Fishing Report
Stay tuned for weekly fishing reports throughout the season. We will provide you with current conditions, hatches, and suggested fly patterns.
September 13, 2022
Morning frosts, changing leaves, and cool water—all signs point to fall! Water levels throughout the valley have dropped and the flows have reached their baseline lows. Fortunately, overnight cool air temperatures and shorter days have driven water temperatures into the mid-50s. Low water levels should not discourage anglers. In fact, it can be some of the most productive fishing of the entire year. Fish tend to pool in the deep troughs and pockets. Once you locate fish and figure out what they are eating, chances are high of being able to catch multiple in a row. The trick is long, light leaders and tippet, small flies, with subtle presentation. Changing to lighter tippet and adjusting the length of your dropper can be the simple trick of having success. As a starter rig, lengthen a 5x leader to at least 10 feet by adding extra tippet. Tie a small to medium dry fly or hopper (#12 – #14) on as your lead. Add a 20-inch dropper using more 5x tippet to a small nymph (#18 – #22). Target the faster moving water next to rocks where there is likely a hole. Adjust the dropper as needed and make sure your flies reach the bottom. When fishing to rising fish, don’t over think the fly selection, as fish tend to be more keyed into presentation than pattern. Trico and blue-winged olive mayflies are the most abundant hatches with ample amounts of terrestrials still crawling the grassy stream banks.
It is the time of year for anglers to be careful of trampling redds. A redd is a patch of cleared river bottom about 4 feet wide that trout use as a spawning bed. They will be located in 4–10 inches of water below riffles in a flat section of stream. Stay clear and give them wide girth; it’s important they remain clear from silt and disturbances to allow fertilized eggs the opportunity to grow.
Current Hatches: Blue-Winged Olives, Tricos, Midges, Grasshoppers, Ants.
Suggested Fly Patterns: BWOs (#18 – #20), Parachute Adams (#12 – #20), Trico Spinners (#20 – #22), Rusty Spinners (#16 – #18), Chubby Chernobyl (#8 – #12), Pheasant Tails (#18- #20), Hare’s Ears (#16 – #18), Jig Nymphs (#18 – #20), BWO Emergers (#18 – #22), Zebra Midges (#18 – #22), Streamers (#8 – #10), Foam Hoppers (#8– #14), Para Ants (#16).
General Entomology
The major insect hatches consist of stoneflies, caddis, and mayflies. There is also an ample supply of terrestrial insects, aquatic worms, and native minnows that make up much of a trout’s diet.
Hatches generally begin mid-morning, and at times will last the entire day. Spring offers a diverse range of caddis, stoneflies, and mayflies. Terrestrial insects are most abundant during the heat of the summer—July and August—and will survive until the first hard frost. The most notable mayfly hatch in the upper North Platte River watershed is the trico mayfly, which usually arrives late-July and August. In the fall, and especially with a little moisture, blue winged olive mayflies may hatch the entire day.
Throughout the year trout will feed subsurface on the aquatic stages of many insects. Spring is often a time when lots of terrestrial nymphs and aquatic worms are flushed through the streams. It is also a time when stoneflies and caddis hatch, attracting the attention of many trout. In correlation with the seasonal hatches and as stream levels drop, trout will shift their focus to smaller mayfly and midge nymphs later in the season.
Trout are opportunistic feeders, and at certain times territorial. Streamers imitate the various life stages of fishes and leeches, and can be an effective method of fishing the entire season. Streamers are usually large and flashy, which make them a great option during the early season when water levels are high and off color. They also work well in lakes where trout sometimes ambush their prey.
General Hatch Guide
Mid-June to July
- Caddis
- Stoneflies (golden, salmonflies, yellow sallies, and little black)
- Mayflies (pale morning dun, green and brown drakes)
- Terrestrials (grasshoppers and ants)
- Aquatic worms
July to August
- Caddis
- Stoneflies (yellow sallies)
- Mayflies (trico, pale morning dun, callibeatis, and mahogany dun)
- Terrestrials (grasshoppers and ants)
- Midges
August to September
- Caddis
- Mayflies (trico, blue winged olive, and blue quill)
- Terrestrials (grasshoppers and ants)
- Midges
