Fishing Report
Stay tuned for weekly fishing reports throughout the season. We will provide you with current conditions, hatches, and suggested fly patterns.
September and October, 2023
Fall is here and the leaves are changing and the fishing is great! Cool evenings leading into crisp mornings and chances of afternoon showers possible throughout the fall. The cooler water temperatures have fish much more active throughout the day, even in the high afternoon sun. Most of our success on the river has been in the deeper runs with deep droppers or nymph rigs. Suggested rigs include, jig-style flies that get down quick with an added midge or baetis imitation trailing behind. Fish can be found rising to trico duns and spinners in the mornings, but the reliability of the hatch has slowed down significantly. Drizzly and overcast afternoons can lead to some great blue winged olive hatches, which can have fish feeding on the surface throughout the day. A #18 or #20 CDC or parachute BWO dry fly is all you really need to fish this hatch effectively. Look for the sailboat-shaped duns on the surface of the water to identify the hatch and cast to rising fish in slick areas and along current seams. Longer leaders and light tippet with small flies seem to be key for best success. Hopper droppers are still a great tool for those deeper pockets, but most fish feeding on the surface will be more likely to take a #12-#16 attractor mayfly imitation where there isn’t a major hatch present. Downsizing your setup in general –smaller flies, lighter tippet, and longer leaders- is the main tactic for the best success this time of year.
Current Hatches: Tricos, Blue-Winged Olives, Midges, Grasshoppers
Suggested Fly Patterns: Green Caddis Larvae (#12 – #18), Flashback Pheasant Tails (#12 – #18), Jig Nymphs (#16 – #20), Frenchie (#16 – #18), WD40, (#18 – #22), Black/Olive Zebra Midge (#18 – #22), Chubby Trico Spinner (#20 – #22), Purple Parachute Adams (#12 – #16), BWO and Baetis Emergers (#18 – #20), Chubby Chernobyl Ant (#6 – #8), Black Para Ant (#14), Streamers (#4 – #8)
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
