My buddy Matt Ryan fished it on Sunday said it nymphed very well. He used black rubber legs,San juan worm, and hares ears. He said they are in your typical spots for this time of year in the runs midway to the tailout. He did say some rainbows were caught in shallower water but that's standard for those guys. Also word on the street is there have been a few big bugs spotted around Lorenzo but until I hear the official word I wouldn't waist my time unless you like to nymph.
Ok the fishing in swan valley is ridiculous right now. I have been fishing from the Irwin slide to the bridge and chucking streamers, olive has seemed to work the best. The midge activity is incredible we are finding lots of fish in the 17 inch range on the surface, look in the slow foot deep water they are hard to spot but once you do it's on. Timing is difficult because the midge come off in waves through out the day we were seeing risers as early as 8 a.m. Oh and these fish do seem to be a little spooky.
Put on the river at 9 a.m. It was pretty cold but started off chucking streamers black seemed to be the color picked a few off the banks. We nymphed a few runs the fish have seemed to have moved into the deeper slower water. Rubber legs, eggs, size 18 pheasant tails did ok but by far size 20 red midge seemed to catch more fish. At noon the midge started coming off and found a few decent fish mostly 15 inch cutthroats rising in the slow foot deep water.
Our good friend Sam Korhel spent yesterday fishing the Irwin to Spring Creek section on the SouthFork of the Snake river. Mainly nymphing rubber legs with small dropper. The fish have seemed to be pushed up into the shallows. Streamers have been producing well on the river over the last few trips. All and all the upper river is fishing very well. If you can squeak out some time it's definitly worth wetting a line.
Fished the south fork today I put on at 10 a.m. and there were fish rising right away alot of white fish but alot of cutthroats rising as well all midge on the surface. We did alot of nymphing caught a few on black buggers, pheasant tails and midge pupa color didn't seem to matter. At 1 p.m. we started throwing streamers and starting slaying right away. I am thinking we should have started out throwing streamers but they were on it the rest of the day. Biggest fish of the day was a 23 inch brown on a streamer oh and we did see some spawning beds so please fish below them don't target them.
Still running high and off color. Look for fish to be holding in eddies and other slow water areas. Throw a streamer through the eddies or nymph deep with a rubber legs.
Flows are shooting up again and the water clarity is very poor. The river is running around 18,200 CFS and rising.Try finding some eddies and throwing streamers through them. Side channels can bring success as well. You can also try nymphing deep. Some hatches of BWO's have been coming off in the evenings.
Flow 1100 cfs
The river is in it's prime for wade anglers. Streamers, egg patterns, and midges will catch fish. As with other areas it's a good time to go because the cold weather thins out the crowds and turns fishing on.
Flow: 3500 Flows are dropping every few days which means there will be more and more opportunities for wade fisherman. Fish midges, streamers, and blue wing olives. A good set up for midges is to fish two grifith's gnats, one trailing about 5 inches from the first. This imitates a couple of midge clusters and a mouthful worth moving to get.
Hoppers against the bank are still working as well as other terrestrials. Fish Blue wing olives and Mahogany duns in the riffles. Streamers early and late and on overcast days will also be good. The next couple days are suppose to be cloudy so this would be a great time to get out.
