hackles (both stripped slooowly) and maybe an ant pattern (i know, it's a little early, but they just might get the job done, especially in the afternoon.)
In unrelated fishing news, I was out in PA for my brother's wedding and managed to sneak in 5 days of fishing with a good friend of mine. We fished the north central part of the state, hitting Slate and Cedar run, Penn's creek, the Loyalsock and a few other small brook trout streams. Things out there were winding down due to warm temps, but we managed to do pretty well, especially in the last hour or two at night. All in all a great trip.
6/6/10 Everything is in full runoff right now and will remain that way for a while. It's been raining hard here the past few days and this has flooded the tributaries. The Bureau of Reclamation has also begun letting a lot of water out of Jackson lake, raising the Snake dramatically. If you really want to get out and cast a rod, I'd go to one of the local lakes in GTNP. Also, the Firehole in Yellowstone should fish well once it stops raining. Currently though, the rain up there has made it high and muddy as well.
6/2/10 What a weird spring we've been having here in Jackson. It's the beginning of June and the runoff still hasn't happened yet. Don't get me wrong, rivers and streams around here are pretty cloudy and not fishing well, but we haven't seen the Snake turn to mud yet. I took a few people out on the Snake last week and managed to get them into some fish thanks to an assortment of nymphs. (they knew it would be lousy fishing, but wanted to go anyway). The "powers that be" are planning on releasing a lot of water from Jackson Lake, starting on Saturday. This will raise the Snake dramatically. For now, your best bet is to fish any of the local lakes and/or head north to Yellowstone and fish the Firehole.
And in case you're wondering, yes, we had a great time fishing down in Xcalak, MX.
5/1/10 After turning green last weekend, the Snake cleared again thanks to the cold weather we've been having. In the afternoon there are stoneflies crawling around and the fish want them! I've had good luck fishing dark #8 chernobyls tight in along the banks with a twitch. This has brought some big fish to the surface. As soon as the weather breaks, I would expect the runoff to begin and fishing to turn off.
I'm heading to Mexico in a few days to see about some bonefish, so I won't have any new reports up until I get back. I will be checking email though, so if you want to inquire about a fishing trip, don't hesitate to contact me.
4/21/10 Fishing continues to be good around Jackson Hole. In the past week or so, we've seen sunny, warm days. Looks like this is going to change here in the next 48 hours. Colder weather will delay runoff and keep the great spring fishing going. Right now, a variety of flies are getting the job done- basic nymphs, streamers and smaller dry flies.
4/5/10 Well, it appears that winter's not quite through with us. The mountains have received more snow in the past week or so than they did the entire previous month. Despite this, the fishing continues to be pretty good. Nothing new to report with regards to patterns. Keep it small, unless of course you're fishing streamers.
3/29/10 Seems, judging by the amount of fisherman and drift boats I saw this weekend, that folks are taking advantage of the great fishing in the Jackson valley. Keep fishing the tiny parachute adams and midge patterns. Looks like were in for some lousy weather this week. May make for some great hatches! I'm headed down to Flaming Gorge for a few days. Hopefully the browns will be biting...
3/22/10 Fishing in Jackson continues to be really good. Another few weeks and other tributaries will open up for fishing. It'll be interesting to see how the runoff goes without much snow this season. Unless we get some crazy spring weather, things should be clear and fishing well much eariler than last year.
3/15/10 March is offering up some great dry fly fishing on Snake. Look for midge and tiny stonefly hatches from around 12:30-4 everyday. I've been doing well fishing a size 20 parachute adams with a midge off the back. When and if, the fish aren't looking up, try some copper johns and small brassies. Now, back to the fly tying bench to finish up some bonefish flies for friends heading south.
3/7/10 Hope folks in Jackson have been able to get out in recent days and enjoy the warmer temperatures and good fly fishing on the Snake. Sage and I were out the past two days with some friends and we did pretty well fishing both dry flies (Griffin gnats, parachute adams, midges), nymphs (copper johns, and brassies) and even picked up a few nice fish on black wooly buggers.
2/28/10 There seemed to be a hint of spring in the air today while fishing the Snake. I know, I know, it's only the end of February, but with sunshine and the temperature climbing into the 40's, it was hard not to think of warmer days to come. Fish were caught on a variety of subsurface patterns including: wooly buggers, copper johns, peacock soft hackles and the old trusty hare's ear. While there were midges on the water and quite a few stoneflies on the bank, the fish weren't rising (at least where we were).
2/14/10 Well friends, I spent yesterday afternoon fishing a side channel along the Snake and I tell you what, it felt good to be out fishin'! And yes, a few fish were caught. While there were midges on the water, I only saw one fish rise. I spent the majority of the day dredging the bottom with nymphs- princes, copper johns and red brassies. The brassie, trailed off of a copper john seemed to be the crowd favorite. Since returning home, I've tied up a bunch more to have on hand for next time. Looks like some clouds with a little snow tomorrow. I'm hoping that will get some fish rising to a midge hatch.
1/18/10 I've been spending a lot of time at the fly tying vise lately. Recently I tied a couple dozen of my favorite midge patterns so that I'm ready when the fish start keying in on midges. This pattern is pretty simple to tie and has worked well for me over the years, especially in the early spring. I'll often run it off a size 18 parachute adams so that I can keep track of it and tell when a fish takes it. 
1/14/10 Well, the temperature got up around freezing today, and after a bunch of cold, long weeks, I thought it was best to go out fishing on the Snake. Not a "proper" fishing trip, more of a curious walk up river with rod in hand. I did manage a few cast, but no fish. Did see a few midges on the water. Good to get out with the dog.
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